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The Moderating Effect of Green Advertising on the Relationship between Gamification and Sustainable Consumption Behavior: A Case Study of the Ant Forest Social Media App

Author

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  • Miao Huang

    (School of Animation and Digital Arts, Communication University of China, Nanjing, Jiangning University City, Nanjing 211172, China
    School of Communication, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Gelugor 11800, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia)

  • Mohamad Saifudin Mohamad Saleh

    (School of Communication, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Gelugor 11800, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia)

  • Izzal Asnira Zolkepli

    (School of Communication, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Gelugor 11800, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia)

Abstract

The end of the twentieth century saw increased research on sustainability issues, particularly consumer consumption patterns and their environmental impact. As consumers become more aware of the need to shift consumption habits toward green initiatives, a broader set of methods encouraging sustainable living should be sought. Due to the popularity of gamification in apps and other technology-related solutions, little research has been conducted to investigate gamification and advertising as a strategy to promote sustainable consumption. Using convenience sampling, this study surveyed 305 Ant Forest app users to investigate the relationship between gamification, perceived enjoyment, and sustainable consumption while observing green advertising as a moderating effect. The findings show that green advertising does not moderate gamification experience or perceived enjoyment but does moderate perceived enjoyment and sustainable consumption. Given that the study samples were university students, it is surprising to learn that gamification and green advertising have no relationship, thus denying the gamification experience to encourage sustainable behavior among China’s youth. As a result, marketers pursuing green initiatives should keep this impactful result in mind when implementing gamified features in user-experience apps. Gaming is seen uniquely for pleasure and enjoyment, not for creating behavioral change and awareness.

Suggested Citation

  • Miao Huang & Mohamad Saifudin Mohamad Saleh & Izzal Asnira Zolkepli, 2023. "The Moderating Effect of Green Advertising on the Relationship between Gamification and Sustainable Consumption Behavior: A Case Study of the Ant Forest Social Media App," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-15, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:4:p:2883-:d:1058654
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