The effect of social media influencer marketing on sustainable food purchase: Perspectives from multi-group SEM and ANN analysis

This study examines the impact of social media influencers' (SMIs) intimate self-disclosure, environmental concern, and spending self-control on consumers' sustainable food purchase intention and explores the mediating effect of consumption value. It ranks the relative importance of these factors and measures generational differences on the impact of SMIs. Data from 628 respondents obtained via an online survey was analyzed using a dual-stage multi-group structural equation model (SEM) and artificial neural network (ANN) techniques. The SEM revealed that SMIs' intimate self-disclosure, environmental concern, and spending self-control positively affected sustainable food purchase intention by mediating social and epistemic values. A multi-group analysis of the SEM found no significant generational differences. The ANN indicated that consumer purchases of sustainable food were primarily associated with SMIs' spending self-control followed by their environmental concern. The ANN predicted consumer sustainable food purchase intention with 99.4% accuracy. Theoretically, this study enhances the knowledge of how consumers internalize social media influencer marketing (SMIM) and encourages their endorsement of sustainable foods by introducing TCV into the SOR framework. It also refutes the view that SMIs are significant only for younger generations and reveals the relative importance of SMIs impact factors from a non-linear perspective. From a practical perspective, we offer a specific SMIM investment strategy to maximize consumers' sustainable food purchases and several persuasive strategies for SMIs as opinion leaders. From a societal perspective, this research promotes sustainable development, human health, and a sustainable food economy.