As brand equity (BE) is a valuable, but intangible, asset of any firm, understanding BE represents a primary task for many organizations. Factors that influence the development of BE are of inordinate academic and practical significance and a source of continuous investigation. While the current literature on social media communication (SMC) and BE provides a wealth of information, our study pioneers the most recent processes of mediation and moderation of electronic word-of-mouth and product involvement (PI) in BE research. Accordingly, the results of this work will likely become one of the key sources of information in sustainable marketing planning and in the development of strategies. To accomplish this goal, we assessed the structural relationships among SMC, electronic word of mouth (e-WOM), PI, and BE. A questionnaire survey was administered concerning consumer brands in China. In this survey, due to the need for social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic, the questionnaire was distributed and collected via the internet. A total of 369 data sets were analyzed by partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The results of our investigation reveal that: (a) social media firm- and user-generated content have a positive impact on e-WOM, (b) social media firm- and user-generated content have a positive impact on BE, (c) e-WOM has a positive impact on BE and serves as an intermediary role between SMC and BE, and (d) PI exerts specific moderating effects between SMC and BE.

Green finance is of vital significance for global rural sustainable development. This paper aims to explore the impact of green finance on rural sustainable development. Based on panel data obtained from 283 prefecture‐level cities in China over the period from 2004 to 2022, a rural sustainable development indicator system was constructed under the DPSIR framework. By employing a fixed‐effects model, moderation effect analysis, and the spatial Durbin model, a role for green finance in rural sustainable development and its spatial effects is proposed. The results of these analyses reveal the following: (1) Rural sustainable development exhibits a cyclical expansion–contraction trend; (2) green finance promotes rural sustainability, confirmed by robustness checks; (3) environmental regulations and the digital economy play a positive moderating role in enhancing the impact of green finance on rural sustainable development; (4) in terms of spatial effects, green finance has a positive effect within the region but can exert a negative spillover effect on surrounding regions. Based on these findings, it is proposed that the layout of green finance should be strengthened, environmental supervision should be enhanced, and the digital economy should be promoted. Such recommendations represent critical measures which can serve as the foundation to stimulate rural sustainable development and provide valuable references for relevant policy formulation.

Purpose: In this study, we assessed some of the factors that enable characteristics of anchors to influence consumers' impulsive purchasing behavior from the perspective of emotional rendering. As based on the stimulus-organism-response (SOR) theoretical framework, data were obtained from a questionnaire survey as a means to evaluate the impact of anchor characteristics on consumers’ impulsive purchasing behavior. The hypotheses proposed in this study were verified using AMOS software and structural equation modeling. Design/methodology/approach: A questionnaire survey focusing on responses to live streaming of agricultural products was disseminated to participants who were required to have had a prior shopping experience using live streaming platforms of agricultural products. The survey utilized the Wenjuanxing platform for data collection and analyses, with a total of 372 questionnaires distributed. To ensure the reliability and validity of the data analysis, some responses were excluded, resulting in a final number of 316 valid questionnaires for analyses (84.94% response rate). Findings: The two major findings derived from these questionnaires were (1) in the context of agricultural product live streaming, the credibility, professionalism and attractiveness of anchors significantly impacted consumers' impulsive purchasing behavior and (2) emotional experience, including perceived pleasure and emotional trust, represented the main factors influencing consumers’ impulsive purchasing behavior. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that during the live streaming of agricultural products, anchors should direct their focus on enhancing consumers’ emotional experiences and guide these consumers toward arriving at rational and prudent purchasing decisions. Such measures have the potential to enhance the purchase intentions of consumers. Originality/value: In this study, the impact of situational characteristics of anchors during the live streaming of agricultural products upon consumer impulse purchasing was investigated. These findings were based on the emotion-driven theory of consumer impulse purchasing and the SOR theoretical framework and focused on anchor characteristics, audience emotions and audience participation. Data were collected via questionnaires, with structural equation modeling employed to analyze and validate the theoretical framework and hypotheses of this report. The findings from this report have the potential to enrich research in related areas, such as live streaming of agricultural as well as other products, e-commerce and impulse purchasing.

Amid the pressing challenges of global warming, carbon trading policies have gained increasing importance in advancing green development. This study employs Double Machine Learning (DML) to effectively process high-dimensional data and nonlinear relationships, integrating methods such as Difference-in-Differences (DID) to systematically address endogeneity issues. Using an indicator system for High-Quality Agricultural Development (HQAD) covering 30 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions, this study aims to evaluate the impact of the pilot carbon emissions trading (CET) policy on HQAD. The findings are as follows: (1) The pilot CET policy significantly enhances HQAD. Though the positive effect has diminished, multi-dimensional robustness checks confirm the results’ credibility and stability. (2) Mechanism analysis shows that the policy promotes HQAD through two key pathways: strengthening environmental regulation (ER) and improving agricultural energy total factor productivity (AETFP). (3) Regional heterogeneity is evident, with the eastern region showing the most substantial policy effects, followed by the western region, while the central region shows minimal impact. Regarding grain functional zones, the policy effect is significant in the main sales and balance areas but weaker in the main producing area. Based on these findings, this study provides three policy recommendations to inform policymaking, facilitate the green transition, and promote High-Quality Agricultural Development.

With the inevitability of global climate change, it has become increasingly important to understand the relationship between Agro-industrial Development (AID) and Agricultural Carbon Emissions (ACE) to promote the development of low carbon production in agriculture. Using a panel of datasets, as based on the ‘element-structure-function’ framework of 30 Chinese provinces over the period from 2011–2021, the entropy weight method was used to calculate the level of AID in each province. With this approach, it was possible to assess correlations and mechanisms between AID and ACE. Here, with use of fixed-effect, regulatory and threshold models, we determined some of the critical factors contributing to the effects of AID and ACE. Our findings revealed: (1) AID displays an inverse U-shape relationship with ACE, as verified through endogeneity and robustness assessment, (2) A review of the mechanisms suggests that the crossing of the turning point of the inverted u-curve can be accelerated by the moderating effect of agricultural finance. and (3) As based on the threshold effect analysis, a two-tier effect of the digital economy, rural human capital and farmers’ net income on AID, with facilitating effects on carbon emission reductions was obtained after the threshold crossing. The significance of this effect increases as a function of the post-threshold interval. Taken together, these findings demonstrate the long-standing interplay between AID and ACE. Thus, additional insights and empirical evidence that can inform the ongoing development of sustainable agricultural practices can be realized.