Brand Social Sustainability and Consumer Behavior: A Systematic Literature Review and Future Research Agenda

Abstract

The United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) emphasize the integration of environmental, social, and economic sustainability into business operations to foster positive societal impact. While environmental sustainability has been widely studied, social sustainability in consumer behavior remains underexplored, with existing research scattered and fragmented. This gap makes it challenging to extract meaningful insights and develop a cohesive understanding of the field. To address this gap, the paper systematically synthesizes the available literature on the brand social sustainability domain and consumer behavior by reviewing 90 papers published between 2009 and 2024. This study employs the SPAR 4 protocol and TCCM framework to conduct the domain-based systematic literature review. Further, a bibliometric analysis is conducted using R Studio, Biblioshiny, and VOSviewer, along with a systematic thematic analysis. The systematic thematic analysis uncovers five key themes: brand outcomes of social sustainability, artificial intelligence and brand social sustainability, communicating and marketing socially sustainable brands, brand social sustainability in achieving sustainable development, and consumer behavior and perceptions of brand social sustainability. Additionally, content analysis is employed to examine theoretical perspectives, contextual factors, key variables, and methodological approaches, offering valuable insights into the knowledge dimensions of this field. By consolidating fragmented research, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of brand social sustainability and provides a roadmap for future research, ultimately promoting responsible, ethical, and inclusive business practices. The study also suggests theoretical and managerial implications to contribute meaningfully to the domain of brand social sustainability.