Value activation in sustainability communication: how marketing communication relates to sustainable consumer behavior through the perceived importance of sustainability

Introduction Understanding the psychological mechanisms underlying sustainable consumer behavior remains a major challenge, particularly due to the persistent gap between pro-sustainability attitudes and actual actions. This study examines how marketing communication relates to sustainable consumer behavior through selected psychological factors and proposes a communication-based Value Activation Model, in which communication strengthens the perceived personal importance of sustainability in everyday consumer decisions and practices. Methods A quantitative survey of 502 Slovenian consumers, representative of post-transition Central and Eastern European markets, was analyzed using multiple regression, bootstrapped mediation, and moderation techniques. Results The results indicate that sustainability importance is the only significant mediator of the relationship between cognitive-informational marketing communication and sustainable consumer behavior, accounting for approximately one-third of the total effect. Moral obligation toward sustainable development does not directly predict behavior but significantly moderates the effectiveness of marketing communication, with its impact increasing among consumers with stronger moral convictions. Informing was the strongest driver of sustainability importance, while negative emotional appeals reduced moral obligation. Discussion These findings provide preliminary empirical support for the proposed communication-based Value Activation Model, which should be interpreted as an exploratory communication-based framework. They suggest that sustainability communication operates primarily by activating the personal relevance of sustainability rather than through emotional or efficacy-based pathways. The study contributes to sustainability communication research by identifying value activation as a potential psychological mechanism linking marketing communication and sustainable consumer behavior, offering practical implications for marketers and policymakers seeking to reduce the attitude-behavior gap.