How green brand image drives sustainable fashion choices: The role of green WOM and counter-knowledge among Moroccan youth

Abstract

The research aims to explore the impact of green brand image (GBI) on green purchase intention (GPI) particularly among young consumers, and most importantly investigates the mediating role of Green word of mouth (GWOM) and the moderating role of Counterknowledge (CK) within the context of sustainable fashion. A quantitative approach was adopted using an online questionnaire distributed to 230 young consumers aged 18 to 35 and PLS-SEM method was used for data analysis. The study reveals that GBI significantly boosts both GWOM and GPI. Moreover, GWOM was found to strongly influence GPI and mediate the effect of GBI. Interestingly, the study shows that CK weakens the direct impact of GBI on GPI among Women but strengthens the effect of GWOM for both gender and unexpectedly through conditional mediation, CK was found to positively moderate the indirect effect of GBI on GPI through GWOM. These findings highlight the strategic role of GWOM in mitigating the negative effects of misinformation on sustainable customer behaviour. This paper advances the literature on sustainable customer behaviour by incorporating the concept of counter-knowledge—a relatively understudied facet of misinformation—into the green fashion context. The research offers a deeper understanding of how companies can strategically leverage GWOM to counteract the negative impact of misinformation and sustain customer purchase intention. By focusing on Moroccan young consumer, a digitally active demographic that is also fashion-conscious and frequently exposed to misinformation, the study offers significant insights for marketers and decision makers aiming to strengthen green brand strategies in emerging markets.