The moderating role of consumer knowledge structures in green advertising

Purpose This study aims to investigate the role of consumer knowledge structures, specifically topic knowledge and agent knowledge, in moderating the impact of message strategies on attitudes and booking intentions toward green hotels. Building on the persuasion knowledge model (PKM), the research seeks to develop effective communication strategies for environmentally friendly hotels. Design/methodology/approach Two online experiments (n = 565) tested the effects of message appeal (rational vs emotional) and framing (gain vs loss vs control) on consumer responses to green hotels. Participants viewed scenarios featuring fictitious influencers endorsing a green hotel brand. Study 1 was focused on the moderating role of topic knowledge (i.e. environmental knowledge), while Study 2 helped explore the influence of agent knowledge (i.e. perceived informativeness of influencers) as a moderator. Findings Rational appeals were more effective than emotional appeals for consumers with low topic or agent knowledge, but the differences were not observed among those with high knowledge levels. Message framing did not significantly influence consumer responses. Attitudes mediated the relationship between message strategies and booking intentions only when consumer knowledge was low. Practical implications Rational messages are most effective for consumers with low topic or agent knowledge. Practitioners should match message appeals and influencer partnerships to audience knowledge levels to enhance attitudes and booking intentions. Originality/value This study extends the PKM by revealing a knowledge-threshold effect in green hotel advertising. It also offers a PKM-based framework for designing sustainability communication with influencers.