Leveraging Green Influencer Marketing to Promote Green Consumerism: The Strategic Role of Perceived Self-Congruity and Online Peer Network

Abstract

Although prior studies have examined how green social media influencers (GSMIs) shape green purchase behavior (GPB), the existing literature on which specific influencer characteristics are associated with such actions remains limited. To address this research gap, this study examines the process by which GSMIs' environmental knowledge and pro-environmental attitudes predict followers' GPB through the mediating role of perceived social self-congruity (PSC) and ideal social self-congruity (PISC). It also further clarifies the moderating role of the online peer network (OPN) in strengthening these relationships. Data from 404 Vietnamese social media users, collected using systematic random sampling via a mall-intercept approach, were analyzed using the PLS-SEM approach. The results show that both environmental traits of green influencers shape followers' PSC and PISC. However, only PSC, not PISC, mediates the relationships between these environmental traits and GPB. Additionally, OPN is found to positively moderate the impact of followers' PSC on GPB, but not that of PISC. This study advances our understanding of how green influencer marketing is associated with social media users' GPB and elucidates the mechanisms underlying this effect. The findings provide valuable insights for stakeholders seeking to promote green consumer behavior in online environments.