Designing sustainability communication across behavioral effort levels: How AI-generated micro-videos shape pro-environmental intentions

The sustainability communication literature treats communication formats as functionally substitutable, overlooking how effectiveness may depend on the effort required to perform targeted behaviors. Drawing on processing fluency theory, this research uses perceived behavioral effort and procedural demands as an organizing lens for examining message effectiveness. Focusing on AI-generated micro-videos, the study examines how different formats influence hotel guests’ perceptions and pro-environmental intentions. Across three experiments, Study 1 demonstrated that dynamic AI-generated videos outperformed static signage, although the effect could not be attributed solely to AI generation. In Study 2, instructional clips enhanced perceived message fluency and task–technology fit for lower-effort behaviors, but not pro-environmental intentions. In Study 3, instructional clips significantly enhanced all three outcomes for higher-effort, rule-based behaviors. The study enriches sustainability communication theory by highlighting the value of explicit instructional guidance and offers actionable recommendations for designing hospitality sustainability initiatives in unfamiliar tourism service settings.