Against the background of the “dual carbon” strategy, the new energy vehicle (NEV) industry has developed rapidly, yet consumers still have concerns about driving range, technology, and after-sales service, which in turn affect their purchase intentions. Based on the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) theory, this paper reviews relevant studies on ESG responsibility practices and digital marketing, and proposes a conceptual framework of “ESG-oriented digital marketing-brand favorability-purchase intention,” with brand familiarity introduced as a moderating variable. The literature indicates that disclosing ESG information through social media, short videos, and livestreaming can enhance consumers’ trust and emotional resonance, and this effect is influenced by differences in brand familiarity. Integrating ESG and digital marketing perspectives, this paper reveals the role of emotional mechanisms in high-involvement consumption and provides theoretical and practical implications for NEV enterprises to enhance consumers’ purchase intentions.

Yewen Xin, Gyung-Yong Song. The Mechanisms of ESG-Oriented Digital Marketing in Shaping Consumers’ Purchase Intentions toward New Energy Vehicles. Academic Journal of Business & Management (2025), Vol. 7, Issue 12: 1-7. https://doi.org/10.25236/AJBM.2025.071201.

[1] Rezvani Z, Jansson J, Bodin J. Advances in consumer electric vehicle adoption research: A review and research agenda [J]. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 2015, 34: 122-136.

[2] Fatemi A, Glaum M, Kaiser S. ESG performance and firm value: The moderating role of disclosure [J]. Global Finance Journal, 2018, 38: 45-64.

[3] Meng L M. The impact of content characteristics of short-form video ads on consumers’ purchase intention: The mediating role of trust [J]. Journal of Business Research, 2024, 183: 114874.

[4] Yang J, Zhang Y, Chen L. Exploring the influence of livestreaming on consumer purchase intention [J]. Acta Psychologica, 2024, 240: 104415.

[5] Li P, Li X, Wu Q. Digitalization for sustainable development: How digital trade enhances corporate ESG performance through innovation, internationalization, and transparency [J]. International Review of Economics & Finance, 2025, 101: 104248.

[6] Friede G, Busch T, Bassen A. ESG and financial performance: Aggregated evidence from more than 2000 empirical studies [J]. Journal of Sustainable Finance & Investment, 2015, 5(4): 210-233.

[7] Bătae O M, Dragomir V D, Feleagă L. The relationship between environmental, social, and governance (ESG) pillars and bank financial performance [J]. Journal of Cleaner Production, 2021, 290: 125791.

[8] Koh H K, Burnasheva R, Suh Y G. Perceived ESG and consumer attitude: The mediating roles of brand credibility, image and perceived quality [J]. Sustainability, 2022, 14(8): 4515.

[9] Chen Y S, Chang C H. Greenwash and green trust [J]. Journal of Business Ethics, 2013, 114(3): 489-500.

[10] Keke M E, Yildiz S, Aydin G. The use of digital marketing in information transport in social media: The example of Turkish companies [J]. Transportation Research Procedia, 2022, 63: 2579-2588.

[11] Ye X, Hou R, Wang S, Omar N A B. Social media, relationship marketing and corporate ESG performance [J]. Finance Research Letters, 2024, 63: 105288.

[12] Wang S. Can digital transformation improve market and ESG performance [J]. Journal of Cleaner Production, 2023.

[13] Freling T H, Crosno J L, Henard D H. Brand personality appeal: Conceptualization and empirical validation [J]. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 2011, 39(3): 392-406.

[14] Kapoor H, Heslop L A. Brand positivity and competitive effects on the evaluation of brand extensions [J]. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 2009, 26(3): 228-237.

[15] Tan T M, Salo J, Juntunen J, Kumar A. A comparative study of creation of self-brand connection amongst well-liked, new, and unfavorable brands [J]. Journal of Business Research, 2018, 92: 71-80.

[16] McManus J F, Trifts V, Carvalho S W. The relationship between fixed mindsets, brand-self engagement, and brand favorability [J]. Personality and Individual Differences, 2020, 166: 110198.

[17] Morwitz V G, Steckel J H, Gupta A. When do purchase intentions predict sales [J]. International Journal of Forecasting, 2007, 23(3): 347-364.

[18] Yin Y R, Li Y, Zhang Y. Influencing factor analysis of household electric vehicle purchase intention of Hainan Free Trade Port under the background of low-carbon lifestyle [J]. Energy Reports, 2022, 8: 569-579.

[19] Indrawati P C P, Yones S, Muthaiyah S. eWOM via the TikTok application and its influence on the purchase intention of Somethinc products [J]. Asia Pacific Management Review, 2023.

[20] Chiu C M, Hsu M H, Lai H C, Chang C M. Re-examining the influence of trust on online repeat purchase intention: The moderating role of habit and its antecedents [J]. Decision Support Systems, 2012, 53(4): 835-845.

[21] Mehrabian A, Russell J A. An approach to environmental psychology [M]. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1974.

[22] Li L, Luo B, Sun Y, Zhu F. The influence mechanism of green advertising on consumers’ intention to purchase energy-saving products: Based on the S-O-R model [J]. Journal of University of Science and Technology of China, 2023.

[23] Li D. Impact of green advertisement and environmental knowledge on intention of consumers to buy green products [J]. BMC Psychology, 2025, 13(1): 538.

[24] Errajaa K, Hombourger-Barès S, Audrain-Pontevia A F. Effects of the in-store crowd and employee perceptions on intentions to revisit and word-of-mouth via transactional satisfaction: A SOR approach [J]. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 2022, 68: 103087.

[25] Nieves-Pavón S, López-Mosquera N, Jiménez-Naranjo H. The factors influencing STD through SOR theory [J]. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 2023, 75: 103533.

[26] Tang H, Lee Y. Factors affecting continuous purchase intention of fashion products on social e-commerce: SOR model and the mediating effect [J]. Entertainment Computing, 2022, 41: 100474.

[27] Song Y, Zhang L, Zhang M. Research on the impact of public climate policy cognition on low-carbon travel based on SOR theory—Evidence from China [J]. Energy, 2022, 261: 125192.

[28] Roh T, Seok J, Kim Y. Unveiling the effects of perceived value and trust on green purchase intention: Extending the theory of reasoned action [J]. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 2022, 67: 102988.

[29] Duan L. An extended model of the Theory of Planned Behavior: An empirical study of entrepreneurial intention and entrepreneurial behavior in college students [J]. Frontiers in Psychology, 2022, 12: 627818.

[30] Bawack R E, Wamba S F, Carillo K D A, Akter S. Exploring the role of personality, trust, and privacy in customer experience performance during voice shopping [J]. International Journal of Information Management, 2022, 62: 102309.

[31] Septianto F, Paramita W. Cute brand logo enhances favorable brand attitude: The moderating role of hope [J]. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 2021, 63: 102734.

[32] Hofmann J, Schnittka O, Johnen M, Kottemann P. Talent or popularity: What drives market value and brand image for human brands [J]. Journal of Business Research, 2021, 124: 748-758.

[33] Michel G, Torelli C J, Fleck N, Hubert B. Self-brand values congruity and incongruity: Their impacts on self-expansion and consumers’ responses to brands [J]. Journal of Business Research, 2022, 142: 301-316.

[34] Ozdemir O, Kolfal B, Messinger P R, Rizvi S. Human or virtual: How influencer type shapes brand attitudes [J]. Computers in Human Behavior, 2023, 145: 107771.

[35] Tan Q L, Hashim S, Abdullah N, Omar Zaki H, Zheng Z. Environmental, social and governance (ESG) and consumer behavior: A systematic review and research agenda [J]. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 2025.

[36] Ma X, Zhou Y. The impact of ESG on retail banking customer assets [J]. Journal of Financial Services Marketing, 2024, 29(3): 1330-1344.

[37] Park Y N, Shin M. Effect of customers’ subjective knowledge on accepting ESG activities in the hospitality industry [J]. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 2024, 41(1): 51-67.

[38] Immanuel D K. The influence of influencers on consumers’ purchase intention: The mediating role of attitude and brand attitude [J]. Jurnal Aplikasi Manajemen, 2021, 19(4): 766–781.

[39] Cartwright E, Mourato S, Rey B, Scarpa R. Front-of-package nutrition labels, brand attitude, and purchase intention: The moderating role of gender [J]. Journal of Business Research, 2020, 120: 272-283.

[40] Zhao X, Xu Z, Li Z. Influencer attributes and customer purchase intention: The mediating role of brand attitude [J]. SAGE Open, 2024, 14(2): 1-12.

[41] Wu S, Hu Z, Xie L, Yuan Y. How brand familiarity affects green product purchase intention: The moderating role of livestreamers’ environmental knowledge [J]. Technology in Society, 2024, 77: 102572.

[42] Samari A A, Cardoni A, Vincenzo D. Social media influencers’ characteristics and purchase intention: The mediating effect of brand credibility and brand familiarity [J]. FIIB Business Review, 2023, 12(2): 152-165.

[43] Xiao W, Lin Y, Wu Y. Designing advergames with brand attitude, psychological states, and game content: The interactive role of brand familiarity [J]. Journal of Internet Commerce, 2022, 21(1): 45-68.