Seduced by Style: How Instagram Fashion Influencers Build Brand Loyalty Through Customer Engagement in Sustainable Consumption

Iyyad Zahran () and Hasan Yousef Aljuhmani
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Iyyad Zahran: Department of Marketing, Faculty of Business and Economics, Girne American University, Via Mersin 10, Girne 99300, Turkey
Hasan Yousef Aljuhmani: Department of Business Administration, Institute of Graduate Research and Studies, University of Mediterranean Karpasia, Via Mersin 10, Lefkosa 33010, Turkey

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 17, 1-27

Abstract: This study explores how Instagram fashion influencers build brand loyalty through customer engagement within the framework of sustainable consumption. Grounded in the stimulus–organism–response (SOR) theory, influencer marketing is conceptualized as a stimulus that activates customer engagement (organism), which in turn enhances brand loyalty (response). A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 279 Instagram users in Palestine who actively follow fashion influencers, and the model was tested using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings confirm that social media influencer marketing (SMIM) significantly improves both engagement and loyalty. Customer engagement was found to be both a partial mediator and a significant moderator, such that highly engaged consumers exhibited stronger loyalty responses—suggesting intensified value alignment and emotional resonance in sustainability contexts. This study extends the prior literature by integrating the creation–consumption–contribution (C–C–C) model into the SOR framework and conceptualizing engagement as both a psychological state and a boundary condition. It contributes to sustainable consumption research by illustrating how participatory digital behaviors can foster ethical brand relationships, particularly in emerging economies. Practically, it offers strategic guidance for fashion brands and influencers to design campaigns that promote co-creation, authenticity, and eco-conscious narratives. It also emphasizes the importance of aligning influencer values with those of sustainability-minded consumers to foster long-term loyalty. By contextualizing the findings within the Palestinian market, the study highlights how cultural factors may shape engagement and sustainability perceptions, paving the way for future cross-cultural investigations.

Keywords: Instagram influencers; customer engagement; brand loyalty; sustainable consumption; SOR theory; C–C–C model; participatory marketing; fashion sustainability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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