Sustainable digital marketing and green consumerism: the role of corporate social responsibility in brand positioning

Digital marketing generates substantial carbon emissions while serving as the primary channel for sustainability communication, creating a fundamental paradox for organizations positioning brands around environmental responsibility. This research examined how Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) mediates relationships between sustainable digital marketing practices and brand positioning effectiveness among green consumers. Employing a mixed-methods design, the study analyzed survey data from 427 environmentally conscious consumers and conducted 23 interviews plus content analysis of 30+ digital campaigns. Structural equation modeling revealed CSR perception mediates 58.3% of the total effect between sustainable digital marketing and brand positioning. Sustainable digital marketing significantly influenced CSR perceptions (β = 0.62, p < 0.001) and brand positioning (β = 0.34, p < 0.001), while CSR perceptions strongly impacted brand positioning (β = 0.48, p < 0.001). Environmental consciousness moderated these relationships positively, while greenwashing perceptions undermined positioning efforts (β = -0.31, p < 0.001). Findings demonstrate organizations cannot achieve sustainable brand positioning through digital tactics alone; genuine CSR commitment communicated authentically through environmentally responsible channels proves essential. The research advances theoretical integration while providing actionable frameworks balancing commercial effectiveness with environmental responsibility.