Author(s): Ruchika Takker Sharma, Reshma Nasreen and Arif Anwar
Social media influencers have become highly influential in shaping consumer behavior, particularly in emerging economies like India where rapid digitization has changed how people seek information on products and lifestyles. Against this backdrop, environmental concerns are at an all-time high, prompting many consumers to adopt eco-friendly routines and ethical purchasing habits. The convergence of these forces presents an opportunity for influencers who specialize in sustainability to sway consumer actions toward more responsible, low-impact consumption. This study investigates the role of Indian social media influencers in promoting sustainable consumption, with a focus on understanding which influencer attributes—such as credibility, authenticity, and engagement—most powerfully correlate with changes in follower behavior. A total of 50 Indian influencers, each actively posting sustainability-related content on platforms like Instagram, YouTube, or LinkedIn, were selected via purposive sampling. Data collection involved two main methods. First, a follower survey (n ≈ 2,000) measured attitudes on purchase intentions, reported lifestyle changes, and perceptions of influencer credibility. Second, engagement analytics (e.g., likes, comments, shares) were gathered from publicly available statistics on each influencer’s sustainability-focused posts. Correlation analyses reveal that authenticity, defined as genuine alignment between an influencer’s stated eco-values and their demonstrated behavior, is a critical driver of follower intent to adopt sustainable practices. Multiple regression models further indicate that perceived credibility—encompassing expertise and trustworthiness—adds explanatory power to predicting actual behavioral shifts. Interestingly, platform differences (Instagram vs. YouTube) were less decisive than anticipated, suggesting that the influencer’s personal brand and rapport with followers overshadow platform-specific nuances. The study also finds that smaller-scale influencers often achieve deeper engagement and higher authenticity perceptions, although macro-influencers possess the advantage of broader reach. These findings have implications for marketers, policymakers, and non-governmental organizations eager to harness social media for environmental campaigns. Influencer marketing strategies that prioritize genuine, transparent, and solutions-based content may more effectively shift consumption patterns. Moreover, the results underscore the potential of micro- and nano-influencers in cultivating tight-knit communities that are highly receptive to sustainability messaging. Overall, this research contributes to a nascent yet increasingly significant area: understanding how social media can serve as both a platform and catalyst for pro-environmental change in India. Future inquiries could expand to cross-cultural comparisons, employ longitudinal designs to assess the durability of such behavior changes, or integrate real purchasing data to further validate the impact of influencer-driven sustainability campaigns.