Understanding Sustainable Marketing through Sustainable Digital Advertising: Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) Model on Consumers’ Sustainable Behavior

This study examines how environmental awareness and sustainability-oriented digital advertising shape consumers’ sustainable behavior and purchase intention through behavioral intention. Specifically, the study conceptualizes environmental awareness and sustainability-oriented digital advertising as environmental stimuli, behavioral intention as the organismic mechanism, and sustainable behavior together with purchase intention as behavioral responses. A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted with 450 Turkish consumers who reported recent exposure to digital advertisements containing environmental sustainability messages. The findings indicate that environmental awareness and sustainability-oriented digital advertising positively influence behavioral intention, which in turn has significant positive effects on sustainable behavior and purchase intention. Behavioral intention also mediates the relationships between sustainability-related stimuli and behavioral outcomes. The findings therefore advance understanding of sustainability-oriented digital advertising as a conditional persuasive process and inform the design of more context-sensitive and credible sustainability communication strategies.