Activating the mindful consumer: the value of online user-generated content and psychological pathways

Abstract

With the robust advancement of social media platforms, such as the TikTok application, they have exerted a substantial influence on the behaviors and perceptions of viewers. Simultaneously, environmental concerns are garnering increasing attention from customers, who tend to have a propensity for meticulous product research, particularly favoring sustainable options. Distinguished for analyzing consumer behavior, numerous scholarly works have introduced the concept framework of "mindful consumption”. Nevertheless, there is a lack of research delving into the relationship between mindful consumption and cues from sustainable videos on TikTok. This research endeavors to present a theoretical framework for identifying mindful consumption tendencies that may be impacted by sustainable video content on the social networking site TikTok. Leveraging the constructs of signaling and mindfulness theories, we propose that the interplay among the three attributes of sustainable videos - informational cues, affective cues, normative cues, and mindful consumption - elucidates how cues influence viewers' perceptions and responsibility. Subsequently, we developed a research framework, devised a survey questionnaire, and conducted empirical investigations encompassing a diverse array of participants in terms of age, profession, and income as stipulated by the research parameters. The outcomes highlight the capacity of sustainable TikTok videos to promote self-awareness among viewers, thereby fostering mindful consumption. Consequently, enterprises can enhance operational efficacy by integrating sustainable campaigns on the TikTok platform.