UNDERSTANDING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF ESG ADVERTISING ON CONSUMER PURCHASE INTENTION: AN ELABORATION LIKELIHOOD AND DAGAMAR MODEL APPROACH

Abstract

The present study examines how central and peripheral cues in Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) advertising influence consumer trust in products and brands and how these trust dimensions subsequently affect purchase intention through consumer involvement and attitude. Grounded in the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) and the Defining Advertising Goals for Measured Advertising Results (DAGMAR) framework, the study explores the sequential process by which ESG advertising shapes consumer decision-making. A quantitative, cross-sectional research design was employed, and primary data were collected from consumers across Odisha, India, using a structured online questionnaire between February and March 2026. A simple random sampling technique yielded 310 valid responses, which were considered adequate for structural equation modelling. The data were initially screened and analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics 28, followed by Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) using Smart PLS 4.0 to test the proposed hypotheses. The findings reveal that among the central route cues, perceived quality and transparency significantly enhance trust in the product, whereas advertising credibility and perceived greenwashing do not have significant effects. Within the peripheral route, emotional resonance, brand familiarity, and advertising attractiveness significantly strengthen trust in the brand, while advertising clutter is found to be insignificant. The results further indicate that trust in both the product and the brand positively influences consumer involvement, which subsequently enhances consumer attitude. A favourable attitude, in turn, significantly increases purchase intention toward ESG-advertised products. Overall, the findings support the sequential mechanisms proposed by both ELM and DAGMAR, demonstrating that meaningful ESG advertising cues effectively guide consumers through the stages of awareness, comprehension, conviction, and action, ultimately fostering stronger purchase intentions and offering valuable implications for marketers promoting sustainable products.