Influencers have emerged as important agents in transforming societies toward a more sustainable future. However, existing research remains fragmented, offering limited insight into how sustainable influencers, particularly their social media communication strategies, generate multi-stakeholder outcomes through interconnected psychological transformation processes. Addressing this gap, this study conducts a systematic literature review of 459 journal articles retrieved from the Web of Science and Scopus database, the Theory–Context–Method (TCM) framework, the Input–Process–Outcome (IPO) model, and the SHIFT theoretical framework are employed to produce a comprehensive framework explain the shift toward a more sustainable future. The TCM analysis maps the theoretical foundations of the field by identifying dominant theories (e.g., parasocial relationship, flow, construal level), commonly used methodologies (e.g., experiment, survey, sentiment analysis), and dominant research contexts (e.g., the United States, China). The IPO synthesis highlights critical influencer attributes (e.g., credibility, perceived fit, typologies) and communication strategy-related factors (e.g., message topics, appeals, framing) that drive a wide range of sustainable behavioral outcomes across consumers, brands, influencers, and society. Notably, five psychological transformation processes including social influence, habit formation, individual self, feelings and cognition, and tangibility, influencers are identified as the underlying mechanisms through which influencers can exert sustainable impacts. This integrative, transformation process-oriented framework offers valuable insights for both scholars and practitioners seeking to leverage influencers to promote a more sustainable future.

Authors:
Angelina Nhat Hanh Le, University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Khanh Linh Nguyen, University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

About the Presenter(s)
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Angelina Nhat Hanh Le is currently Dean of School of Management, University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH), Vietnam. Her research interests encompass sustainability, digital business, social media marketing, brand management

See this presentation on the full schedule – Monday Schedule

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