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Revisiting the Recent History of Consumer Behavior in Marketing Journals: A Topic Modeling Perspective

Through the years, a great deal of research had been dedicated to understanding how consumers think, feel, and behave in the marketplace. From its early development to the present, consumer researchers have adopted different methods and followed different approaches to describe the consumption phenomena. By pursuing a probabilistic approach, the current study aims to provide in-depth insight into consumer behavior research’s evolution and transformation between 1980 and 2020. The results exhibit a strong increase on subjects like consumer trust, self-identity, digital consumption, social media engagement, consumer culture theory, consumer motivation, and brand–consumer relationships. The citation analysis shows the most impactful articles and topics in consumer behavior research. The results indicate that articles on customer service satisfaction, experiential consumption, consumer trust, digital consumption, and social media engagement tend are heavily cited. And to understand each journals contribution an analysis based on citations, journal impact and topical diversity is also included. The study also includes the possible research directions for the future of consumer behavior.

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22 Culture and Consumer Behavior: A Review and Agenda for Future Research

Carlos J. Torelli, Anthony J. Petullo Professor of Business Administration, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA

Jie (Doreen) Shen, Data Scientist, Meta, USA

Maria A. Rodas, Assistant Professor of Business Administration and Shebik Centennial Fellow, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA

• Published: 23 January 2024
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Culture is a fundamental driver of consumer behavior. This chapter reviews the three most common approaches for incorporating culture into frameworks of consumer behavior and describes key findings about: (1) the effect of culture on consumers’ attention and information processing, (2) the persuasiveness of culturally matched advertising messages, (3) the contexts in which culture is more likely to impact consumer behavior, and (4) the behavior of bicultural consumers. The chapter concludes with a discussion of a future research agenda that focuses on the study of the tightness–looseness (T-L) distinction for refining cultural predictions, the further integration of the different approaches to cultural research for understanding a variety of consumer phenomena in a globalized world, the adoption of a polycultural approach for explaining the behavior of multicultural consumers with knowledge about two or more cultures, and the potential insights from new methodologies borrowed from neuroscience, machine learning, and big data analyses.

Culture, as a fundamental determinant of people’s wants, drives consumer behavior ( Kotler & Keller, 2009 ). As the world becomes increasingly globalized, both the demand side (i.e., consumer markets) and the supply side (i.e., brand offerings) of the global marketplace are also growing in cultural diversity. Cultural diversity in consumer markets is fueled by the emergence of China, India, and Brazil as engines of growth for the global economy ( Nayyar, 2010 ), as well as by the immigration patterns changing the cultural landscape of developed markets (e.g., growth of Hispanics in the United States or of Muslim populations in Europe). The supply side has also grown in cultural diversity thanks to the emergence of global brands from every corner of the developed and developing world.

Supported by these global trends, a wide range of brands bring a variety of cultures to an increasingly diverse consumer population. In this context, how can we incorporate cultural variables into models of consumer behavior? How can companies develop strategies to successfully connect with consumers from different cultures? What future challenges will marketers face in such a complex environment? This chapter provides answers to these important questions.

Because culture is an elusive concept that has been defined in numerous ways in research across different intellectual traditions ( Kroeber & Kluckhohn, 1952 ), we start by reviewing key approaches for incorporating culture into models of consumer behavior and by identifying the factors that explain the cultural patterning of consumers’ preferences for products and brands. In the consumer behavior literature, three intellectual traditions have dominated the approach to cultural research: the dimensional approach, the dynamic constructivist approach, and the consumer theory of marketplace cultures. Each of these traditions focuses on specific defining aspects of culture and their consequences for consumer behavior. Upon reviewing these approaches, this chapter discusses the effects of culture on attention and information processing, the persuasiveness of culturally matched appeals, the processes by which brands acquire cultural meanings, and the responses of consumers to the cultural meanings in brands. Special attention is devoted to the novel phenomenon of culture mixing or the juxtaposition of multiple cultures in a single-product offering. Finally, the chapter concludes with a discussion of a future research agenda, as well as with a summary of the key findings and practical implications for organizations regarding culture and consumer behavior.

The Dimensional Approach to Culture

According to the dimensional approach to understanding the role of culture in consumer behavior, culture is conceptualized as shared elements “that provide the standards for perceiving, believing, evaluating, communicating, and acting among those who share a language, a historic period, and a geographic location” (p. 408; Triandis, 1996 ). This approach identifies and measures patterns of variations in these shared elements that are organized around a psychological theme, dimension, or syndrome ( Hofstede, 1980 ; Triandis, 1995 , 1996 ). The underlying assumption under the dimensional approach is that, although there may be hundreds of cultures spread throughout the world, they vary according to a handful number of dimensions. Uncovering these dimensions helps categorize them into groups that share the same pattern of beliefs, values, and cognitions, which in turn can be used for predicting attitudes and behaviors of individual group members. In the past decades, the majority of research has focused on the individualism–collectivism classification, followed by the vertical and horizontal subtypes of individualism and collectivism and the related dimension of power distance (see Shavitt et al., 2006 ).

Individualism–Collectivism Classification

This classification relates to the extent to which individuals view themselves as distinct from or connected to others. People who are from individualistic cultures, or who have an independent self-construal, tend to emphasize individual autonomy and separation from others, while people from collectivistic cultures, or who have an interdependent self-construal, tend to prioritize connectedness, social context, and relationships with ingroup members ( Triandis, 1995 ). The individualism–collectivism classification can be used to predict how consumers attend to and process product information, as well as to identify advertisements that will be most persuasive.

Attention and Information Processing.

Because individualism promotes an independent view of the self, people in individualistic cultures (e.g., Americans) tend to have a decontextualized view of the world that focuses on focal objects and their attributes. Thus, individualism fosters a tendency to focus on the attributes of an object, separate from its context, in order to assign it to a category and to use rules about the category to explain and predict the object’s behavior (i.e., analytic thinking style, Nisbett et al, 2001 ). Individualists tend to judge new products introduced by existing brands on the basis of how close the new product is to existing products, or the extent to which the attributes of the parent brand transfer to the new product ( Monga & John, 2007 ). In contrast, because collectivism fosters a view of the self as embedded within a larger social context, people in collectivistic cultures (e.g., East Asians) attend to the relationships between the self, others, and the environment, fostering a tendency to attend to social and environmental contexts as a whole, especially to relationships between focal objects and the environment, and predict events on the basis of such relationships. This way of thinking is often referred to as holistic thinking style ( Nisbett et al., 2001 ). This approach affords an advantage in detecting broader connections between objects, even if subtle. Because they pay more attention to the environment, collectivists more easily identify relationships between an existing brand and a newly introduced product based on complementarity of use or overall reputation (i.e., more subtle connections). For example, Indian (i.e., collectivistic) consumers perceive a higher fit between a distant brand extension, such as a filing cabinet introduced by the Kodak brand, than American (i.e., individualistic) consumers do because collectivists are more able to identify the more subtle usage-based connection between Kodak and filing cabinets (i.e., filing cabinets can be used to store pictures) than individualists are ( Monga & John, 2007 ).

Given individualists’ tendency to process messages analytically, attending to focal images and attributes, relying in categorical knowledge, and making choices based on rules, advertisements in individualistic cultures would benefit from the use of white space as a way of making focal product images/attributes salient. In contrast, given collectivists’ tendency to process ads holistically, attending to relationships between focal images/attributes and the context, advertisements in collectivistic cultures would benefit less from the use of white space; it would be more appropriate for ads to embed focal product images/messages in a background that contains reinforcing contextual information.

Persuasiveness of Culturally Matched Advertising Messages.

One of the most important findings under the dimensional approach, and more specifically the individualism–collectivism classification, is that advertising messages that match cultural value priorities are more persuasive than those that do not. This effect, however, is more evident for shared products (i.e., products for which the purchase decision and usage are likely to include family members and friends, such as laundry detergent and home appliances) than for personal products (i.e., products for which the purchase decision and usage are usually done by the individual, such as chewing gum and running shoes) ( Han & Shavitt, 1994 ). A slogan for a detergent brand like “Solo cleans with a softness that you will love” is more persuasive in the individualistic U.S. culture, while “Solo cleans with a softness that your family will love” appeals to the values of a collectivistic culture like South Korea.

Similarly, individualists are better persuaded by information that addresses their promotion of regulatory concerns (i.e., messages about personal achievement, individuality, uniqueness, and self-improvement), whereas collectivists are better persuaded by information that addresses their prevention regulatory concerns (i.e., messages about harmony, group goals, conformity, and security; see Aaker & Lee, 2001 ). Furthermore, recent research shows that the practice by some firms of adopting asymmetric pricing (i.e., charging different consumers with different prices) is perceived to be less fair by collectivistic (vs. individualistic) consumers because such practice does not match the communal norms of firm benevolence endorsed by collectivists ( Chen et al., 2018 ).

Vertical-Horizontal Distinction

The vertical-horizontal distinction emerges from the observation that American individualism differs from Australian individualism in much the same way that Japanese collectivism differs from the collectivism of the Israeli Kibbutz. Whereas individuals in vertical societies view the self as differing from others along a hierarchy and accept inequality, those in horizontal societies value equality and view the self as having the same status as others in society ( Triandis, 1995 ). Thus, combining the horizontal-vertical distinction with the individualism–collectivism classification produces four cultural orientations: horizontal individualist, vertical individualist, horizontal collectivist, and vertical collectivist.

In vertical individualist societies like the United States, people tend to be concerned with the self-enhancement values of power and achievement, while in horizontal individualist cultures like Australia, people view themselves as equal and avoid status differentiation. In vertical collectivist societies like Japan, conservation values of tradition, conformity, and security are emphasized, while in horizontal collectivist cultural contexts like the Israeli Kibbutz, individuals endorse self-transcendence values that promote the welfare of others ( Shavitt et al., 2006 ; Shavitt et al., 2010 ; Triandis & Gelfand, 1998 ).

Focusing on the vertical and horizontal distinctions, nested within the broader individualism–collectivism classification, affords a more nuanced understanding of culture. Specifically, the tendency by individualists to assign objects to categories and to make predictions about these objects based on category attributes is particularly pronounced among vertical individualists (who are chronically concerned about status and power) when responding to power cues. When presented with information about a focal object, vertical individualists who feel powerful tend to focus on information that is consistent with the stereotype of the category to which the object belongs, while ignoring inconsistent information—often referred to as stereotyping processing ( Torelli & Shavitt, 2011 ). This occurs because attending to stereotypical information helps to confirm prior expectations and to reassert control, thereby protecting a powerful status ( Fiske, 1993 ). For instance, when vertical individualists are presented with an advertisement for a status-enhancing financial advisory service, they recognize better, in a subsequent recognition task, information congruent with the stereotypical image of the status product (e.g., “financial experts graduated from the top-tier universities in the country”) relative to their recognition of incongruent information (e.g., “When you visit Interbank offices, you will feel the warmth of your own home”; Torelli & Shavitt, 2011 ).

In contrast, as stated earlier, collectivists base their perceptions on a holistic view of the target object and its relationship to the social context. This tendency is particularly strong among horizontal collectivists (who are chronically concerned about interdependence and sociability) driven by power motives. Specifically, when presented with information about a focal object, horizontal collectivists motivated to use their power for the benefit of others (i.e., socialized power) tend to engage in individuating processing —or the tendency to individuate and understand others ( Torelli & Shavitt, 2011 ). This involves attending to information that is incongruent with prior expectations, presumably because such information helps to form an accurate impression instrumental for helping others ( Overbeck & Park, 2001 ). For instance, upon priming socialized power, horizontal collectivists presented with an advertisement for a nurturing dog food recognize better, in a subsequent recognition task, information incongruent with the stereotypical image of the nurturing product (e.g., “It has been reported that the company recently influenced distributors to stop carrying competitors’ products”) ( Torelli & Shavitt, 2011 ).

Given vertical individualists’ tendency to stereotype when influenced by power, advertisements that contain power themes would trigger stereotyping processing among vertical individualistic consumers, which in turn would prompt them to attend to information consistent with the categorical knowledge triggered by the focal product (e.g., the horsepower of a pick-up truck), while ignoring inconsistent information (e.g., the softness of the car seat cushion). In contrast, in view of the individuating processing exhibited by horizontal collectivists when motivated to help others, ads that cue responsibility themes would trigger individuating processing among horizontal collectivistic consumers, in turn prompting them to pay special attention to information that is inconsistent with the categorical knowledge triggered by the focal product.

Although appeals to self-enhancement values and openness values seem equally appropriate in individualistic cultures, as both primarily refer to individual interests, a focus on the vertical-horizontal distinction helps us recognize that openness values are more appealing for consumers with a horizontal individualistic orientation, while they are less so for those with a vertical individualistic orientation. In contrast, appeals to self-enhancement values are more appealing for consumers with a vertical individualistic orientation, but less so for those with a horizontal individualistic orientation ( Torelli et al., 2012 ). Similarly, appeals to self-transcendence values are more appealing for consumers with a horizontal collectivistic orientation but are less so for those with a vertical collectivistic orientation. In contrast, appeals to conservation values are more appealing for consumers with a vertical collectivistic orientation but are less so for those with a horizontal collectivistic orientation ( Torelli et al., 2012 ).

Power Distance

Power distance is a cultural dimension that reflects the degree to which differences in power are expected and accepted ( Hofstede, 2001 ). This dimension partially overlaps with the horizontal—vertical distinction, but there are also important conceptual and structural differences between them ( Shavitt et al., 2006 ). From a conceptual standpoint, the horizontal/vertical distinction refers to a hierarchical arrangement of individuals, whereas power distance relates to differences in the acceptance of hierarchies as being valid or important in one’s society. From a structural standpoint, although power distance is conceptualized as a single dimension (from high to low Power Distance Index; Hofstede, 1980 , 2001 ), it is highly correlated with individualism–collectivism. Thus, countries high in power distance tend to also be collectivistic. More specifically, countries topping the list of power distance scores (e.g., China, India, Malaysia, and Mexico) are countries also characterized as vertical collectivists, whereas those lowest in power distance (e.g., Denmark, Sweden, and Norway) are countries also characterized as horizontal individualistic ( Triandis, 1995 ; Triandis & Gelfand, 1998 ). Thus, the high-/low-power distance distinction partially overlaps with the distinction between vertical collectivism and horizontal individualism.

People who believe in power distance (i.e., high on power distance beliefs, or PDB) are comfortable with, and even desire, structure. Therefore, people who are high in PDB tend to categorize products, which affect their judgments. For example, recent research by Lalwani and Forcum (2016) found that people high in PDB are more likely to categorize products by price, resulting in ascribing higher quality to high-priced products. Other research has found that the interaction between PDB and psychological power states, or power cues, can affect people’s attention focus and subsequent behavior. For example, Han et al. (2017) found that in low-PDB contexts, people high in psychological power tended to be self-focused, which led to less charitable giving; whereas in high-PDB contexts, people high (vs. low) in psychological power tended to be more other-focused, which led to more charitable giving.

People high in PDB, given their tendency to expect and accept authority, are likely to be better persuaded by expertise and trustworthiness. Indeed, recent research demonstrates that people high in PDB tend to be better persuaded by celebrity endorsements ( Winterich et al., 2018 ) and by company-designed products over user-designed products ( Paharia & Swaminathan, 2019 ). Consumers high in PDB have a strong desire for status and thus show a stronger preference for status brands ( Kim & Zhang, 2014 ), national (vs. private-label) brands ( Wang et al., 2020 ), and upward (vs. downward) brand extension ( Liu et al., 2015 ). Furthermore, people low in PDB express greater preference for transparency in brand information ( Jain & Jain, 2018 ).

The Dynamic Constructivist Approach to Culture

Although the dimensional approach to culture helps to make predictions about perceptual, attentional, and evaluative tendencies of consumers, it is less useful for identifying specific contexts in which people will exhibit these tendencies. In this tradition, it is often implicitly assumed that culture is constantly operating in the background to trigger these tendencies across contexts. However, empirical evidence does not seem to support this notion, and suggests instead that consumers are strategic in their reliance on cultural cognitions for their judgments and behaviors ( Briley & Aaker, 2006 ; Briley et al., 2000 ; Chiu & Hong, 2006 ). The dynamic constructivist approach to culture addresses this issue by considering that culture is not internalized as a highly general structure, such as a value orientation, but instead as a loose network of domain-specific knowledge structures, such as categories (e.g., individualist values and beliefs), implicit theories (e.g., an individual’s behavior originates in internal dispositions), and cultural icons (e.g., the Statue of Liberty) linked to a central theme (e.g., American culture), which drive judgments and behaviors when made readily accessible by environmental stimuli ( Hong et al., 2000 ). Thus, although people possess cultural knowledge, this knowledge drives behavior only when it is activated , or primed, by cues in the environment that make salient the application of the cultural knowledge network for the task at hand ( Hong et al., 2001 ; Hong et al., 2000 ). The dynamic constructivist approach has been particularly useful for identifying contexts in which culture is an operative construct, as well as to model the behavior of bicultural consumers.

When Does Culture Matter?

Instead of considering culture as a dispositional trait that drives behavior across contexts, research on the dynamic constructivist approach has uncovered situations that render culture salient to guide consumer decisions. The cultural matching effects on advertising persuasiveness described earlier are more likely to emerge when information is processed in a cursory, spontaneous manner, when people are prone to form impressions based on commonly used cultural constructs. For instance, American (vs. Chinese) consumers are better persuaded by promotion than by prevention advertising messages when they relied on automatic processing (e.g., under time constraints or under cognitive load), but less so when they were encouraged to deliberate on the message ( Briley & Aaker, 2006 ). Culture-based product decisions are also more likely to emerge when consumers are prompted to justify their choices through reasoned statements, which renders explanations based on cultural norms particularly salient in memory. For example, Hong Kong Chinese consumers are more likely to choose a compromise option, that aligns with the normative tendency to find “the middle way” fostered in Chinese culture, when prompted to justify their choices ( Briley et al., 2000 ). Similarly, consumers with a salient collective self are more likely to favorably evaluate products that align with the preferences of others when prompted to justify their decisions to these others ( Torelli, 2006 ).

The Behavior of Bicultural Consumers

As stated earlier, globalization has exponentially amplified people’s interactions with lifestyles, customs, and traditions from different cultures. Consequently, the number of individuals who internalize knowledge from two (i.e., bicultural) or more (i.e., multicultural) cultures, as opposed to a single culture, is rapidly on the rise ( Benet-Martínez et al., 2002 ). Based on the notion that culture drives behavior when it is activated, the dynamic constructivist approach helps to explain how bicultural individuals switch cultural frames according to the context. Cultural frame switching refers to the process by which biculturals respond to situationally salient cultural cues or contexts by activating cultural meaning systems. For example, for Hong Kong Chinese students, exposure to Chinese cultural symbols (e.g., a Chinese dragon) increases the degree to which they endorse Chinese values as compared to the exposure to American cultural symbols (e.g., the American flag) ( Hong et al., 2000 ). Although some part of cultural frame switching is automatic, bicultural individuals also consciously choose between cultural frames to meet the cultural demands of the situation ( Birman, 1994 ). For example, an Asian American consumer could alternate their cultural identities and be Asian at home and American at work ( Forehand et al., 2002 ). Prior work has demonstrated such compartmentalization of cultural identities and frame switching across a wide range of cultures and populations ( Lau-Gesk, 2003 ). Recent research has expanded to cultural switching among monocultural individuals exposed to the tenets of a foreign culture (e.g., European Americans living in Chinatown; Alter & Kwan, 2009 ). Cultural frame switching has market consequences, as consumers tend to favor products consistent with the accessible cultural frame. For instance, Mexican American consumers residing in the United States prefer songs from a Hispanic rock band as a way to connect with their Hispanic identity ( Torelli et al., 2017 ).

Consumer Theory of Marketplace Cultures

Consumer culture theory (CCT) refers to a family of phenomenological and ethnographic approaches focused on the dynamic relations between consumers’ actions, the marketplace, and cultural meanings. Rather than considering shared patterns of meanings in a given society, CCT investigates the heterogeneous distribution of cultural meanings, and how consumers use commercial products and images to make collective sense of their environments and guide their actions ( Arnould & Thompson, 2005 ). This more granular approach to studying the interplay between culture and consumption has provided further insights into the ways in which consumers develop a sense of collective identity built around a brand. As we discuss in more detail in the next section, the study of marketplace cultures has helped illuminate the process by which abstract cultural categories are instantiated in products and brands to endow such entities with cultural meanings ( Fournier & Alvarez, 2019 ; McCracken, 1986 ). Brand associations can be embedded within cultural myths or cultural models in a narrative form. For instance, the Mexican beer Corona strongly associated itself with the partying myth of the Mexican spring break, which helped Corona embody such cultural meaning ( Holt, 2004 ). The consumer theory of marketplace cultures also affords a more nuanced understanding of how experiential consumption promotes collective identification grounded in shared cultural meanings. For example, consuming experiences built around the imaginary mountain men who trapped beavers in the Rocky Mountains of the American West not only provides a strong sense of community among consumers, but also strengthens the symbolic meaning of American values of freedom and individualism ( Belk & Costa, 1998 ).

Consumers’ Responses to Cultural Meanings in Products and Brands

Coke and Pepsi are brands with an almost identical core product offering, whose products are similarly priced, are sold through the same distribution channels, and adopt similar promotional strategies. Nonetheless, Coke consistently dominates Pepsi in brand rankings of best global brands. Recent research in consumer behavior argues that Coke’s success can be attributed to its distinctive ability to achieve the status of an icon—both globally and nationally ( Cross, 2002 ; Holt, 2004 ; Torelli, 2013 ).

As stated earlier, culture not only consists of values and beliefs, but also manifests itself in objects such as brands and products. Brands often acquire cultural meanings and come to embody the values and ideals nurtured by a cultural group. Thus, a brand’s cultural meaning is defined in terms of shared agreement that the brand symbolizes an abstract cultural image ( Torelli & Ahluwalia, 2012 ; Torelli et al., 2010 ; Torelli et al., 2020 ). For example, Ford has cultural meaning for Americans because of its strong association with the rugged individualism that characterizes American culture. Brands that are consensually perceived to symbolize an abstract cultural identity are regarded as cultural icons . Thus, iconic brands symbolize the beliefs, ideas, and values of a cultural group. Recent research in consumer behavior has focused on how brands acquire cultural meanings, as well as on the more favorable responses of consumers to the cultural meanings in brands.

How Do Brands Acquire Cultural Meanings?

The brand meaning-making process is a collective effort involving the marketer, consumers, and social influencers (e.g., mass media, celebrities, and social media influencers; Fournier & Alvarez, 2019 ). Brand meanings originate in the culturally constituted world and move into brands through several instruments such as advertising, the fashion system, and reference groups ( McCracken, 1986 ). Consumers appropriate these brand meanings for constructing their individual identities ( Escalas & Bettman, 2005 ), and in a dynamic process of social verification, subjective brand meanings take a concreteness that can be widely recognized by society at large ( Holt, 2004 ; McCracken, 1986 ). In this interactive process, brands that are deemed better cultural carriers are publicly acknowledged as cultural icons. To illustrate this process, let us consider the cultural meaning of Elvis Presley, undoubtedly one of the most widely recognized American icons of the twentieth century.

Elvis, also known as “the King,” was certainly not the first musician to embrace the newly popular sound of rock and roll. Black musicians of his time, such as Arthur Crudup or Big Bill Broonzy, had been performing the new rhythm well before it was Presley’s style ( Farley, 2004 ). However, for multiple reasons, none of these musicians developed the cultural meaning that Elvis did. Because these Black musicians did not embody the image, traits, and values of mainstream, segregated, White American culture in the 1950s, they could not become consensual expressions of cultural ideals of the time. Indeed, Sam Phillips, the head of Sun Records where Elvis recorded his first songs, has often said in interviews that the music industry was looking for a White boy who sang Black, who had the rhyming and soul to do R&B, and that Elvis was this boy ( Guralnick, 1994 ). In addition to embodying traits that characterized American culture at the time, Elvis also embodied in a unique way the key dramas of sex, race, and class that had been suppressed in the conservative and conformist 1950s ( Kellner, 2013 ). By embodying an emerging cultural myth, Elvis became a target of public discourse that facilitated consensus around his cultural meaning ( Fournier & Alvarez, 2019 ; Holt, 2004 ).

Elvis’s story illustrates how a brand, in this case a person brand, acquires cultural meaning by becoming a widely regarded symbol of a particular kind of story found to be valuable by people in a culture ( Holt, 2004 ). Importantly, consumers of his time more easily agreed publicly on Elvis’s cultural meaning due to his embodiment of valued cultural characteristics, allowing him to become a target of cultural discourse. In any culture, there is wide consensus about the importance of valued cultural characteristics, which contributes to the shared reality , or the totality of knowledge that is assumed to be known and shared by others ( Wan et al., 2007 ). As a result, people have an inclination to transmit information that is consistent with the shared reality ( Wan et al., 2010 ). Given the defining role of key cultural characteristics, members of the culture attend to the cultural significance of narratives that support them and evaluate these stories favorably as cultural narratives. Thus, narratives about actors (e.g., product or person brands) that personify cultural aspects are evaluated in cultural terms and hence are more favorably evaluated and more frequently transmitted ( Kashima, 2000 ; Wan et al., 2010 ).

Iconic Brands Resonate with Consumers

The consumer is the central character in the process of creating brand meanings ( Batra, 2019 ). Consumers internalize the cultural meaning of a brand through inferencing and semantic interpretation, as well as through identity processes. Social groups and brand communities “cultivate” a disposition among their members toward certain types of brand meanings (e.g., refinement for high-class individuals; Fournier & Alvarez, 2019 ). Furthermore, consumers appropriate and transmit desirable brand meanings for building their cultural identities. Because culture provides the individual with a strong sense of collective identity ( Chiu & Hong, 2006 ), people are more likely to recruit cultural knowledge for their judgments and behaviors when enacting their cultural identity. Building upon the dynamic constructivist approach to culture, the identity-based motivation theory ( Oyserman, 2009 ) proposes that identities not only include knowledge about group membership and a positive sense of ingroup connections, but also the readiness to act and make sense of the world in identity-congruent ways. In the context of cultural identities, the theory predicts that people will behave in culturally appropriate ways when acting on behalf of their cultural identity. For instance, when making an ethnic identity salient (vs. not), consumers evaluate advertisements targeted to the ethnic group more favorably (e.g., as depicted in copy and ad images; Forehand et al., 2002 ).

Because brands with cultural significance symbolize the values, beliefs, myths, and ideals of a cultural group, consumers with a heightened need to symbolize a cultural identity will judge iconic brands as highly instrumental for fulfilling such needs. By consuming a culturally symbolic brand, one emphasizes the possession of the cultural identity and the alignment with and adherence to the culture ( Torelli et al., 2017 ). Thus, when a cultural identity is temporarily or chronically salient, consumers evaluate more favorably and are even willing to pay more for culturally meaningful brands. For example, recent research found that people born and raised in Minnesota valued Target , a Minnesota icon, more highly (as evidenced by their higher willingness to pay for a set of poker chips with the Target logo stamped on each chip) when their Minnesotan identity was made salient ( Amaral & Torelli, 2018 ). Importantly, because a salient identity brings to mind identity-consistent decisions that do not require further reflection, the higher valuation of iconic brands occurs rather automatically and without conscious deliberation ( Torelli, 2013 ). Indeed, the pleasing processing experience of consuming culturally symbolic brands has been found to underlie the enhanced brand valuation effects. This is illustrated in a study about brand extensions in which both the new product and the brand activate the same cultural identity. Participants in the study evaluated more favorably a new Tequila introduced by Corona (both the brand and the new product activate the Mexican cultural schema) compared to a Tequila introduced by a “beer manufacturer” (neutral condition in which culture is less salient). Furthermore, the more favorable attitudes toward Corona Tequila were mediated by the ease with which participants processed the new brand extension ( Torelli & Ahluwalia, 2012 ). Over time, continued reliance on iconic brands for fulfilling salient cultural identity needs can contribute to developing strong self-brand relationships ( Amaral & Torelli, 2018 ; Escalas & Bettman, 2005 ). In turn, forming a strong bond with a culturally symbolic brand can shield the brand against negative publicity when cultural identity needs are salient ( Swaminathan et al., 2007 ).

The above discussion seems to suggest that identities are stable systems with clear boundaries and structures. However, current conceptualizations rooted in social cognition research assume a not-well-integrated structure and a highly contextualized definition of a social identity depending on what referent group is relevant in a given context ( Oyserman, 2009 ). Indeed, identities not only can be “anchored” in different referent groups, but can also bridge various classifications (e.g., an ethnic and a national identity; Reed et al., 2012 ). Specifically, the boundaries that define a cultural group can be flexible and expanded to fulfill cultural identity goals. This is illustrated in research on cultural distinctiveness ( Torelli et al., 2017 ) or the feeling of separation from the surrounding cultural environment that people often experience when visiting a foreign, unfamiliar culture. This feeling of separation is often accompanied by a desire to connect with familiar things from “home,” which then expands consumers’ ingroup boundaries to include a related cultural group within a broadened definition of home—subsequently triggering a strong pro-ingroup bias. This broadened definition allows them to fulfill the need to connect with home by favoring brands/products associated with the related cultural group. For example, Mexican immigrants living in the United States, who are more likely to be chronically high in cultural distinctiveness, preferred to listen to an Argentine over a Turkish song, compared to Mexicans living in their home country, who are less likely to experience cultural distinctiveness. This is due to the desire of Mexican immigrants to connect with “home,” which prompts the expansion of the cultural boundaries that define their cultural group from Mexican to Latin American, and hence leads to favor an Argentinian product associated with this more broadly defined cultural identity ( Torelli et al., 2017 ).

Multiculturalism in Products and Brands

In globalized markets, symbols of different cultures often occupy the same space at the same time. Unlike the priming of a single cultural frame discussed earlier in the chapter, exposure to symbols of multiple cultures, or culture mixing , activates not only one, but two or more cultural representations at the same time. Recent research has documented the basic cognitive and evaluative processes triggered by culture-mixed stimuli, as well as some of the factors that moderate consumers’ responses to culture mixing in products and brands.

Cognitive and Evaluative Responses to Culture Mixing

When symbols of two cultures are present in the environment, the cognitive representations of both cultures will be activated ( Chiu et al., 2009 ). In turn, the perceiver will attend to the defining characteristics that distinguish the two cultures, which in turn enlarges the perceived differences and incompatibility of the two cultures and renders culture salient as an organizing theme for judgments and decisions. These processes are less likely to occur when only one cultural representation is activated (i.e., monocultural priming), even when that representation is one of a foreign culture ( Torelli et al., 2011 ). Thus, culture mixing draws attention to the conflict between the juxtaposed cultures, resulting in the expectation that cultures are discrete entities with relatively impermeable boundaries, and prompts individuals to judge the world according to the cultural view.

The effect of exposure to culture-mixed stimuli on the cognitive tendency to view the world in cultural terms is illustrated in a study about American consumers’ responses to products associated with either a single culture (monocultural products) or two cultures (culture-mixed products; Torelli et al., 2011 ). In this study, American consumers exposed to culture-mixed products (e.g., iconic Mexican products that carry British brand names) perceived greater cultural differences than those exposed to monocultural products (e.g., culture-neutral products that carry prototypic British brand names). This effect emerges because exposure to the culture-mixed products simultaneously activates representations of Mexican and British cultures, which prompts using culture as an organizing theme for processing information, and hence increases perceived differences between cultures. This effect emerges not only for the target cultures (e.g., Mexican and British), but also for other cultures (e.g., Puerto Rican and Canadian). This tendency toward culture-based judgments is also evident in a study with Beijing Chinese consumers ( Chiu et al., 2009 ). Participants evaluated a McDonald’s hamburger advertisement that was either placed next to another McDonald’s hamburger advertisement (monocultural priming) or next to a traditional Chinese moon cake advertisement (culture mixing). Following the manipulation, the participants were presented with two commercial messages for Timex , one appealing to individualist values and one to collectivist values. The participants then rated how likely it was that a Chinese consumer would choose the individualist and collectivist messages for designing a Chinese website for Timex. Accordingly, compared to those in the monocultural priming condition, those in the culture-mixed condition believed that the Chinese consumer would be more likely to behave according to their cultural prescriptions and choose the collectivist message.

Because experiencing conflict between incongruent concepts is an aversive state ( Meyers-Levy & Tybout, 1989 ), consumers often evaluate culture-mixed products less favorably than monocultural ones. For instance, past research ( Torelli & Ahluwalia, 2012 ) shows that Americans evaluate less favorably a culture-mixed product ( Sony cappuccino machines –the Sony brand is iconic in Japan, whereas Cappuccino machines are iconic in Italy) than a monocultural one ( Sony toaster oven —only the Japanese Sony is culturally symbolic), even when both products have similar levels of moderate fit with the Sony brand. Furthermore, the less favorable evaluations of the culture-mixed product are driven by the subjective experience of disfluency (i.e., feeling that the product is not “right”), triggered by the simultaneous activation of two different cultural schemas.

Personal and Situational Factors Affecting Responses to Culture Mixing

One way to mitigate the spontaneous negative reaction to culture-mixed products is to combine the two contrastive cultural images to reduce the perceived conflict, which might require mustering cognitive resources. Indeed, research suggests that thoughtful elaboration about cultural complexities (either spontaneously or temporarily induced) can attenuate consumers’ negative reactions to culture-mixed products ( Torelli et al., 2011 ). More generally, psychological and situational factors that induce openness to the novel experiences from intercultural encounters promote integrating the contrastive cultures and reducing conflict. For instance, Chen et al. (2016) demonstrate that openness to experience favorably impacts the creative benefits of experiencing culture mixing in the environment. Similarly, Keh et al. (2016) showed that endorsing autonomy values of stimulation and self-direction positively predicts favorable attitudes of Chinese consumers toward culture-mixed phonosemantic brand translations (i.e., from a Western language to Chinese that maintains the foreign-sounding name, while conveying the brand meaning in the Chinese language).

In contrast, factors that promote closemindedness or the protection of one of the cultural identities hinder the reconciliation needed to favorably evaluate culture mixing. Consistent with this notion, De keersmaecker et al. (2016) demonstrate that people who are high in need for cognitive closure, or those who need a firm answer in a psychologically ambiguous situation, are less favorable toward culturally mixed stimuli (e.g., fusion cuisine). Past research also suggests that a motivation to defend a stable cultural worldview free from ambiguity can promote negative responses to culture mixing ( Torelli & Cheng, 2011 ). Indeed, Torelli and colleagues (2011) show that, when under the influence of a culture defense mindset triggered by thoughts of one’s own death (i.e., mortality salience), people are particularly intolerant of contamination of brands symbolizing their culture when cued with culture mixing. In one of their studies, focused on inducing mortality salience, American participants evaluated a marketing plan of Nike (an American icon), which involved some questionable actions to increase its competitiveness in a foreign market (e.g., eliminating the “Swoosh” symbol and replacing the Nike brand name with the Arabic word for “Sportsmanship” to penetrate the Middle East market). Results showed that, only upon making mortality salient, participants evaluated the marketing plan less favorably after evaluating culture-mixed products (e.g., a Chinese brand of breakfast cereal) than after evaluating monocultural products (e.g., an American brand of breakfast cereal).

Accordingly, personal or situational factors that heighten the motivation to defend a valued cultural identity should incite unfavorable responses to culture mixing. Consistent with this notion, Cheon et al. (2016) showed that disgust toward ingroup–outgroup cultural mixing is particularly pronounced among those who endorse higher levels of patriotism. Similarly, Shi et al. (2016) demonstrated that individuals who highly identify with their heritage culture tend to exhibit implicit prejudice toward the foreign culture represented in a culturally mixed stimulus.

Conclusions and Future Directions

As marketing efforts become increasingly globalized, it is key for organizations to understand how the multiculturalism prompted by globalization impacts consumer behavior. Our review sheds light on the cultural factors that shape consumers’ responses in a global marketplace, and it proposes alternatives for organizations to adapt their marketing strategies to address the consumer’s cultural needs. However, many questions remain unanswered. What other cultural dimensions beyond the ones discussed in this chapter have the greatest potential to further refine our predictions of consumer behavior? How can we further integrate the different approaches to cultural research to develop a more comprehensive model of cross-cultural consumer behavior? What happens when more than two cultures influence consumer behavior? What new methodological insights can cultural researchers adopt?

Additional Cultural Dimensions

In trying to uncover the cultural dimensions that would provide a more nuanced understanding of consumer behavior, several dimensions have been proposed, such as uncertainty avoidance ( Hofstede, 2001 ), religious beliefs, and tightness–looseness ( Triandis, 1995 ). Recent research on the tightness–looseness distinction seems to offer the greatest potential ( Li, Gordon, & Gelfand, 2017 ). Tightness (T) refers to cultures in which norms are clearly defined and there is little tolerance of deviant behavior, whereas looseness (L) relates to cultures in which norms are vague, and there is high tolerance of deviant behavior ( Gelfand et al., 2011 ; Pelto, 1968 ; Triandis, 1995 ). According to Li, Gordon, and Gelfand (2017) , it can be expected that ads in tighter cultures (e.g., Singapore) would emphasize adherence to societal standards, whereas ads in looser cultures (e.g., the United States) would focus more on taking risks. Lin, Dahl, and Argo (2017) identified four consumer-relevant research questions under the T-L framework, such as the examination of a potentially bidirectional relationship between tight/loose culture and consumer behavior.

Focusing on tightness–looseness can provide a more nuanced understanding of consumer behavior, especially by integrating it within existing cultural frameworks. For instance, it has been proposed that the T-L distinction seems particularly likely to shed light on the differences between societies that are high in vertical collectivism ( Torelli & Rodas, 2017 ). This cultural syndrome might help to explain the differences between Asian versions of vertical collectivism in which it is normative to suppress the expression of emotions (e.g., Japan, a tight culture) and Latin American versions of the same cultural syndrome in which people freely express their emotions (e.g., Venezuela, a loose culture; Gelfand et al., 2011 ). More research can be conducted by incorporating multiple cultural dimensions and examining their impact on marketing-relevant factors.

Focusing on tightness–looseness could also provide novel insights on some of the phenomena discussed in this chapter, for example, cultural mixing. Recent research has found that people tighten cultural norms in response to ecological threats ( Jackson et al., 2019 ). In one of their studies, the authors found that when people recall a threat such as a foreign attack or a major recession, they are more likely to vote for nationalists politicians, and this is mediated by stronger support for cultural tightness. Future research could explore whether these findings extend to cultural mixing, more specifically, whether ecological threats would result in more negative reactions to cultural mixing. Given the increased number of threats in the consumer’s environment (e.g., COVID-19, global recessions, or political instability), understanding whether consumers are going to be more averse to culture mixing would be of value to managers of global brands.

Integrating Cultural Approaches to Refine Models of Consumer Behavior

Although the three different approaches to cultural research described in this chapter have contributed separately to a more nuanced understanding of how culture impacts consumer behavior, future research integrating these approaches can greatly help to develop a more comprehensive model of consumer behavior in a globalized world. For instance, although the consumer theory of marketplace cultures provides a framework for understanding how consumers develop a collective identity built around a brand, we still lack a thorough understanding of the process by which brands become cultural icons. We argue that this process can be illuminated by integrating this ethnographic approach with an experimental approach aimed at understanding how identity concepts are linked to cultural icons in a cultural knowledge network. Specifically, this integrated approach might help to clearly delineate what is cultural about an iconic brand. If what grants a brand an iconic status is the strength of association with values, beliefs, rituals, lay theories, and other cultural objects, marketers can manage the process of cultural meaning creation by associating the brand with this constellation of cultural elements ( MacInnis et al., 2019 ). This integrated approach might also help to determine whether iconic brands can sustain changes and remake themselves while still retaining their iconic status. Increasingly relevant in this growing age of nationalism concerns, where consumers may stereotype other consumers based on their use of culturally symbolic products and brands, it is not clear how cultural stereotypes enhance, detract from, or alter brand meanings. For example, nationalism could either strengthen the shared cultural meanings of brands, or it could polarize views about those brands and the members of the cultures who use them, depending on their nationality. In this way, nationalism could hurt the equity of brands that had previously received support outside its country of origin.

Exposure to culture-mixed products triggers a variety of cognitive, emotional, and evaluative responses. Multiple situational and dispositional factors have been uncovered as moderators of the extent to which exclusionary or integrative responses are more likely to emerge. However, there is still the need for future research integrating these factors into a comprehensive framework. One fruitful approach might be the categorization of factors into those relating to the culture-mixed stimuli, the individual’s dispositions, environmental factors, and sociocultural and psychological consequences ( Hao et al., 2016 ). For instance, research focusing on features of the stimuli might try to explain how the “fusion” of cultures in a more or less harmonious way, or the strength of the symbolism of the features being mixed, can moderate responses to culture mixing. There is also need for research on how the organization in memory of multicultural knowledge guides people’s responses to culture-mixed stimuli, as well as on the contexts in which exclusionary or integrative responses are more likely to emerge.

From Biculturalism to Polyculturalism

This chapter discussed how cultural influence is not stable and deterministic, but dynamic and dependent on the context. Because it is increasingly common for people to internalize more than one cultural knowledge network (e.g., bicultural individuals), situational cues can determine how people switch between cultural frames for making judgments and decisions. Although recent research suggests that the way in which two cultural frames are organized in memory can impact how people respond to cultural primes (e.g., the frames are integrated vs. kept separately; Mok & Morris, 2013 ), we still know very little about how knowledge of more than two cultures influences consumer behavior.

With globalization, it is increasingly common for people to acquire knowledge about multiple cultures. Polyculturalism has emerged as a novel approach to understand how a multicultural mind works ( Morris et al., 2015 ). This approach proposes that most cultural learning happens implicitly through interaction with different cultures (e.g., via web browsing or when sharing with colleagues from different cultures). Hence, people take influences from multiple cultures and become conduits through which cultures can affect each other. Thus, cultural knowledge is conceived more like a set of “apps” that the individual unwittingly downloads and that can be “launched” to accommodate one’s behavior to a given situation. People flexibly assimilate or contrast their responses to the accessible cultural knowledge in the service of their goals (e.g., adopting a foreign practice as a better solution to a problem) or driven by emotional connections to the accessible culture (e.g., admiration for the culture; Morris et al., 2015 ). The polycultural approach opens avenues for future research about how multicultural consumers navigate a global marketplace.

New Methodological Insights

Like many other areas in psychology, the field of cultural psychology is also being reinvigorated by methodological innovations. In particular, cultural neuroscience is a promising research discipline that has emerged to investigate cultural differences in psychological, neural, and genomic processes ( Chiao et al., 2010 ). Cultural neuroscience specializes in developing culturally appropriate experimental tasks that can be applied in consumer behavior research in order to identify differences in the functional brain activity patterns associated with culture. This can help to further explain the nature of the processes underlying cross-cultural differences in consumer behavior via activation of specific areas of the brain. Another novel methodological approach to cultural research relates to the utilization of machine learning techniques (e.g., natural language processing) and the analyses of big data. An increasing number of empirical research studies have uncovered cross-cultural differences in various aspects of consumer preferences and behaviors, such as emoji usage ( Guntuku et al., 2019 ), recognition of beauty in music ( Claire, 2013 ), and color–emotion association ( Jonauskaite et al., 2019 ). These findings eventually will help the tech industry develop AI systems that can incorporate cultural factors into their algorithms ( Forbus, 2019 ). Future research can benefit from the adoption of these methodologies to further refine our understanding of cross-cultural consumer behavior.

Key Findings

  Cultural patterning of attention and perception: Culture is associated with specific patterns that drive consumers’ processing of advertising messages.

  Cultural matching effects: Advertisements that match cultural value priorities or regulatory orientations are more persuasive.

  Situational effects of culture and frame switching: Cultural influence is dynamic and context dependent.

  Cultural-identity driven consumption: People consume products and brands to symbolize their cultural identities and fulfill salient cultural identity goals.

  Responses to culture mixing: Exposure to culture-mixed products triggers a variety of cognitive, emotional, and evaluative responses. Culture mixing prompts perceptions that differences between cultures are greater than they would otherwise be.

Practical Implications for Organizations about Culture and Consumer Behavior

As marketing efforts become increasingly globalized, it is key for organizations to understand how the multiculturalism prompted by globalization impacts consumer behavior.

Adding themes that match the values of the culture makes ads more persuasive (e.g., ads with cues of power or status in the United States, and tradition and security in Japan and India).

Brands with values that are aligned with specific cultures (e.g., tradition in China) would benefit by imbuing ads with cultural cues (e.g., a Chinese dragon) to activate the brand-compatible cultural knowledge and make their ads more persuasive.

Corporations can build brands with cultural significance (i.e., iconic brands), which are instrumental in fulfilling consumers’ cultural identity goals.

Culture-mixed products can elicit disgust, and they are often evaluated negatively (exclusionary responses). However, people can also respond favorably to culture-mixed products when they can integrate the contrastive cultural frames brought to mind (integrative responses).

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Consumer Behavior Research

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In this chapter, you will learn what consumer behavior research explores, what research approaches are used, when researchers collect their own data and when they use existing data, and how to obtain empirical data. You will learn the following paradigms: qualitative and quantitative approaches, primary and secondary research, and classical test theory.

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Understanding and shaping consumer behavior in the next normal

Months after the novel coronavirus was first detected in the United States, the COVID-19 crisis continues to upend Americans’ lives and livelihoods. The pandemic has disrupted nearly every routine in day-to-day life. The extent and duration of mandated lockdowns and business closures have forced people to give up even some of their most deeply ingrained habits—whether spending an hour at the gym after dropping the kids off at school, going to a coffee shop for a midday break, or enjoying Saturday night at the movies.

About the authors

This article, a collaboration between McKinsey and the Yale Center for Customer Insights, was written by Tamara Charm, Ravi Dhar, Stacey Haas , Jennie Liu, Nathan Novemsky, and Warren Teichner .

Such disruptions in daily experiences present a rare moment. In ordinary times, consumers tend to stick stubbornly to their habits, resulting in very slow adoption (if any) of beneficial innovations  that require behavior change. Now, the COVID-19 crisis has caused consumers everywhere to change their behaviors —rapidly and in large numbers. In the United States, for example, 75 percent of consumers have tried a new store, brand, or different way of shopping  during the pandemic. Even though the impetus for that behavior change may be specific to the pandemic and transient, consumer companies would do well to find ways to meet consumers where they are today and satisfy their needs in the postcrisis period.

Behavioral science tells us that identifying consumers’ new beliefs, habits, and “peak moments” is central to driving behavioral change. Five actions can help companies influence consumer behavior for the longer term:

• Reinforce positive new beliefs.
• Shape emerging habits with new offerings.
• Sustain new habits, using contextual cues.
• Align messages to consumer mindsets.
• Analyze consumer beliefs and behaviors at a granular level.

Reinforce positive new beliefs

According to behavioral science, the set of beliefs that a consumer holds about the world is a key influencer of consumer behavior. Beliefs are psychological—so deeply rooted that they prevent consumers from logically evaluating alternatives and thus perpetuate existing habits and routines. Companies that attempt to motivate behavioral change by ignoring or challenging consumers’ beliefs are fighting an uphill battle.

The COVID-19 crisis, however, has forced many consumers to change their behaviors, and their new experiences have caused them to change their beliefs about a wide range of everyday activities, from grocery shopping to exercising to socializing. When consumers are surprised and delighted by new experiences, even long-held beliefs can change, making consumers more willing to repeat the behavior, even when the trigger (in this case, the COVID-19 pandemic) is no longer present. In other words, this is a unique moment in time during which companies can reinforce and shape behavioral shifts to position their products and brands better for the next normal.

When consumers are surprised and delighted by new experiences, even long-held beliefs can change, making consumers more willing to repeat the behavior.

For example, approximately 15 percent of US consumers tried grocery delivery for the first time during the COVID-19 crisis. Among those first timers, more than 80 percent say they were satisfied with the ease and safety of the experience; 70 percent even found it enjoyable. And 40 percent intend to continue getting their groceries delivered after the crisis, suggesting that they’ve jettisoned any previously held beliefs about grocery delivery being unreliable or inconvenient; instead, they’ve been surprised and delighted by the benefits of delivery.

Another example of changing beliefs involves at-home exercise. The US online fitness market has seen approximately 50 percent growth in its consumer base since February 2020; the market for digital home-exercise machines has grown by 20 percent. It’s likely that many people who tried those fitness activities for the first time during the pandemic believed that at-home exercise couldn’t meet their exercise needs. That belief has clearly changed for many of these consumers: 55 percent who tried online fitness programs and 65 percent who tried digital exercise machines say they will continue to use them, even after fitness centers and gyms reopen. To reinforce the new belief that online fitness can be motivating and enjoyable, NordicTrack, in a recent TV ad titled “Face Off,” shows that online workouts can foster the same friendly competition and connection that people look for when they go to the gym or attend in-person exercise classes.

An effective way to reinforce a new belief is to focus on peak moments—specific parts of the consumer decision journey that have disproportionate impact and that consumers tend to remember most. Peak moments often include first-time experiences with a product or service, touchpoints at the end of a consumer journey (such as the checkout process in a store), and other moments of intense consumer reaction.

Some companies have focused on enhancing the consumer’s first-time experience. Plant-based-meat  manufacturer Beyond Meat, for instance, was already benefiting from delays in meat production in the early days of the COVID-19 crisis: its sales more than doubled between the first and second quarters of 2020. In collaboration with local restaurants  and catering companies, the company has been delivering free, professionally prepared food to hospitals and other community centers. By giving away Beyond Burgers prepared by professional chefs, Beyond Meat is creating positive first experiences with its product at a time when consumers are more open to trial.

As the consumer journey has changed, so have the peak moments, and it’s crucial for companies to identify and optimize them. For example, a peak moment in a grocery store might be the discovery of an exciting new product on the shelf. In the online-grocery journey, however, a peak moment might instead be on-time delivery or the “unboxing” of the order (the experience of taking the delivered items out of the packaging). Grocers could consider including a handwritten thank-you note or some other surprise, such as a free sample, to reinforce consumers’ positive connections with the experience.

Highly emotional occasions can spark intense consumer reactions and therefore present an opportunity for companies to create peak moments associated with their products or brands. For example, when graduations shifted from formal, large-scale ceremonies to at-home, family celebrations, Krispy Kreme offered each 2020 graduate a dozen specially decorated doughnuts for free. With that promotion, the company connected its brand with an emotional event that may not have been a key occasion for doughnuts prior to the pandemic.

Shape emerging habits with new products

Companies can nudge consumers toward new habits through product innovation. For instance, the COVID-19 crisis has spurred consumers to become more health oriented  and increase their intake of vitamins and minerals. Unilever reported a sales spike in beverages that contain zinc and vitamin C, such as Lipton Immune Support tea. The company is therefore rolling out such products globally. It’s also aligning its innovation priorities with consumers’ emerging health-and-wellness concerns.

Similarly, packaged-food companies can encourage the habit of cooking at home. Spice manufacturer McCormick’s sales in China have sustained double-digit increases compared with 2019, even as the Chinese economy has reopened  and people go back to their workplaces. The same pattern could play out in other countries. Kraft Heinz’s innovation agenda for its international markets now prioritizes products that make home cooking pleasurable, fast, and easy—products such as sauces, dressings, and side dishes. These will be targeted at “light” and “medium” users of Kraft Heinz products.

Sustain new habits, using contextual cues

Habits can form when a consumer begins to associate a certain behavior with a particular context; eventually, that behavior can become automatic. To help turn behaviors into habits, companies should identify the contextual cues that drive the behaviors. A contextual cue can be a particular task, time of day, or object placement. For example, more consumers are keeping hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes near entryways for easy access and as a reminder to keep hands and surfaces clean. Product packaging and marketing that reinforces the put-it-by-the-door behavior can help consumers sustain the habit.

Some companies may need to identify—and create—new contextual cues. Before the COVID-19 crisis, a contextual cue for chewing-gum consumption was anticipation of a social interaction—for instance, before going to a club, while commuting to work, and after smoking. As social occasions have waned during the pandemic, a chewing-gum manufacturer must look for new contextual cues, focusing largely on solo or small-group activities, such as gaming and crafting. Gum manufacturers could consider designing packaging, flavors, and communications that reinforce those new associations.

Align messages to consumer mindsets

People across the country have felt an intensified mix of anxiety, anger, and fear because of recent events, making marketing a tricky terrain to navigate. The heightened emotions and increased polarization of the past few months could drive lasting changes in consumers’ behavior and shape their long-term preferences. Companies should therefore ensure that all their brand communications are attuned to consumer sentiment. The quality of a company’s communication  and its ability to strike the right tone will increasingly become a competitive advantage.

McKinsey’s consumer-sentiment surveys  show that consumers are paying closer attention to how companies treat their employees  during this crisis—and taking note of companies that demonstrate care and concern for people. That has implications for how brands connect with consumers and what types of messages will resonate. Hair-care brand Olaplex, for example, became one of the most mentioned hair-care brands on social media when it started an affiliate program: the company donated a portion of its proceeds from product sales to customers’ local hairstylists, helping them stay afloat during salon closures.

That said, consumers will see through—and reject—messages and actions that are performative and that seek to commercialize social issues. A brand’s communications must align with its purpose ; otherwise, the messages won’t ring true. Testing marketing messages among a diverse group of consumers, in the context in which those messages will appear, could help prevent costly missteps.

Analyze consumer beliefs and behaviors at a granular level

Consumer beliefs, habits, occasions, and emotional-need states will continue to evolve rapidly over the next year or two as the world awaits a COVID-19 vaccine. For consumer companies to stay abreast of those changes, monitoring product sales alone won’t be sufficient. Companies must also conduct primary consumer-insights work, with a focus on identifying changed behaviors and associated changed beliefs and motivators to get a comprehensive picture of the changing consumer decision journey.

Qualitative, exploratory research will have a particular role to play as a precursor to (and, in some cases, a substitute for) quantitative research. Digital data-gathering and monitoring techniques—such as mobile diaries, social-media “listening,” and artificial-intelligence-driven message boards—will be vital tools to help companies understand emerging behaviors and contextual cues. When structured well, those insights generate new thinking within an organization that can be validated through larger-scale surveys and in-market testing. Companies can then refine their product offerings and marketing messages accordingly.

In addition, granular analyses of footfall data and omnichannel sales will unearth telling details, such as which geographic regions are seeing in-person commerce rebound first and which products consumers are buying (such as smaller pack sizes to avoid sharing, activewear versus office wear, and so on). Whereas in the past, companies might have fielded high-level usage and attitude surveys and brand trackers a few times a year, it’s especially important now for companies to keep a closer eye on the evolution of consumer behavior on a weekly or monthly basis.

The COVID-19 crisis has changed people’s routines at unprecedented speed—and some of those changes will outlast the pandemic. Even in states and cities that have reopened, consumers remain cautious about resuming all of their precrisis activities. We’ve seen differences in consumer behavior across geographic markets and demographic groups, and those differences will only widen during the recovery phase, given that the health, economic, and social impact of COVID-19 isn’t uniform. Companies that develop a nuanced understanding of the changed beliefs, peak moments, and habits of their target consumer bases—and adjust their product offerings, customer experiences, and marketing communications accordingly—will be best positioned to thrive in the next normal.

Tamara Charm is a senior expert in McKinsey’s Boston office; Ravi Dhar is director of the Center for Customer Insights at the Yale School of Management; Stacey Haas is a partner in McKinsey’s Detroit office; Jennie Liu is executive director of the Yale Center for Customer Insights; Nathan Novemsky is a marketing professor at the Yale School of Management; and Warren Teichner is a senior partner in McKinsey’s New Jersey office.

This article was edited by Monica Toriello, an executive editor in the New York office.

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The Impact of Social Media Marketing on Consumer Engagement in Sustainable Consumption: A Systematic Literature Review

Paweł bryła.

1 Department of International Marketing and Retailing, Faculty of International and Political Studies, University of Lodz, Narutowicza 59a, 90-131 Lodz, Poland

Shuvam Chatterjee

2 Doctoral School of Social Science, University of Lodz, Matejki 22/26, 90-297 Lodz, Poland

Beata Ciabiada-Bryła

3 Department of Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Lodz, Zeligowskiego 7/9, 90-752 Lodz, Poland

Associated Data

Not applicable.

Social media have progressed drastically in building successful consumer engagement both in brand building and sustainable consumption. This paper is a review of the articles concerning the influence of social media marketing on consumer engagement in sustainable consumption practices published over the last 8 years. We follow the PRISMA technique as a methodological approach. The review investigates 70 empirical research articles published between 2014 and 2022. A total of 70% of the reviewed articles were published during the last two years. The most influential theories in this field of study are relationship marketing and consumer engagement (16 articles), social exchange (10), and sustainable consumption (8). The most commonly used methods are quantitative (in as many as 61 of the 70 reviewed articles). A careful analysis of the reviewed articles suggests that the tools that are consistently contributing to sustainable consumption are influencer marketing along with creating meaningful content with the right balance of content design, quality, and creativity, as well as the use of emojis. Consumer involvement with a brand relationship quality is key to a sustainable lifestyle. Young individuals with an entrepreneurial vision and a high drive for increased social status demonstrate the highest social media engagement in sustainable consumption.

1. Introduction

In today’s world of business, engagement in any form appears to be the buzzword [ 1 ]. Consumers expect brands to connect with them more on an emotional level than just selling their products and services. This depicts a shift from a transactional marketing perspective to a more in-demand relationship focus approach [ 2 , 3 ]. Consumer engagement happens to receive major attention from marketers if they think of building a long-term relationship with their consumers, which will help them secure brand awareness [ 4 , 5 ] and loyalty toward their brands [ 6 ]. Marketing practitioners across the globe have realized the significant potential of investing time in the digital space considering a variety of social media platforms [ 7 , 8 ]. The same has been certified by the Marketing Science Institute [ 9 ], which has included consumer engagement as their top priority for the coming years in delivering top-notch customer value. Bhattacharjee [ 10 ] discussed how the digital space comprising social media tools would have projected estimated spending of more than USD 750 billion by 2025. Consumer engagement is a multifaceted approach comprising the cognitive, behavioral, and affective aspects of the brand–consumer relationship [ 11 , 12 ].

Past studies have suggested that it is consumer engagement that acts as the initiator for brands building a long-term relationship with their consumers [ 13 ]; often, on most occasions, under its presence, consumers tend to demonstrate a favorable attitude toward the brands as well [ 14 ]. Lim et al. [ 6 ] have suggested consumer engagement as an emerging topic, which has progressed rapidly over the past decade. Hence, it is important to have an overview of past studies to build up a future trajectory to enrich our understanding of the concepts of consumer engagement in social media marketing. Several reviews have appeared in the literature over the last few years. Some of them were focusing on the implications of the managerial perspective and building a connection through social media from a B2B standpoint [ 15 , 16 ], whereas other reviews focused on the various theories adopted in the literature [ 17 ]. Reviews from the domain perspective, such as hospitality and tourism [ 18 ], were also apparently visible. Haider et al. [ 19 ] discussed the importance of sustainable consumption from the micro, meso, and macro levels to practice a better quality of life by training consumers in thoughtful consumption [ 20 ] and providing them with better infrastructural instruments. A systematic review by Fischer et al. [ 21 ] guides us on building communication as an integral tool for practicing sustainable consumption.

Epstein [ 22 ] discussed sustainable consumption as a consumer’s long-term awareness of consequences to the natural or social environment, often expressed through words such as environmentally friendly or socially friendly consumption behavior [ 23 ]. Although this field has developed intensely in recent years, nevertheless, the implementation of sustainable consumption by consumer engagement through social media is still in its nascent state. Green thinkers are individuals with a more conscious approach and responsible intentions and decision making when it comes to environmental issues [ 24 ]. De Morais et al. [ 25 ] discussed how consumers with selfless concerns for others’ well-being and culture are shaping the motives for sustainable consumption through social media. Consumers engaged in deeper participation in social media are actively trying to promote green buying for sustainable consumption. Kong et al. [ 26 ] suggest that high-end brand advertisers on social media should be respectful of consumers’ cultural orientation in building sustainable consumption interaction. Xia et al. [ 27 ] suggested how sustainable resource management by encouraging environmental innovation could contribute to improved performance for sustainable corporations through social media networks. Finally, Zafar et al. [ 28 ] suggest how a personalized advertisements approach attracts consumers to a sustainable purchase decision in social media networks.

To understand the popularity of social media as an effective tool to build consumer engagement in the sustainable consumption environment, catching the diversity and depth of the current research in this genre, a more detailed systematic review combining the future untapped research directions along with the research questions to clarify those dimensions is of utmost need. This review tries to bridge this gap by discussing the themes that emerged along with the characteristics portrayed over the last eight years, thus paving the way for future research questions and research directions for social media marketing researchers involved in consumer engagement in the social media brand community.

This work is an illustrative overview of articles on the social media brand communities involving consumer engagement with a special focus on (1) the various research methodological approaches and variables identified over this span of eight years, (2) research theories supporting previous research, and (3) future research directions along with research questions to assist social media marketing scholars in conducting fruitful and relevant research in this field.

This review provides insights into several research questions:

1. What are the characteristics of the recent literature on social media consumer engagement in sustainable consumption in terms of theories, contexts, and methods?

2. How was consumer engagement in social media brand communities operationalized in research models (independent or dependent variable, control, or moderator)?

3. What further investigations could be conducted by scholars into consumer engagement and building sustainable consumption through social media?

The remainder of the paper is organized as follows. The following section presents the literature review methodology. Subsequent sections include a substantive analysis of the research studies included in this review and discussion, including limitations, future research directions, and a conclusion.

2. Materials and Methods

The approach followed for this study is a meta-textual review further allowing the identification and extraction of the pertinent information on subjects of relevance from published research and assessing the literature [ 29 ]. This approach has the following goals:

(i) To assess relevant and quality articles focused on consumer engagement with a direct intervention with social media marketing.

(ii) To formulate an integrative framework providing a holistic understanding of the impact of social media marketing on consumer engagement in sustainable consumption.

(iii) To identify the research gaps in the literature and provide future research directions.

A systematic literature review is evidence of the previous literature that accurately and reliably analyzes the quality of peer-reviewed journals following some preferred reporting items and consisting of a meta-analytical structure (PRISMA) [ 30 ]. PRISMA is a structured review protocol, which provides a four-phase flow diagram representing the sample identification for screening and then for eligibility testing and the final demonstration of the studies included in the review. The logic for choosing PRISMA lies in its comprehensiveness and its potential to provide more consistency across its reviews. To conduct this review, four steps were followed, namely, (1) establishing the inclusion–exclusion criteria for study selection, (2) identifying relevant quality studies, (3) evaluating the literature, and (4) reporting the findings.

The sample search strategy and identification involve three activities, namely, (a) searching appropriate keywords, (b) assessing the relevance, and (c) assessing the quality.

2.1. Assessing Appropriateness of the Search Keywords

The data search was executed using a prominent multidisciplinary database of peer-reviewed research literature, Web of Science. Li et al. [ 31 ] discussed the usability of this database gaining increasing popularity in scientific instruments across countries and knowledge domains.

The search strings were created by regrouping the chosen keywords into three specific categories. The first category covers terms representing consumer engagement, and the second category is formulated using the influence of social media marketing. Finally, the third category investigates the sustainable consumption category. The search strings are presented in Figure 1 .

Identification of initial inclusion criteria for articles in this review. Note: * in the search string denotes that different word endings following this symbol are included in the search.

The keywords were mainly searched in the titles, abstracts, and/or keyword sections, and consequently, 7652 articles were identified from the search process. Considering the appropriateness of the journals and limiting the time according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria set, a total of 1684 articles were identified, as shown in Figure 1 .

2.2. Assessing Relevance

Initial sorting of the articles’ titles and abstracts led to the exclusion of articles that did not focus on consumer engagement and social media marketing in the context of sustainable consumption. We excluded papers on the grounds of trade publications, editorial handbooks, overlapping studies in close contexts of consumer engagement, and dissertations, to ensure further homogeneity.

The rationale for the sample considering research papers after 2014 is manifold. First, the study tries to acknowledge the recent trends of methodologies and to understand the recent shift in research methods and techniques. Moreover, the context of studies has significantly varied from understanding consumer engagement in brands to hospitality, to influencers and their social media activities involving consumer engagement. Hence, this present study would primarily focus on understanding these pattern shifts.

Finally, 265 articles were selected for deeper reading, allowing us to discard 88 working papers. After these steps, the resulting sample consisted of 177 articles.

2.3. Assessing Quality

Many a time, an article seems relevant, but it might lack quality. Hence, a consistent focus on peer-reviewed and high-quality journals was chosen along with journal ranking criteria based on the Association of Business Studies (ABS) Journal Quality Guide and only included top journals ranked as 4*, 4, and 3 to generate high-quality articles. This refinement process led to inclusion of 70 articles in this systematic review ( Figure 2 ). A study by Mingers and Yang [ 32 ] suggested from a sample of over four hundred research articles from the ABS journal ranking list that the standard mean impact factor was around 1.25. Hence, for this study, we accommodated articles with an IF of at least 1.5 and above. Rowlinson et al. [ 33 ] suggested that ABS-ranked articles (above 3) defined quality levels as internationally excellent in terms of originality and rigor, which set up the base for our study to have articles listed in ABS 3 and above.

Flowchart of the study selection process regarding relevance and quality of the initially selected studies.

3. General Overview of Articles Included in This Review

3.1. publication trends.

The year-wise distribution of articles presented in Figure 3 witnesses a sharp rise in the number of articles on consumer engagement within the context of social media in the last two years (i.e., 2021 and 2022). This implies that consumer engagement is gaining popularity and witnessing a growth phase in terms of the number of articles published in the area. In the last two years, the number of published articles increased so much that more than 65% of the total studies were published in the last two years.

The number of articles included in this review by the year of publication.

3.2. Classification of Articles

To measure the progress of the impact of social media marketing on consumer engagement, we classified the empirical studies [ 16 ] into either qualitative (which bring out results where the primary data points are non-numeric) or quantitative or mixed methods. Out of the 70 articles studied, we figured out that only 7 studies adopted a qualitative path, while 2 studies adopted a mixed method approach. However, most of the articles were based on research through a quantitative approach (61 articles).

4. Meta-Textual Method

4.1. theories.

Consumer engagement in the context of social media has gained momentum across various theoretical contexts from various disciplines to showcase its effects. The study identifies 57 studies that have employed at least one theory. Here, we discuss the most applied theories in consumer engagement ( Table 1 ).

Theories used in studies on consumer engagement in social media in the context of sustainable consumption.

4.1.1. Relationship Marketing and Consumer Engagement

This section deals with the combined interrelated theories of relationship marketing and consumer engagement, which account for 25% of the total studies (16 studies). According to Pansari and Kumar [ 76 ], consumer engagement has shaped out to be one of the crucial elements in contemporary marketing, with its direct effects on relationship marketing. Further, they discuss that emotion and satisfaction are the main pillars of consumer engagement. Moreover, they conclude that engagements can only be nurtured if consumers tend to show belongingness toward the brand and form relationships in due process. Gómez et al. [ 34 ] suggest that consumer engagement is stronger with social media brand engagement than just brand communication. Ma et al. [ 12 ] suggest how strong brand engagement in the form of posts, tweets, and continuous interaction with consumers contributes to relationship building impacting the consumer’s behavioral, cognitive, and emotional engagement.

4.1.2. Social Exchange

The social exchange theory, which enlists psychology, sociology, and economics [ 77 ], has also been witnessed among consumer engagement theories (16%, 10 studies). The essence of this theory is to understand the focus for consumers to get involved through social media marketing [ 78 ]. According to Zhao and Chen [ 42 ], consumers tend to develop a more psychological bond when they are satisfied with the brand and its involvement in marketing. Consumers derive perceived benefits and satisfaction responses by engaging in social media activities [ 45 ]. A study by Kim and Baek [ 47 ] suggests the impact of influencers in engaging consumers and building a network of relationships.

4.1.3. Sustainable Consumption

The sustainability theory is highly visible in online consumer engagement through social media in the recent past, as consumers tend to become extremely aware of their purchases having an environmental impact. This pushes the demand for increased green sustainable brands [ 79 ]. Kong et al. [ 26 ] discussed how effective sustainable communication is in selling luxury products, keeping the cultural orientation of the consumers in mind at the same time. Nekmahmud et al. [ 53 ] suggested that online consumers’ need to engage with a positive attitude towards green products, which would have a strong association with sustainable consumption. Further, socio-environmental and socio-economic thoughts play a crucial role in building sustainable brand performance [ 27 ]. Zafar et al. [ 28 ] attempt to understand the importance of crafted personalized advertisements playing a significant role in consumers’ sustainable purchase intentions.

4.1.4. Uses and Gratification

Katz et al. [ 80 ] discussed the uses and gratification theory to understand how communication occurs through mass media. This theory concentrates on understanding users’ selection of media based on their goals to cater to specific needs. With the invention of social media, this theory now focuses on understanding the user’s choice and use of the internet. The theory has been consistently used in consumer engagement behavior across social media (seven studies, 10%). The studies talk about consumers’ engagement in participation in social media, including the cognitive and social benefits along with personal achievements in having pleasurable experiences derived from social media interactions. Bailey et al. [ 59 ] discuss consumer socialization motivation and participation in social media engagement, which would yield results in achieving brand and marketing goals [ 60 ].

4.1.5. Other Theories

In addition to the theories discussed, the study also explains specific behavior, which is categorized in “other theories”, which account for 25% of the studies (16 studies). For example, Liu et al. [ 75 ] discuss the trust transfer theory, where consumer engagement plays a significant role in brand trust. Additionally, Lourenço et al. [ 74 ] introduced the expectancy theory, which underlines the consumer engagement dimension operational scales for measuring the level of consumer engagement.

4.2. Context

This section discusses the countries involved in the analyzed sample. The findings indicate that Europe is the biggest contributor to this study, with 31 of the 70 studies (44%). This reflects that the European countries, mainly the UK, France, Austria, Belgium, and the Netherlands, dominate the papers related to consumer engagement in sustainable consumption within the social media marketing context. Asia, surprisingly, is the second biggest contributor to this research stream (25 studies, 35% of the total empirical papers studied), followed by the USA—19 studies (27%)—and other countries. It is noted that, unlike social science, the contexts are predominantly set in the more emerging Asian market. The feasible logic is the extensive economic and technological advancements witnessed in the Asian market in the last eight years. The study also finds that there will be ample scope for future researchers in the context of consumer engagement through social media in the South American market. Emerging markets, such as Brazil, did not showcase enough contribution in this domain of study. Hence, future research should focus on these markets. Additionally, the researchers would advise future researchers in this field to focus on cross-country consumer engagements in social media; culture would play a significant role in such studies ( Table 2 ).

Articles included in the review by country.

4.3. Methods

In this section, we will discuss the articles reviewed through the prism of the research approaches and analytical techniques adopted to assess the relationships investigated in consumer engagement research. Table 3 and Table 4 demonstrate the data collection techniques and analysis techniques used in consumer engagement, respectively. Surveys are the most used quantitative method. Other methods encountered are content analysis and latent profile analysis. Concerning data analysis techniques, structural equation modeling (SEM) is the most used research tool, accounting for 42% of the total quantitative studies, followed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), accounting for 37% of the studies. However, it is to be noted that 10% of the studies in consumer engagement have adopted a combination of qualitative methods, such as in-depth interviews, observational research, netnography, and Google Vision AI. We observed the emergence of netnography as a methodological tool, which is a refined version of ethnographic research occurring in social media communities [ 68 ]. Most of the studies initiated conducted surveys through online and social media platforms.

Methodologies adopted in consumer engagement research.

Data analysis techniques adopted in the reviewed articles.

We believe that consumer engagement studies would benefit immensely from conducting more longitudinal studies testing relationships over a period of time. Additionally, there is a lack of studies picking up the experimental method approach to understand a more trusted consumer engagement on social media platforms. Our research validates a greater scope of a mixed-method approach for conducting studies in consumer engagement.

5. Variables Used in the Reviewed Research Studies

This section reviews the various independent, moderating, control, and dependent variables in consumer engagement studies influenced by social media marketing and their associated relationships that were tested to unfold certain phenomena concerning these variables (see Table 5 ).

Variables investigated in social media consumer engagement research in the context of sustainable consumption.

5.1. Independent Variables

The independent variables include cognitive and affective states (8 articles, 12% of the study), their relationship with brands, and consumer engagement (14 articles, 22% of studies) in the tune of social media marketing. The various mental states as demonstrated by consumers include perceived benefits from the brand and behavioral outcomes in building value co-creation and research integration. Consumer-related variables contribute to the understanding of engagement through interaction, advocacy, and connecting with the brand and trust. Social-media-related variables try to test the strength of attachment, having faith in social media channels, and the various follow-up techniques effectively used (tweet reposts, likes, comments) to build consumer engagement. Finally, brand-related variables try to focus on building consumer appeal and brand engagement activities, developing persuasiveness and brand trust, and enriching the brand’s global identity.

5.2. Dependent Variables

Our investigation of the dependent variables reveals that most of the studies focus on intentional or behavioral consumer engagement and relationship-based outcomes as well. The intentional and behavioral outcome validates consumers’ word of mouth, feedback, and recommendations along with participation in community engagements. The focus also lies in analyzing social media and brand marketers’ posts from an emotional perspective. It also judges the purchase intention of consumers. The relationship-based outcomes deal with the various engagement activities consumers and brands perform, such as frequent likes and comments of the posts along with sharing them on social media networks. There are then consumer-related variables focusing on the attitude and purchase intentions of consumers, with an overall brand experience, which finally leads to purchase decisions for consumers as well. Finally, consumer-related variables leading to sustainable consumption contribute to green buying intentions, a clear psychological state of well-being, being thought of as an environmental activist, and making a sustainable purchase decision.

5.3. Control Variables

Our research on control variables comprises mainly brand or marketer-related and consumer-related control variables. The consumer-related variables discuss the demographic origin of the consumer along with analyzing his/her activities on the networking sites. Additionally, visual perceptions, the timing of posts, and brand familiarity with social networking sites play a crucial role. The brand/marketer-related variables focus on building a buzz about their products and services, thereby maintaining the brand community engagement along with building favorable brand attachments.

5.4. Moderating Variables

Finally, the moderating variables consist of consumer-related and brand-related variables. The consumer-related variables come from culture playing a significant role in consumers’ engagement with the brand over social media, while the brand-related variables include the topic and modality of the posts in social media networks.

6. Discussion

6.1. limitations.

One of the limitations is related to the extremely fast changing social media landscape. Every high-quality indexed journal approves a research paper after considerable time spent by the reviewers understanding the paper’s quality, rigor, and contribution to the research community. Hence, during that review time, further developments can occur in the field of consumer engagement under social media influence, thereby creating a gap where the present researchers fail to accommodate the most recent articles. Second, this review followed strict guidelines to ensure a stringent process of selecting journal articles [ 86 , 87 ]. Hence, because of narrowing down the search criteria to accommodate articles complying with consumer engagement in a social media context, the review might have missed overlapping or close concepts in the literature, such as consumer engagement in a B2B context [ 16 ] or interactions in social CRM [ 88 ]. Third, social media, if not used effectively by organization salespersons, can often become a tool for exploitation, thereby resulting in consumers interpreting information and communication messages inappropriately. Fourth, “technostress”, as studied by Tarafdar et al. [ 89 ], could lead to stress due to spending excessive screen time on social networking sites (Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram) and further contribute to improper time management skills by both firm employees and consumers.

6.2. Future Research Directions

A direction for future research is an important lookout for systematic reviews [ 86 ]. Based on our review of the findings of research conducted on consumer engagement in social media networks, we noted multiple channels where we would highly encourage future research to occur. Researchers have made noteworthy progress in understanding the role of social media networks in communicating information in the business market. However, Maier et al. [ 90 ] discussed that salespersons loaded with excessive information may experience a feeling of discomfort. Hence, future research should follow the direction of understanding the optimum information chain, which would not create fatigue for the message recipients.

Second, it would be interesting to find out to what extent cross-country cultural differences influence the functioning of consumer engagement in social media networks with the use of the Hofstede [ 91 ] model and redefining the marketing strategies ensuring societal well-being by executing mindful consumption [ 19 ].

Third, it will be interesting to understand the consumer sentiment toward social media networks in building engagement in green consumption. Researchers could deploy analytical methods to forecast future consumer engagement in social media networks, measuring constructs such as the strength of the attachment and the total revenues generated for the firm through liking and sharing of tweets. Finally, future research could be carried out to understand how consumer engagement in sustainable consumption could be stimulated in social media networks in developing countries, such as Brazil, Indonesia, and India. This is because countries such as India and Brazil are dominating social networking sites [ 92 ], and hence, diversified fresh research looking for a varied research focus is much needed to understand the growth of social-media-based consumer engagement strategies.

7. Conclusions

This study constitutes an attempt to assess the state of the art in the hyper-dynamic field of social media consumer engagement in sustainable consumption. We analyzed research articles that examined the role of social media networks in engaging consumers to become attracted to a sustainable brand or product. We believe that this review will enable the scholarly community to initiate and conduct relevant research in this vital emerging research area.

According to our results, the investigated research area is gaining a rapidly increasing interest in the scientific community, as evidenced by the number of studies published. A total of 49 articles included in this review were published during the last two years. Twelve appeared in 2020 and only nine in the period of 2014–2019.

Most of the reviewed studies have been published in Europe (44%), followed by Asia (35%), and the USA (27%).

The most influential theories in this field of study are relationship marketing and consumer engagement (16 articles), social exchange (10), and sustainable consumption (8).

The most commonly used methods are quantitative (in as many as 61 of the 70 reviewed articles). The prevalent data analysis techniques are SEM (28 studies), CFA/EFA (23), and various regression models (16).

A careful analysis of the reviewed articles suggests that the tools that are consistently contributing to sustainable consumption are influencer marketing [ 73 ] along with creating meaningful content with the right balance of content design, quality, and creativity. Moreover, the meaningful use of emojis [ 69 ] is gaining immense popularity among social media practitioners for building sustainable marketing consumption through a rapid increase in likes and comments in the posts [ 44 ] and an array of text characteristics with emojis [ 64 ].

The review led to the conclusion that consistent and disciplined consumer involvement [ 49 ] with a steady brand relationship quality [ 34 ] is key to a sustainable lifestyle and behavior contributing to sustainable consumption.

This systematic review is a work that draws attention to the consumer segments, which are prone to adopting new technologies [ 48 ]. Young individuals [ 51 ] with an entrepreneurial vision [ 54 ] and a high drive for increased social status [ 25 ] are seen as actively involved in social media engagement in sustainable consumption. One very important observation that came out from this review is that consumers’ attitudes and purchase intentions toward social-media-based brand marketing activities depend largely on the consumers’ generation, and hence, all activities need to be fine-tuned respecting and understanding the age profile of the target audience [ 82 ].

Funding Statement

This research received no external funding.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization, P.B. and B.C.-B.; methodology, S.C.; formal analysis, S.C.; writing—original draft preparation, S.C.; writing—review and editing, P.B. and B.C.-B.; visualization, P.B. and S.C.; supervision, P.B. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Institutional Review Board Statement

Informed consent statement, data availability statement, conflicts of interest.

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Research Methods for Measuring Consumer Behaviour

Measuring consumer behaviour is essential for businesses to gain insights into the preferences, motivations, and decision-making processes of their target audience. Understanding consumer behaviour enables businesses to develop effective marketing strategies, improve product offerings, and enhance customer satisfaction.

In this blog post, we will explore some of the best research methods for measuring consumer behaviour, providing you with valuable tools to gain meaningful insights.

1. surveys and questionnaires:.

Surveys and questionnaires are widely used research methods for measuring consumer behaviour. They allow businesses to collect quantitative and qualitative data by asking specific questions about consumer preferences, purchasing habits, brand perceptions, and satisfaction levels. Surveys can be administered online, through email, or in person. Carefully designed surveys with well-crafted questions can provide valuable insights into consumer behaviour at a large scale.

2. Interviews:

In-depth interviews offer a more personal and qualitative approach to understanding consumer behaviour. Conducting one-on-one interviews allows for a deeper exploration of consumers’ thoughts, emotions, and experiences. Interviews can be structured, semi-structured, or unstructured, depending on the research objectives. They provide an opportunity to gather rich, detailed insights that go beyond what can be captured in surveys. Interviews can be conducted face-to-face, over the phone, or through video calls.

3. Focus Groups:

Focus groups involve bringing together a small group of individuals (usually 8-10) to engage in a guided discussion on specific topics related to consumer behaviour. Focus groups provide an interactive setting where participants can share their opinions, reactions, and experiences. The group dynamics often generate valuable insights and allow researchers to observe how individuals influence each other’s opinions. Focus groups can be particularly useful for exploring perceptions of new products, testing marketing messages, or gaining insights into consumer motivations.

4. Observational Research:

Observational research involves directly observing and recording consumer behaviour in natural or controlled settings. This method allows researchers to understand how consumers behave without relying on self-reported data. Observational research can be conducted through in-person observation, video recordings, or through tracking technologies such as eye-tracking or heat maps. By observing consumer actions, researchers can gain insights into purchasing decisions, browsing patterns, and product usage.

5. Experimental Research:

Experimental research involves manipulating certain variables in a controlled environment to understand their impact on consumer behaviour. It allows researchers to test causal relationships and draw conclusions about cause and effect. Experimental research can be conducted in a laboratory or field setting. For example, businesses may test the influence of different pricing strategies or advertising messages on consumer behaviour. Experimental research provides valuable insights into the underlying factors that drive consumer decision-making.

6. Online Analytics:

In the digital age, online analytics tools provide a wealth of data to measure consumer behaviour. Businesses can leverage website analytics, social media monitoring, and online tracking to gain insights into consumer engagement, browsing behaviour, click-through rates, and conversions. These tools provide quantitative data that can inform decision-making and marketing strategies. Online analytics also allow for real-time monitoring and immediate feedback, enabling businesses to adapt quickly to changing consumer behaviour.

Measuring consumer behaviour is essential for businesses to stay competitive and meet customer expectations. By employing a combination of research methods such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, observational research, experimental research, and online analytics, businesses can gain a comprehensive understanding of consumer preferences, motivations, and decision-making processes. Each research method has its strengths and limitations, so it’s important to choose the appropriate methods based on the research objectives and target audience. By investing in robust research methods, businesses can make informed decisions and create tailored strategies that resonate with their target consumers.

Join forces with My View Research and unlock the insights that drive consumer-centric strategies and business growth. Together, let’s decode the secrets of consumer behaviour!

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Social media usage for product search in the U.S. 2023, by age

Share of shoppers using social media to search for product information in the United States in 2nd quarter 2023, by generational cohort

Spending behavior

• Basic Statistic U.S. household average expenditure 2010-2022
• Premium Statistic U.S. annual household expenditures 2022, by generation
• Basic Statistic Change in spending behavior among consumers in the United States 2023
• Premium Statistic Average per month spending on impulse purchases in the United States 2020-2023
• Basic Statistic Leading ways consumers planned to spend their tax return refund in the U.S. 2024
• Premium Statistic Leading costs Gen Alpha parents are cutting in the United States 2023

U.S. household average expenditure 2010-2022

Average annual household expenditure in the United States from 2010 to 2022 (in U.S. dollars)

U.S. annual household expenditures 2022, by generation

Mean annual household expenditures in the United States in 2022, by generation (in U.S. dollars)

Change in spending behavior among consumers in the United States 2023

Change in spending behavior among consumers in the United States in the past three months in 2023

Average per month spending on impulse purchases in the United States 2020-2023

Average monthly amount consumers spent while making impulse purchases in the United States from 2020 to 2023

Leading ways consumers planned to spend their tax return refund in the U.S. 2024

Leading ways consumers planned to spend their tax return refund in the United States in 2024

Leading costs Gen Alpha parents are cutting in the United States 2023

Leading costs Generation Alpha parents are cutting in the United States in 2023

Online shopping

• Premium Statistic Consumers who mostly buy on impulse online or in-store in the U.S. 2023
• Premium Statistic Customer preferences for e-commerce vs social commerce platforms in the U.S. 2023
• Premium Statistic Customer reasons for purchasing items via social commerce platforms in the U.S. 2023
• Premium Statistic Share of consumers buying secondhand online in the U.S. 2023, by generation
• Basic Statistic Leading reasons for abandonment during checkout in the U.S. 2023

Consumers who mostly buy on impulse online or in-store in the U.S. 2023

Consumers who are most likely to make impulse purchases online or in-store in the United States in 2023

Customer preferences for e-commerce vs social commerce platforms in the U.S. 2023

Customer preferences of e-commerce vs. social commerce platforms in the United States in 2023

Customer reasons for purchasing items via social commerce platforms in the U.S. 2023

Reasons why customers purchase items via social commerce platforms in the United States as of October 2023

Share of consumers buying secondhand online in the U.S. 2023, by generation

Share of online shoppers buying secondhand in the United States in 1st quarter 2023, by generation

Leading reasons for abandonment during checkout in the U.S. 2023

Main reasons why consumers abandon their orders during the checkout process in the United States in 2023

Grocery shopping

• Premium Statistic Locations consumers purchase groceries U.S. 2023
• Premium Statistic Importance of factors when choosing stores for grocery shopping U.S. 2023
• Premium Statistic Locations consumers purchase groceries by age U.S. 2023
• Premium Statistic Attitudes of consumers towards grocery shopping in the U.S. 2023
• Premium Statistic Favorite supermarket chains among consumers in the U.S. 2023

Locations consumers purchase groceries U.S. 2023

Where consumers usually purchase groceries in the United States in June 2023

Importance of factors when choosing stores for grocery shopping U.S. 2023

How important are the following aspects in your choice of grocery stores?

Locations consumers purchase groceries by age U.S. 2023

Where consumers usually purchase groceries in the United States in June 2023, by age group

Attitudes of consumers towards grocery shopping in the U.S. 2023

Share of consumers who found grocery shopping pleasant in the United States in June 2023

Favorite supermarket chains among consumers in the U.S. 2023

Taking everything into account, which supermarket is your favorite?

Shopping during events

• Premium Statistic Leading consumer spending events by expected average spend in the U.S. 2023
• Premium Statistic Share of U.S. consumers planning to shop Thanksgiving sales 2023
• Premium Statistic Holiday gifts: what U.S. consumers plan to buy 2023
• Basic Statistic Planned consumer purchases for Super Bowl 2013-2024
• Premium Statistic Americans' planned spending on Halloween-related items by category 2023
• Premium Statistic St. Patrick's Day purchasing plans of U.S. consumers 2024
• Premium Statistic Mother's Day gift purchasing plans in the U.S. 2023
• Premium Statistic Father's Day gift purchasing plans in the U.S. 2023

Leading consumer spending events by expected average spend in the U.S. 2023

Leading consumer spending events by average expected per capita spend in the United States in 2023 (in U.S. dollars)

Share of U.S. consumers planning to shop Thanksgiving sales 2023

Consumers who plan to shop on Black Friday and Cyber Monday in the United States as of October 2023

Holiday gifts: what U.S. consumers plan to buy 2023

Holiday gifts to be bought by consumers in the United States in 2023, by category

Planned consumer purchases for Super Bowl 2013-2024

Planned purchases on Super Bowl Sunday by consumers in the United States from 2013 to 2024, by category

Americans' planned spending on Halloween-related items by category 2023

Expected average consumer expenditure on Halloween-related items in the United States in 2023, by category (in U.S. dollars)

St. Patrick's Day purchasing plans of U.S. consumers 2024

Products consumers plan to buy for St. Patrick's Day in the United States in 2024

Mother's Day gift purchasing plans in the U.S. 2023

Share of consumers planning to buy gifts for Mother's Day in the United States in 2023, by category

Father's Day gift purchasing plans in the U.S. 2023

Share of consumers planning to buy gifts for Father's Day in the United States in 2023, by type

Attitudes towards sustainability

• Premium Statistic Ethical/sustainable consumer in the U.S. 2023
• Premium Statistic Willingness to spend more by product category in the U.S. 2023
• Premium Statistic Attitudes towards sustainability in the U.S. 2023
• Premium Statistic Drivers of sustainable food/beverage purchases in the U.S. 2023
• Premium Statistic Drivers of sustainable beauty/personal care purchases in the U.S. 2023
• Premium Statistic Drivers of sustainable fashion purchases in the U.S. 2023
• Premium Statistic Top sources favored by consumers to learn about brands' sustainability U.S. 2023
• Premium Statistic United States: consumer views on corporate sustainability communications 2023

Ethical/sustainable consumer in the U.S. 2023

Rate of ethical/sustainable consumers in the United States in 2023

Willingness to spend more by product category in the U.S. 2023

Willingness to spend more by product category in the United States in 2023

Attitudes towards sustainability in the U.S. 2023

Attitudes towards sustainability in the United States in 2023

Drivers of sustainable food/beverage purchases in the U.S. 2023

Drivers of sustainable food/beverage purchases in the United States in 2023

Drivers of sustainable beauty/personal care purchases in the U.S. 2023

Drivers of sustainable beauty/personal care purchases in the United States in 2023

Drivers of sustainable fashion purchases in the U.S. 2023

Drivers of sustainable fashion purchases in the United States in 2023

Top sources favored by consumers to learn about brands' sustainability U.S. 2023

Leading sources from which consumers would like to get information about brands' sustainability efforts in the United States as of May 2023

United States: consumer views on corporate sustainability communications 2023

Desires from consumers regarding companies' sustainability communications in the United States in 2023

Impact of inflation

• Premium Statistic Products shoppers would buy at the same rate during a recession in the U.S. 2023
• Premium Statistic Products consumers could do without for a while during a recession in the U.S. 2023
• Premium Statistic Product purchases consumers could easily cut out during a recession in the U.S. 2023
• Premium Statistic Consumers who are annoyed with how consumer prices change in the U.S. 2023
• Premium Statistic How inflation will change the way consumers shop for the holidays in the U.S. 2023

Products shoppers would buy at the same rate during a recession in the U.S. 2023

Consumer goods consumers would buy at the same rate during a recession in the United States in 2023, by product category

Products consumers could do without for a while during a recession in the U.S. 2023

Consumer goods consumers could live without for a little while during a recession in the United States in 2023, by product category

Product purchases consumers could easily cut out during a recession in the U.S. 2023

Product purchases consumers could easily cut out during a recession in the United States in 2023, by product category

Consumers who are annoyed with how consumer prices change in the U.S. 2023

Consumers who are annoyed with how consumer prices change in the United States in 2023

How inflation will change the way consumers shop for the holidays in the U.S. 2023

Leading ways in which inflation will impact the way consumers shop for the holidays in 2023

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