In this article, we present a study that investigates the effectiveness of social media communication in conveying brands’ green activism actions framed by corporate social responsibility. To address this question, a survey was conducted with 550 participants, comparing their opinions about the green posts made by brands and influencers. Statistical analysis (Wilcoxon rank-sum test means comparison of responses between the two groups) revealed significant differences in consumer perceptions between them. The findings indicate that using social media channels to communicate green initiatives is effective for brands. Moreover, the study concludes that direct brand communication is more beneficial than relying on digital influencers. This research contributes to the existing literature by providing empirical evidence on the comparative effectiveness of brand-generated social media posts and influencer-generated content in promoting green activism actions. The study highlights the importance of direct brand communication in enhancing consumer perception and engagement with green initiatives. It offers valuable insights for brands seeking to optimize their social media strategies for sustainability messaging.

This article analyzes consumer, local producer, and retailer green orientation regarding local food production and consumption in an urban food market context. This approach extends previous research, mainly focused on green orientation of consumers, by including a broader analysis of the perceptions of different relevant stakeholders. For this purpose, an empirical study was carried out in the context of a local urban market of a medium-sized city through the application of a survey to producers, retailers, and consumers, which included a green orientation scale. Results showed that local consumers and local retailers have a similar high level of green orientation, while local producers are less green-oriented. These conclusions highlight the importance of the green “values” in local communities and the need to reinforce marketing efforts and specific training programs to different stakeholders, namely local producers focused on sustainability.

This study investigates the differential impact of Instagram influencers’ posts and stories on consumer decision-making across the five stages of the Engel-Kollat-Blackwell (EKB) model. Using a survey of 987 Instagram users, we examine how these two content formats influence need recognition, information search, alternative evaluation, purchase decision, and post-purchase behaviour. Our findings reveal that influencers primarily impact the early stages of the decision-making process, with stories being more effective than posts in triggering need recognition and facilitating information search. However, the influence diminishes in later stages, suggesting that other factors play a more significant role in the actual purchase and post-purchase evaluation. This study contributes to the literature on influencer marketing and consumer behaviour by extending the EKB model to the digital age and highlighting the unique ways in which different content formats can shape consumer journeys. The findings offer valuable insights for marketers and influencers seeking to optimise their Instagram strategies.

Shopper marketing is a recent approach to marketing. Since shopper marketing is in the early stages of development, it is also an emerging research field and, consequently, questions and challenges to this approach are emerging across all the marketing-mix variables. This paper addresses the implications of adopting a shopper marketing view on the communication variable. Specifically, the purpose of the research is to study the implications of the shopper marketing approach on brand management, focusing on communication strategies and actions at the point-of-purchase. In order to address that goal, an experts opinion qualitative study was conducted, gathering primary data from thirteen shopper marketing experts, using a two-stage sampling judgmental and snowball techniques. The results are consistent with the literature review and complement it, providing explanations and adding elements that might help towards a more effective marketing communications management, particularly at the point-of-purchase.