Social media exposure and sustainable fashion consumption: testing the mediating and moderating effects

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the role of social media exposure to climate change issues in shaping purchase intentions for sustainable fashion products. In addition, cognitive and emotional climate change engagement are proposed and tested as mediating variables. Green self-identity is also examined as a boundary condition. Design/methodology/approach Using a survey-based methodology, this research adopts a quantitative design to empirically examine the hypothesised relationships specified in the theoretical framework. The survey was distributed to 310 consumers, primarily in Malaysia. Findings The findings unveil that social media exposure significantly drives both cognitive and emotional climate change engagement. In turn, both forms of engagement positively influence purchase intentions. Cognitive and emotional climate change engagement also serve as significant mediators. Furthermore, green self-identity significantly moderates the relationship between social media exposure and purchase intentions. Yet, it neither moderates the relationship between cognitive climate change engagement and purchase intentions nor the relationship between emotional climate change engagement and purchase intentions. Practical implications The findings highlight the strategic role of social media in promoting sustainable fashion consumption. Fashion brands may encourage sustainable purchasing by increasing consumers' exposure to climate change-related content through frequent and consistent social media communications. Such repeated exposure can stimulate both cognitive and emotional climate change engagement, thereby strengthening consumers' intentions to purchase sustainable fashion products. Originality/value This study contributes to the sustainable fashion literature by demonstrating the mechanism through which social media exposure influences purchase intentions via cognitive and emotional climate change engagement. It also examines green self-identity as a boundary condition that provides a deeper understanding of these relationships.