Green Marketing Strategies and Sustainable Purchasing Behaviour: Evidence from FMCG Consumers in North-East Nigeria

Abstract

Sustainable consumption behaviour has attracted increased attention due to rising environmental challenges, including climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. Consequently, achieving circular economy principles requires sustainable purchasing behaviour, even as consumer awareness continues to increase. At the same time, businesses are implementing green marketing strategies to promote sustainable consumption and satisfy environmentally conscious consumers. However, many consumers are still engaging in unsustainable behaviours, and there is a paucity of empirical evidence on the effectiveness of green marketing strategies in the North-East region of Nigeria. Hence, this study explored the influence of six green marketing strategies on sustainable purchasing behaviour in North-East Nigeria. Guided by the Cue Utilisation Theory (CUT), using a quantitative method, a cross-sectional survey design, and a multistage sampling technique, 353 valid responses were recorded from FMCG consumers in the six states of the North-East using a structured questionnaire. The hypothesised relationships were assessed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). As shown by the results, eco-labelling, eco-branding, and eco-packaging have no significant influence on sustainable purchasing behaviour, indicating that in a post-conflict, resource-constrained context characterised by information asymmetry, consumers prioritise salient extrinsic cues over symbolic or cognitively demanding green signals, consistent with CUT’s cue diagnosticity hierarchy. In contrast, green advertising, green placement, and green pricing significantly increase sustainable purchasing behaviour. The findings emphasise that accessibility, affordability, and effective advertising are critical factors shaping sustainable consumption behaviour in the study context. The study contributes context-specific evidence from a post-conflict region and provides useful guidance for policymakers and managers in designing effective green marketing strategies in Nigeria.