DIGITAL MARKETING STRATEGIES & SUSTAINABILITY MESSAGING EFFECTS ON CUSTOMER ADVOCACY IN THE TOURISM/HOSPITALITY SECTOR

Abstract

This study investigates how digital marketing strategy strength and sustainability messaging jointly shape customer advocacy in the tourism and hospitality sector, highlighting the mediating roles of customer engagement and brand trust. Drawing on an integrated framework that combines relationship marketing and stimulus–organism–response logic, we employ a quantitative, cross-sectional design and analyze survey data using PLS-SEM (SmartPLS ). The measurement model demonstrates strong reliability and validity (e.g., CR = 0.853–0.961; AVE = 0.661–0.804), and discriminant validity is confirmed via Fornell–Larcker and HTMT criteria. Structural results validate all hypotheses: digital marketing strategy strength exerts a substantial direct effect on customer advocacy (β = 0.472, p < 0.001), while sustainability messaging shows a positive direct effect (β = 0.077, p = 0.012). Customer engagement and brand trust transmit these influences, with significant indirect effects for both digital marketing (via engagement: β = 0.082; via trust: β = 0.036) and sustainability messaging (via engagement: β = 0.061; via trust: β = 0.086; all p < 0.001). The model explains a large share of variance in advocacy (R² = 0.600; Q² = 0.401) and demonstrates moderate predictive relevance for engagement (R² = 0.327; Q² = 0.213) and brand trust (R² = 0.267; Q² = 0.191). Findings indicate that well-orchestrated, personalized, multi-channel digital strategies directly foster advocacy, while credible sustainability communication primarily operates through trust and engagement. Managerially, aligning digital excellence with authentic sustainability execution can convert satisfied guests into vocal brand advocates. The study advances theory by integrating digital and ethical branding pathways within a single advocacy model and offers actionable guidance for hospitality marketers seeking durable, values-driven growth.