Driving sustainable food choices via social media: a stimulus-organism-behaviour-consequence (SOBC) perspective

Purpose With the growing emphasis on sustainable living, social media has come to play a significant role in shaping consumer behaviour. This study employs the stimulus-organism-behaviour-consequence (SOBC) framework to examine how social media influencers impact sustainable food purchasing decisions. Design/methodology/approach An online survey was conducted with 397 Indian social media users. The data were analysed using structural equation modelling (SEM) and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). Findings The results indicate that influencer credibility and visual aesthetics significantly influence consumers’ drive for environmental responsibility and eudaimonic motives, which in turn foster sustainable food purchase intentions and actual buying behaviour. Novelty seeking moderates the relationship between intrinsic motives and purchase intention. The fsQCA results reveal multiple causal configurations, with influencer credibility, visual aesthetics and internal motivations emerging as key drivers of sustainable consumption. Practical implications The study offers valuable insights for marketers and influencers aiming to design targeted campaigns that boost engagement and encourage sustainable food choices. Originality/value This study extends the application of the stimulus-organism-behaviour-consequence (SOBC) framework by investigating sustainable food purchasing behaviour in the context of social media.