Marketing Green Trust: The Role of Eco-Influencers and Transparent Branding in Driving Sustainable Purchase Intention

1410 Online ISSN: 3006-2047 Print ISSN: 3006-2039 Marketing Green Trust: The Role of Eco-Influencers and Transparent Branding in Driving Sustainable Purchase Intention Hassnain Saati PhD Scholar, College of Business Management (CBM), Institute of Business Management (IOBM), Karachi, Pakistan Email: [email protected] Jacqueline Ismat Senior Assistant Professor, Bahria University, Karachi Email: [email protected]du.pk Muzafar Hussain Shah (Corresponding Author) Associate Professor, Faculty of Management Sciences, ILMA University, Karachi Email: [email protected] Saeed Abbas Shah Assistant Professor, Business Administration, Sukkur IBA University, Sukkur Email: [email protected] Abstract This paper explored the effect of Eco-Influencer Credibility, Sustainable Brand Transparency, and Environmental Consciousness on forming Sustainable Purchase Intention of consumers mediated by Green Value Perception. Based on PLS-SEM, the results show that both influencer credibility and brand transparency make a positive contribution to green value perception, which then has a strong association with sustainable purchase intention. The value-intention relationship is also enhanced by Environmental Consciousness, which emphasizes on its role in the sustainability intention behavior. Strong reliability, validity, and predictive statistics (R 2, f 2, Q 2, CVPAT) confirm the theoretical correctness and predictive effectiveness of the model. The research contributes to the literature on green consumer behavior by combining the effects of influencers with transparency-mediated value creation and provides practical implications about the sustainability marketing strategies. Keywords: Eco-Influencer Credibility, Sustainable Brand Transparency, Environmental Consciousness on forming Sustainable Purchase Intention Introduction The emergence of digital and social media in Pakistan has literally transformed consumer experience in regards to sustainability message and brand communication. Influencer marketing is now a giant in the way consumer perceptions are formed, and their purchasing decisions are made, with more than 70 million active social media 1411 Online ISSN: 3006-2047 Print ISSN: 3006-2039 users and an ever-growing digital commerce (Pervaiz et al., 2023). In this context, more and more brands are using eco-influencers (creators of content about environment-friendly lifestyles) to convey sustainability promises and reinforce green branding. Nonetheless, consumer skepticism is an increased challenge to face in Pakistan due to the high levels of concerns about false sustainability reporting, poor regulation, and sceptical views of corporate environmental disclosure (Hassan et al., 2022; Ahmad et al., 2023). Consequently, the campaigning efficacy of influencersbased sustainability campaigns is unclear and experimentally under-researched. The current global studies focus on influencer credibility, authenticity, and transparency as determining factors when it comes to persuading consumers (Ki and Kim, 2023; Jin et al., 2022). However, in Pakistan, the empirical evidence is still scarce on the impact of eco-influencer credibility, specifically on consumer judgments of sustainable products. Furthermore, the topic of sustainable brand transparency, i.e. the openness of a brand to share its environmental practices, source, and effects, has not been comprehensively encompassed in the influencer-based marketing models although it is relevant in the emerging markets where trust in the institution is low (Parguel et al., 2022; Lyon and Montgomery, 2024). The other crucial gap is the lack of knowledge of the psychological process that can explain how the sustainability messages influence the behavior of buying. Even though the concept of green value perception is considered one of the core factors influencing sustainable consumption (Chen, 2022; Kumar et al., 2023), the influence of this concept on influencermediated sustainability communication, particularly in South Asian settings, remains under-researched. Besides, sustainability initiatives in Pakistan do not attract the attention of consumers uniformly, and instead, the latter is strongly influenced by the environmental consciousness, which ranges differently depending on socioeconomic factors, cultural traditions, and a lack of sustainability education (Garcia-de-Frutos et al., 2022; Ullah et al., 2024). Although the concept of environmental consciousness is topical, it has hardly been paradigmed as a mediator in the influencer marketing paradigms in Pakistan, which constitutes a major theoretical and contextual deficiency. This paper fills these gaps by developing an elaborate moderated mediation model that incorporates the credibility of eco-influencers, brand transparency, perception of green values, and environmental awareness to forecast sustainable buying intentions among consumers in Pakistan. Theoretically, the paper applies the signaling theory and the social influence theory to the sustainability space in emerging markets and how the plausible sustainability signals and open brand behavior drive consumer value perceptions. In practice, the results will inspire Pakistani marketers, sustainability managers and policymakers to develop more authentic, transparent and effective green marketing strategies that are appealing to the local consumers. Research Questions RQ1: How does eco-influencer credibility influence green value perception among consumers in Pakistan? 1412 Online ISSN: 3006-2047 Print ISSN: 3006-2039 RQ2: To what extent does sustainable brand transparency enhance consumers’ green value perception in the Pakistani marketplace? RQ3: How does green value perception affect consumers’ sustainable purchase intentions in Pakistan? RQ4: Does green value perception mediate the relationship between eco-influencer credibility and sustainable purchase intention? RQ5: Does green value perception mediate the relationship between sustainable brand transparency and sustainable purchase intention? RQ6: Does environmental consciousness moderate the relationship between green value perception and sustainable purchase intention, such that this relationship becomes stronger for consumers with higher environmental consciousness? Research objectives RO1: To examine the impact of eco-influencer credibility on consumers’ green value perception. RO2: To assess the effect of sustainable brand transparency on consumers’ green value perception. RO3: To evaluate how green value perception shapes consumers’ sustainable purchase intentions. RO4: To investigate the mediating role of green value perception in the relationship between eco-influencer credibility and sustainable purchase intention. RO5: To determine the mediating effect of green value perception on the relationship between sustainable brand transparency and sustainable purchase intention. RO6: To analyze whether environmental consciousness moderates the relationship between green value perception and sustainable purchase intention. Critical Literature Review Recent studies indicate that eco-influencers are increasingly becoming influential in influencing pro-environmental behaviour, and credibility is becoming an important factor in sustainable consumption (Ki and Kim, 2023; Jin et al., 2022). Nevertheless, there is currently a focus on influencer authenticity and expertise, and no consideration of how the credibility of influencers should affect the perception of green value by consumers, which is a construct of sustainability-driven decision making (Chen, 2022). Similar studies indicate that transparency in sustainable brand, which is the open reporting of environmental performance, contributes greatly to trust and lessens greenwashing perceptions (Parguel et al., 2022; Lyon and Montgomery, 2024). However, the concept of brand transparency is hardly studied alongside influencer communication, and there is an apparent conceptual gap. Additionally, the concept of green value perception is proven to be a strong predictor of sustainable purchasing, though the majority of literature examine it within the framework of products or advertising, but in the setting of an influencer-based environment (Kumar et al., 2023). This curtails the knowledge of how consumers 1413 Online ISSN: 3006-2047 Print ISSN: 3006-2039 consider the level of environmental value when they receive sustainability messages through digital influencers. Lastly, it is well-known that environmental consciousness can act as one of the conditions of sustainable behavior, although modern studies indicate that its functioning as a boundary condition is poorly theorized (Garcia-de-Frutos et al., 2022). Therefore, it is still unknown how environmental awareness can enhance or deter the value-intention relationship especially in the case of emerging markets like Pakistan. Theoretical Background The research is based on Signaling Theory that states that consumers use believable signals to evaluate the credibility of environmental claims by firms, particularly in situations where information asymmetry is dominant (Lyon and Montgomery, 2024). The eco-influencer credibility serves as a strong indicator in digital settings which increases perceived credibility of sustainability messages. On a complementary note, the Social Influence Theory describes the internalization process of the persuasive signals of influential opinion leaders by consumers so that credible opinion leaders become critical in influencing the development of value judgements of sustainability issues (Ki and Kim, 2023). Sustainable brand transparency also enhances these indicators by lowering the perception of greenwashing and supporting the message authenticity (Parguel et al., 2022). These cues, as a combination, determine green value perception, which aligns with Value-Based Decision Theory, which proposes that consumers consider both environmental and functional advantages prior to developing purchase intentions (Chen, 2022). Besides, environmental consciousness serves as a conditioning factor that increases the effectiveness of green value perception on sustainable purchase intention. Eco-Influencer CredibilityGreen Value Perception The credibility of eco-influencers also plays the key role in the assessment of the genuineness and the purposefulness of sustainability messages by consumers. Consumers would internalize the associated environmental benefits of promoted products more when the influencers appear more knowledgeable, trustworthy, and genuinely devoted to environmental matters (Ki & Kim, 2023). The Signaling Theory states that trustworthy communicators contribute to information asymmetry minimization, particularly in the places where the practice of greenwashing is widespread, including emerging markets (Lyon and Montgomery, 2024). Consequently, believable eco-influencers can be effective, credible indicators that can enable consumers to evaluate environmental value more properly. Previous studies indicate that the trustworthiness of the influencer increases the acceptance of the message and perceived informational value (Jin et al., 2022). Thus, when ecoinfluencers convey sustainability in an expert and authentic way, they are more likely to raise the perception of green values among the consumers, and this aspect will influence their perception of the environmental and functional advantages of products. 1414 Online ISSN: 3006-2047 Print ISSN: 3006-2039 H1: eco-influencer credibility is expected to positively influence green value perception. Sustainable Brand TransparencyGreen Value Perception Sustainable brand transparency is significant factor in developing consumer judgment of the value of the environment. Transparency, which means revealing the environmental practices, sourcing, and effects of a company, lessens the level of uncertainty and alleviates the fear of green value (Parguel et al., 2022). By brands effectively communicating verifiable sustainability information, consumers understand better value in environmental benefits of what the brands offer. According to Signaling Theory, transparent disclosures are effective signals that will increase the clarity and authenticity of the perceived message (Lyon and Montgomery, 2024). The scientific evidence demonstrates that open disclosures of the environment have a positive major impact on green brand ratings and consumer loyalty (De Jong et al., 2022). Transparency is even more powerful in digital places since consumers in digital space actively cross-examine sustainability assertions. Consumers ascribe greater functional and ecological values to their products where the brands are accountable. H2: sustainable brand transparency is expected to positively influence green value perception. Green Value PerceptionSustainable Purchase Intention The green value perception is a measure of consumer evaluation on the environmental and functional positive attributes of sustainable products and thus a good predictor of sustainable buying behaviour. The Value-Based Decision Theory suggests that the purchase intentions are created by consumers in relation to the perceived value in comparison to the individual and social outcomes (Chen, 2022). With consumers becoming more environmentally conscious about adopting alternatives that are more responsible, perceived ecological value is at the center of decision making. The empirical evidence is consistent in regards to the fact that perception of green value notably increases the desire to acquire environmentally friendly products among consumers (Kumar et al., 2023). Perceived green value is even more essential in emerging economies like Pakistan where there is a high level of skepticism about sustainability claims since it leads to a reduction in the perceived risk as well as increasing the confidence in the environmental benefits being promoted. When the consumers perceive that a given product brings about significant ecological benefits, they would be encouraged to translate their perception into the actual purchasing decisions. H3: green value perception is expected to positively influence sustainable purchase intention. 1415 Online ISSN: 3006-2047 Print ISSN: 3006-2039 Eco-Influencer CredibilityGreen Value PerceptionSustainable Purchase Intention (Mediation) The relationship between the credibility of the eco-influencer and sustainable purchase intention should be mediated by green value perception. Social Influence Theory states that the influence of credible influencers on consumer sustainability information processing results in the promotion of more positive appraisals of environmental value (Ki and Kim, 2023). Nevertheless, credibility alone might not directly cause the purchase intention provided that the consumers do not feel that the promoted product has a high environmental value. The existing research points to the fact that perceived value is one of the most important psychological processes that turn marketing stimuli into behavioral performance (Chen, 2022). The consumers are more likely to see the ecological benefits when the eco-influencers present credible information on sustainability and this will lead to their intention to buy the sustainable products (Kumar et al., 2023). Thus, the perception of green value serves as the mental connector between the credibility of the influencers and pro-sustainability behaviors. H4: green value perception is expected to mediate the relationship between ecoinfluencer credibility and sustainable purchase intention. Sustainable Brand TransparencyGreen Value PerceptionSustainable Purchase Intention (Mediation) It is also expected that green value perception mediates the relationship between sustainable purchase intention and sustainable brand transparency. Clear sustainability reporting leads to less uncertainty, perceived brand honesty, and consumer improvements in the assessment of environmental value (Parguel et al., 2022) Signaling Theory highlights the fact that open disclosures are effective signals that can help consumers evaluate the validity of environmental claims of a brand (Lyon and Montgomery, 2024). Nevertheless, transparency might not be enough to directly trigger purchase intentions unless the consumers carry out this translation in their heads into perceived ecological value. Empirical evidence shows that one of the mechanisms that can connect sustainability communication to consumer behavior is green perceived value (Kumar et al., 2023). As people view the brand as having great environmental value due to transparent brand practices, they would be attracted to sustainable buying. H5: Green value perception is expected to mediate the relationship between sustainable brand transparency and sustainable purchase intention. Environmental Consciousness Moderates Green Value PerceptionSustainable Purchase Intention It is anticipated that the perception of green value and the sustainable purchase intention will be positively linked to environmental consciousness. Environmentally conscious people are also more sensitive to environmental stimuli and more willing to turn the perceived environmental value into sustainable practice (Garcia-de-Frutos et al., 2022). The moderation study indicates that the consumers who possess 1416 Online ISSN: 3006-2047 Print ISSN: 3006-2039 environmental consciousness attribute more importance to the ecological benefits and therefore they will respond to the positive value perceptions. On the other hand, lowconsciousness consumers can recognize the green value, but do not have a desire to transform this knowledge into behavioral intention (Ullah et al., 2024). Therefore, environmental awareness determines the magnitude of perceived green value to be an indicator of sustainable buying. H6: environmental consciousness is expected to positively moderate the relationship between green value perception and sustainable purchase intention. Figure # 01: Conceptual Model Research Methodology Research Design The research method is a quantitative, three-wave time-lagged survey design, which is suggested as the most effective to minimize the typical method variance (CMV) and enhance the ability to make a cause-effect assumption in the field of behavioral research. The design divides the measurement of independent variables, mediator, moderator and dependent variable into three different time points. There is also a 14day time gap between waves, which minimizes the effect of memory and enhances the 1417 Online ISSN: 3006-2047 Print ISSN: 3006-2039 internal validity. The research is deductive, as it is done by hypothesis testing, which is obtained by theoretically deriving hypotheses on the basis of the Signaling Theory, Social Influence Theory, and Value-Based Decision Theory. Population and Sample The target audience is the Pakistani social media users who are subscribers to at least one sustainability-minded influencer on one of the following platforms Instagram, Tik Tok, YouTube, or Facebook. The population is pertinent since it engages directly with the digital sustainability messages. There is adoption of non-probability purposive sampling methodology in order to ensure that the respondents are exposed adequately to sustainability messages. According to the rules of PLS-SEM (Hair et al., 2022) and with the level of the model complexity, the sample of 300-350 respondents is required, though the study plans to receive a minimum of 380 three-wave responses to strengthen the statistical power. Data Collection Method Information to be used in this study will be gathered through three wave time-lagged survey design that is highly recommended to reduce the common method bias and enhance causal inference in behavioral studies. The information will be collected among the Pakistani social media users who are active users of sustainability-oriented influencers on the platforms like Instagram, Tik Tok, YouTube, and Facebook. In Wave 1 (Time 1), the participants will be provided with a questionnaire to measure the independent variables, which are eco-influencer credibility and sustainable brand transparency, and demographic data. Wave 2 (Time 2) to measure the mediator, green value perception, will be done after 14 days to the same respondents. After the second 14 days period, Wave 3 (Time 3) will be carried out to test the moderator, environmental consciousness, and the dependent variable, sustainable purchase intention. Such a separation of time minimizes recall bias, eliminates the possibility of respondents to respond consistently across waves, and improves internal validity. Confidentiality and anonymity will be maintained by using unique anonymous codes to match the responses in all the waves. The involvement will be voluntary, and the ethical principles of informed consent and data confidentiality will be adhered. Data Analysis Technique The analysis of the data will be conducted with the help of the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) through the SmartPLS 4. The rationale behind the selection of PLS-SEM is the fact it is appropriate to complex predictive models, moderate mediation structure, and non-normal data distribution (which is typical of consumer behavior research). Measurement model assessment will start with the assessment of indicator reliability (factor loading of above 0.60), internal consistency reliability (Cronbachs alpha and composite reliability of above 0.70), convergent and discriminant validity with the HTMT criteria (less than 0.85). After the validation of the measurement model, the structural model is to be evaluated in terms of path coefficients, R2, effect size (f2), predictive relevance (Q2) and the 1418 Online ISSN: 3006-2047 Print ISSN: 3006-2039 model fit measures. The presence of mediation and moderating effects will be tested based on a bootstrapping process with 10,000 subsamples and interaction effects will be tested in two stages. CVPAT (Cross-Validated Predictive Ability Test) will also serve in the validation of predictive performance by comparing the excellence of PLS predictions with the linear models. This rigor of statistical analysis and high validity of findings is made possible by this comprehensive analytical approach. Instrument Development (Measurement) Measurement tool was prepared based on the established and valid scales that were modified to fit the context of sustainability and influencer marketing. A 7 point Likert scale was used to rate the items with the range of 1(strongly disagree) to 7(strongly agree). The Eco-Influencer Credibility was assessed with five questions based on Ohanian (1990) items of the source credibility scale and modified in accordance with recent studies on influencers (Jin et al., 2022; Ki and Kim, 2023). The sustainability brand transparency was assessed using four adapted items on Parguel et al. (2022) and Lyon and Montgomery (2024), which are the transparency and visibility of sustainability disclosures. The measure of Green Value Perception was based on four items, which were created after Chen (2022) and Kumar et al. (2023), and they included perceived ecological and functional benefits. Sustainable Purchase Intention was identified using four items based on Dodds et al. (1991) that were modified to suit a sustainability environment. Environmental Consciousness was assessed using four items of Garcia-de-Frutos et al. (2022) and Ullah et al. (2024), which indicate the level of awareness and interest of consumers to the problems of the environment. To make sure that the items were clear, relevant to the situation and reliable a pilot test involving 30 respondents was carried out. Finding and analysis Measurement Model Reliability and Validity The measurement model has a high degree of reliability and validity of all the constructs that are above and beyond what have been suggested in the latest PLSSEM literature. All the loads of the factors lie between 0.716 and 0.954, which is more than 0.70, the minimum acceptable value, which implies a sufficient level of indicator reliability (Hair et al., 2024). The values of Cronbach alpha and composite reliability (CR) range between 0.926 and 0.974, which are much higher than 0.70, which is typical of internal consistency reliability (Sarstedt et al., 2022). The values of the average variance extracted (AVE) lie between 0.760 and 0.904, which is higher than the recommended level of 0.50, which proves high convergent validity (Henseler et al., 2023). All of them have very high psychometric properties, such as Environmental Consciousness, Eco-Influencer Credibility, Green Value Perception, Sustainable Brand Transparency, and Sustainable Purchase Intention. It is worth mentioning that the indicators of Eco-Influencer Credibility (0.883), Green Value Perception (0.903), and Brand Transparency (0.904) yield high scores of the AVE, which means they 1425 Online ISSN: 3006-2047 Print ISSN: 3006-2039 behavioral intentions, consistent with contemporary environmental psychology literature (Li et al., 2022). Mediation analyses validated that both influencer credibility and brand transparency indirectly shape sustainable intention through perceived green value. The model also demonstrated strong reliability, validity, and predictive relevance (R², f², Q², and CVPAT), indicating robustness for theoretical and practical application. Overall, the results advance understanding of how sustainability cues, personal values, and perception-based mechanisms jointly shape green consumer decisions. Theoretical Implications The paper has contributed to the sustainability and consumer behavior theory by validating the mediating position of Green Value Perception that exists between sustainability cues and behavioral consequences. It incorporates the influencer credibility and the transparency of the brand in the green value theory showing their predictive power. Further elaboration of the moderating role of Environmental Consciousness demonstrates that the importance of the individual ecological orientation enhances the connection between values and behaviors, adding new dimensions to the existing green behavioral theories. Practical Implications The companies are to focus on open sustainability communication and collaborate with reputable eco-influencers to increase perceived green value. Transparency of environmental policies, veracity of sustainability assertions, and the maintenance of a steady stream of environment-oriented communications can greatly increase customer confidence and buying intentions. Sustainability campaigns should be designed to reach the green consumer segments, and in this case, they should be tailored to consumers who are eco-conscious so that the consumer better gets the message, which will increase the adoption of sustainable products. Managerial Implications Managers ought to combine influencer marketing tools with environmental programs to get the best out of the consumer. Perceived brand integrity can be reinforced by investing in transparent reporting, third-party certifications and traceability tools. Moreover, the targeting can be done more successfully by dividing the customers in terms of environmental awareness. The insights of green values can be used by managers to create improved product development, pricing, and communication strategies to suit markets that are driven by sustainability. Conclusion This empirical study shows that the key findings in influencing sustainable intent to purchase are credible eco-influencers, clear brand communication and high perceptions of green values. The findings indicate both direct and indirect route to the conclusion of the psychological process in which sustainability cues influence consumer choices. The relationship is also enhanced by environmental consciousness 1426 Online ISSN: 3006-2047 Print ISSN: 3006-2039 that seeks to underline the significance of individual ecological values. The model has good predictive capability, and this justifies its use in the study of sustainability marketing. 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