WHEN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE MEETS SUSTAINABILITY MARKETING: BUILDING SUSTAINABLE BRAND ADVOCACY THROUGH TRANSPARENCY AND CREDIBILITY

Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming sustainability marketing by enabling organizations to deliver personalized, transparent, and data-driven sustainability communication. This study examines the influence of AI Sustainability Communication on Sustainable Brand Advocacy through the sequential mediating roles of Perceived AI Transparency and Sustainable Brand Credibility. A quantitative, cross-sectional research design was employed, and data were collected from 627 Generation Z consumers using a structured questionnaire based on established measurement scales. The proposed model was analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS 4. The findings reveal that AI Sustainability Communication has a significant positive effect on Sustainable Brand Advocacy and Perceived AI Transparency. Moreover, Perceived AI Transparency significantly enhances Sustainable Brand Credibility, which subsequently strengthens Sustainable Brand Advocacy. The mediation analysis further confirms that both Perceived AI Transparency and Sustainable Brand Credibility individually and sequentially mediate the relationship between AI Sustainability Communication and Sustainable Brand Advocacy. The model explains 71.4% of the variance in Sustainable Brand Advocacy, demonstrating substantial explanatory power. This study contributes to the emerging literature on AI and sustainability marketing by integrating AI-specific psychological mechanisms into a unified framework and offers practical implications for organizations seeking to leverage transparent and credible AI-driven sustainability communication to foster long-term consumer advocacy.