Variety-Seeking Shopping Behaviours in the Age of Green Content Marketing, Affiliate Marketing, and Shopping Motives: An Agenda for Future Research Using a TCCM Approach

Abstract

In the evolving digital marketplace, consumer behaviour is increasingly shaped by green marketing strategies, particularly in the context of sustainable consumption. This study aims to examine the mechanisms through which green content marketing and green affiliate marketing influence green variety-seeking shopping behaviours, with particular attention to the role of green shopping motives and the effectiveness of marketing strategies. As traditional retail methods face limitations, digital marketing channels provide new avenues to engage consumers through personalized and dynamic content. Using the Theory–Context–Characteristics–Methodology (TCCM) framework, this research systematically examines the existing literature to identify key theories, contexts, characteristics, and methodologies relevant to variety-seeking behaviours towards green products. The study explores the psychological and behavioural drivers behind shopping choices, offering insights into why consumers exhibit variety-seeking behaviour when purchasing green products. The results indicate that effective green content and affiliate marketing drive variety-seeking behaviour in green shopping, with consumer motives serving as a key mediating factor. The conceptual model developed in this study provides a structured understanding of how modern marketing strategies shape consumer preferences and engagement with green products. This study offers a future research agenda and practical implications for marketers and retailers. By understanding these influences, businesses can refine their marketing strategies to strengthen green shopping motives, encourage sustainable consumption over traditional consumption, and adapt to the dynamic retail landscape.

1. Introduction

The worsening global energy crisis and environmental concerns have brought sustainable consumption into sharp focus, making the demand for ‘green’ products a key topic of interest among businesses and consumers alike [1,2]. Green content marketing and affiliate marketing have emerged as pivotal strategies in promoting eco-friendly products and sustainable practices [3,4,5]. As consumer awareness of environmental issues grows, brands leverage green content to communicate their commitment to sustainability [6,7,8], while affiliate partnerships help expand the reach of eco-conscious products, enhancing brand trust and reputation [9,10,11,12] through strategic partnerships that drive traffic and conversions. Furthermore, green affiliate marketing enhances the impact of content marketing by facilitating collaborations between brands and digital content creators, leveraging influencer credibility to boost consumer trust [13,14,15]. Key factors influencing green affiliate marketing include commission structures, affiliate partnerships, traffic generation strategies, and promotional incentives [16,17,18]. This effective content plays a crucial role in shaping consumer decisions, with studies showing that 73% of consumers are willing to pay a premium for environmentally friendly products [19].

Today’s fast-paced digital landscape is pushing organizations towards adopting innovative digital strategies to remain competitive. The internet has revolutionized global commerce, enabling businesses, especially e-retailers, to connect with a worldwide customer base through faster, more reliable transactions. Consequently, digital content has become a vital tool for attracting, engaging, and retaining consumers [20,21]. Content marketing comes into play here, gaining prominence as a strategic approach to fostering long-term customer engagement. Unlike conventional marketing, which prioritizes immediate sales, content marketing focuses on delivering valuable and relevant digital materials to build lasting relationships with consumers [22]. The ‘use and gratification’ (U&G) theory underscores the effectiveness of content marketing, suggesting that consumer engagement is driven by digital media’s ability to fulfil user needs [23]. Furthermore, user-generated content such as images, videos, and testimonials has proven to enhance customer interaction and online sales [24]. Studies indicate that consumers favour educational and entertaining content over disruptive, sales-driven advertisements [25].

Another pivotal strategy in promoting greenness and sustainability is affiliate marketing, which plays a crucial role in driving green shopping [6]. This performance-based model allows advertisers and affiliates to collaborate, with affiliates earning commissions based on successful transactions [26], which minimizes financial risk for advertisers by ensuring payment [27]. Moreover, by simplifying tracking and streamlining payment processes, affiliate marketing has established itself as a sustainable and scalable e-commerce strategy [26]. The integration of content marketing and affiliate marketing can create a powerful synergy, enabling businesses to engage audiences through personalized, value-driven content tailored to specific target audiences. This helps brands establish stronger connections with consumers across diverse platforms by focusing on high-quality, consumer-centric content [28]. Engagement with content encourages consumers to seek out brands, fostering deeper engagement and loyalty [29]. Therefore, it is urgent to assess the effectiveness of content and affiliate marketing strategies in relation to variety-seeking behaviours, which refer to consumers’ inclination to explore and experiment with new products, particularly green products, where shopping motives play a significant role in shaping green variety-seeking behaviours.

This study aims to examine the role of green content marketing and green affiliate marketing as key activities driving green diversity-seeking behaviour. The above-mentioned antecedents of variety-seeking behaviour are drawing the attention of researchers and practitioners across the globe, making it an urgent phenomenon to be examined. By exploring these relationships, the research contributes to a deeper understanding of how modern marketing strategies can effectively engage green-conscious consumers and build their motives differently towards green products in an increasingly dynamic marketplace.

The above research context led to the formulation of the following research problem: “Does the level of green variety-seeking shopping behaviours of consumers stem from a certain level of effective marketing and buying motives?”

In order to achieve the adopted study objective, five research questions are identified in the study, which the authors will try to answer:

RQ1: What are the key theoretical foundations that explain the relationship between effective green marketing strategies and variety-seeking behaviours towards green products?

RQ2: How do content marketing and affiliate marketing drive variety-seeking shopping behaviours of consumers towards green products?

RQ3: Do shopping motives (both online and in-store) mediate the relationship between effective green marketing strategies and green variety-seeking shopping behaviours?

RQ4: What are the contextual factors (such as culture, environmental awareness, or technology adoption) that influence effective green content marketing, affiliate marketing, and shopping motives?

RQ5: What are the implications of the relationships among green content marketing, affiliate marketing, shopping motives, and variety-seeking behaviour for green products?

The article consists of six main sections. The Introduction presents the research problem and objectives. The Literature Review discusses theories and previous research on green marketing and consumer behaviour. The Methodological Section describes the research methods used. The results presented in the paper present empirical data in four categories (theories, trends, characteristics, and approaches). In the Discussion Section, the authors present key empirical patterns and theoretical and managerial implications, also directly addressing the research questions posed. The paper also presents identified research gaps that indicate areas for further research. The paper ends with conclusions that summarize the key findings and their practical significance.

2. Literature Review

2.1. The Role of Green Content Marketing and Green Affiliate Marketing in Shaping Eco-Conscious Consumer Behaviours

Green content marketing (also called environmental content marketing) involves the strategic creation and dissemination of digital content to engage target audiences and enhance brand visibility, while green affiliate marketing focuses on collaborative partnerships that drive traffic and sales through performance-based incentives [30]. High-quality content with strong inbound links significantly boosts SEO rankings, increasing visibility and credibility. Social media platforms serve as major distribution channels, enabling brands to educate, inform, and engage consumers through interactive content [31]. Effective content marketing strategies emphasize brand storytelling, emotional connections, and personalized interactions to foster long-term relationships with eco-conscious consumers [32]. Affiliate marketing in the green product sector operates through various collaborative models that connect traditional and e-businesses with content creators and influencers. By leveraging performance-based models, brands can maximize outreach while minimizing financial risks, ensuring cost-effective marketing efforts. Consumers are increasingly turning to online shopping due to its convenience, accessibility, and broader product selection [33]. It also provides a wider selection of products from various brands and sellers, offering more variety in sizes, colours, and styles [34]. Motivation is central to customer behaviour [35] and plays a key role in retail marketing [36]. Further, Kim et al. (2009) identified motives such as anticipated utility, affiliation, and decision optimization [37]. Other studies categorize motives into service, economic, and social reasons. The effectiveness of green content marketing in driving variety-seeking behaviours lies in its ability to provide diverse, engaging, and informative content that attracts consumers who seek novelty and experimentation. By continuously introducing new product information and sustainability narratives, brands encourage consumers to explore different green product alternatives [38]. The vast amount of online content fosters higher exploratory shopping tendencies, as consumers encounter an abundance of product options and persuasive messaging [39]. Similarly, green affiliate marketing enhances variety-seeking shopping behaviours by exposing consumers to a wider range of products and brands across affiliate networks [26]. Affiliate marketers strategically position eco-friendly products through blogs, reviews, and recommendations, increasing the likelihood of consumer engagement and product trials. Moreover, studies suggest that digital marketing variables—including causal and mediating factors—can act as stimulants in boosting green brand recognition and competitive advantage [40].

Overall, both green content marketing and green affiliate marketing play integral roles in shaping consumer behaviours, increasing product exposure, and encouraging variety-seeking tendencies in the eco-friendly marketplace.

2.2. The Relationship Between Green Content Marketing, Green Affiliate Marketing, and Effective Marketing

Green content marketing and green affiliate marketing complement each other to foster active customer engagement and influence consumer behaviours. Content marketing focuses on creating and distributing relevant, high-quality information to attract and engage target audiences [41]. Furthermore, content marketing plays a crucial role in building long-term customer relationships and trust by providing valuable, educational, and entertaining material that aligns with consumer preferences [42], where psychological factors play an important role in consumer engagement with green content marketing. For example, the fear of missing out (FoMO), a psychological trigger amplified through content marketing, can motivate consumers to explore new options and stay updated with trends [43]. These strategies contribute to an “active marketing” approach, where businesses enhance consumer engagement through gamification, personalized recommendations, and social-media promotions, ultimately stimulating variety-seeking behaviours [27], even if electronic word-of-mouth (E-WoM) moderates the relationship between content marketing and green purchase intentions [44]. Moreover, eco-friendly, entertainment-oriented relevant information leads to stronger brand attitude and purchase intent than non-green content, which varies culturally, highlighting the need for tailored green marketing [45]. This is further supported by the performance-based compensation model of affiliate marketing that allows businesses to minimize financial risk and maximize brand exposure through third-party endorsements [26], where social pressure, moral obligations, and self-identity significantly influence green purchase intentions [46]. Thus, the purchase expenditures of retailer’s loyalty reward members become higher, and over time, consumers are more likely to respond to messages related to healthy benefits than to those related to price [47]. Thereby, consumers act as content co-creators and support using articles and news releases over ads on social media [48] in the green marketing context.

However, affiliate marketers earn commissions by targeting high-loss and vulnerable individuals, which conflicts with harm-reduction goals and involves deceptive tactics where weak regulation, industry scale, and hidden marketing limit oversight and prevention [49]. These unintended consequences significantly influence the evolution of affiliate marketing and should not be overlooked [50], as expanding exposure to green products and encouraging exploratory purchases through social influence boost green purchase intentions. That means, in either way, content marketing and affiliate marketing form a certain level of effective marketing, because the synergy of these two strategies strengthens consumer–brand relationships, drives engagement, and fosters sustainable consumption.

2.3. The Relationship Between Effective Marketing and Variety-Seeking Shopping Behaviours

The internet has emerged as a crucial platform for both networking and commercial transactions, offering consumers unprecedented ease in locating, comparing, and personalizing products. Online shopping has gained popularity due to its ability to eliminate common obstacles of in-store shopping, such as crowding, traffic, and parking limitations [51]. However, hedonic shoppers seek happiness, stress relief, and trends, while utilitarian shoppers prefer traditional markets for quick purchases and lower costs [52]. Both hedonic and utilitarian factors are important predictors of multichannel shopping, where hedonic motivations have more explanatory power for high-level multichannel shopping than for moderate-level multichannel shopping, as compared to non-multichannel shopping [53]. As monetary and nonmonetary promotions offer varying levels of hedonic and utilitarian benefits, impulsive shoppers are price-oriented, while perfectionist and brand-conscious shoppers are advertising-oriented [54]. For high-equity brands, monetary promotions are more effective for utilitarian products than hedonic ones [55]. Furthermore, money savings impact satisfaction, while time and effort savings have no effect on cross-channel shopping satisfaction, which holds true across motivations and product categories [56], creating “smart shoppers.” Additionally, across generations (Gen Z and Gen Y), internet shoppers respond positively to the motivational and attitudinal aspects of online shopping [57]. This behaviour is often influenced by a desire for distinctiveness, where consumers use product choices to express individuality and explore new experiences [58], leading to variety-seeking shopping behaviour.

In the context of green consumerism, willingness to pay and personal norms are identified as predictors of green purchasing behaviours, while attitude has an insignificant direct impact [59]. Consumers’ high level of awareness regarding green marketing practices and products, combined with strong environmental values, significantly influences their preference for green products over conventional alternatives [60]. Campaigns that emphasize peer experiences and dynamic customer interactions can reinforce perceptions of variety, encouraging marketers to use personalized recommendations, interactive displays, and limited-time promotions to boost variety-seeking [61]. Moreover, digital strategies, especially influencer endorsements and interactive social media campaigns, enhance customer engagement and trust [62]. Consumers with less product knowledge are more likely to experiment with new options compared to those who stick with familiar brands [63]. Thus, the aforementioned strategies not only cater to consumers’ need for uniqueness but also enhance their willingness to engage with unfamiliar products [64], shaping variety-seeking tendencies. This makes it an essential area for continued research in consumer behaviours and marketing strategy.

2.4. The Effect of Effective Marketing and Shopping Motives on Variety-Seeking Shopping Behaviours

Effective marketing plays a crucial role in shaping shopping motives and influencing variety-seeking shopping behaviours, particularly in the context of green products. Consumers with high environmental concerns are more likely to support and choose green products, showing a readiness to pay a premium price [65]. This can be enhanced by various green marketing strategies, such as the implementation of closed-loop supply chains, reverse logistics, and eco-labelling [66]. Additionally, cultural influences, particularly collectivism and long-term orientation, significantly impact green purchasing behaviours, while gender moderates the relationship between these determinants and purchase intention [67]. However, much of what is considered “green marketing” often lacks a strong marketing or environmental foundation, leading to misleading strategies such as green spinning, green selling, and compliance marketing [68].

In the context of online shopping, e-commerce platforms capitalize on consumer motivations like escapism, uniqueness, and social engagement to encourage exploratory shopping [69]. Shopping motives like variety-seeking, anonymity, avoiding social interaction, and positive shopping feelings are positively linked to compulsive online buying tendencies [70]. These shopping motivations vary by product type and channel, where online shoppers seek variety, deals, delivery convenience, and gratification [71]. Social media contributes pivotal ingredients for establishing consumer motivation, which, along with subjective norms, play an essential role in positive green purchase intention [72]. Additionally, both utilitarian motivations, influenced by information availability and customized offerings, and hedonic motivation, influenced by adventure, authority, and status, affect purchase intention for green products [73].

Therefore, the alignment of marketing strategies with shopping motives is essential for influencing consumer preferences, brand loyalty, and variety-seeking behaviours by enhancing consumer engagement and product exploration. This can be further enhanced by personalized content marketing that fosters trust and familiarity, reducing variety-seeking tendencies as consumers become more comfortable with recommended products [74]. Simultaneously, affiliate marketing appeals to novelty-seeking consumers by introducing them to a wider range of products and brands, increasing their likelihood of switching brands [75]. Variety-seeking increases when consumers are engaged in self-presentational activities, which heighten their personal identity concerns and encourage them to explore different options [76].

Moreover, consumers demonstrating “fashion-hunting,” “variety-seeking,” “status/recognition-seeking,” and “deal-hunting” behaviours in online shopping make better and more informed purchase decisions based on prior online research and user-generated content shared on social media, portraying the true characteristics of “digital natives” [77,78]. However, it is found that the existence of switching barriers in online shopping lies in technological ease of use, time efficiency, convenience, and variety seeking, and not in consumers’ dissatisfaction [79]. To further the discussion, according to Zaharia (2019), buyers and non-buyers of online retail segments differ with respect to both recreational motives and price orientation, where privacy-related risk aversion does not differentiate buyers from non-buyers of any online retail segment in the context of shopping motives [80].

Therefore, understanding the interplay between effective marketing, shopping motives, and variety-seeking behaviours highlights the need of the hour for both researchers and practitioners. Brands leverage both content-driven engagement and affiliate networks to balance familiarity and novelty, ultimately shaping consumers’ decision-making with green products.

3. Materials and Methods

This study adopts a systematic literature review (SLR) approach using the TCCM framework to analyze and synthesize existing research on green variety-seeking shopping behaviours in the context of green content marketing and green affiliate marketing. Systematic literature reviews have an advantage over traditional literature reviews regarding the identification of all relevant studies addressing any specific research question and their methodology, eliminating data extraction biases [81,82,83]. Drawing on an extensive literature review, the study synthesizes prior knowledge to define the research problem and frame research objectives. The TCCM framework enables a structured review by categorizing prior studies based on the theories applied, research contexts, key characteristics, and methodologies employed. This approach provides a comprehensive understanding of the field and helps identify research gaps.

To ensure rigour and relevance, the study follows a five-step process for literature selection:

Database Selection: Articles were retrieved from Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect, focusing on high-impact journals.

Keyword Strategy: The search used terms such as “Green marketing,” “Green content marketing,” “Green affiliate marketing,” “Online shopping motives,” “Offline shopping motives,” and “Green variety-seeking behaviours”.

Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria: Only peer-reviewed journal articles and conference proceedings published between 2000 and 2024 in the English language were considered. Studies not under the coverage of “management”, “social science”, and “behavioural science”, were excluded. Studies unrelated to green consumer behaviours or lacking adequate evidence were excluded (Figure 1).

Screening and Filtering: Titles, abstracts, and full texts were reviewed for relevance and methodological rigour.

Final Selection: A refined set of 57 studies was analyzed using the TCCM framework.

The selected studies were categorized as follows:

Theories (T): We examined the theoretical foundations underpinning green variety-seeking behaviours, such as Self-Determination Theory (SDT), a comprehensive theory of human motivation developed by Richard M. Ryan and Edward L. Deci. It emphasizes that people are naturally inclined toward growth, integration, and well-being, and that motivation varies in quality—not just quantity. SDT identifies three basic psychological needs that are essential for psychological growth and well-being: autonomy—the need to feel in control of one’s own behaviour and goals; competence—the need to gain mastery of tasks and learn different skills; and relatedness—the need to feel a sense of belonging and attachment to others. When these needs are satisfied, individuals experience more intrinsic motivation, better performance, and greater psychological health. When thwarted, motivation becomes more controlled and less effective [84]. Further, the Stimulus–Organism–Response (SOR) model is a psychological framework that extends the classic behaviourist Stimulus–Response (S-R) model by introducing the organism as a mediating factor. Originally proposed by Woodworth (1918), the model suggests that a stimulus (S) from the environment affects the organism (O), which includes internal processes such as perception, emotion, cognition, and motivation. These internal processes then lead to a response (R)—a behavioural outcome. This model emphasizes that responses are not automatic reactions to stimuli but are shaped by the organism’s internal state, making it especially useful in fields like consumer behaviour, psychology, and tourism [85]. Finally, the Theory of Planned Behaviours (TPB) is a psychological theory developed by Icek Ajzen in 1985 as an extension of the Theory of Reasoned Action. The TPB posits that behavioural intentions are the most immediate predictors of behaviour, and these intentions are shaped by three key factors: attitudes toward the behaviour—the degree to which a person has a favourable or unfavourable evaluation of the behaviour; subjective norms—perceived social pressure to perform or not perform the behaviour; perceived behavioural control—the perceived ease or difficulty of performing the behaviour, which reflects past experience and anticipated obstacles. This model is widely used to predict and understand behaviours in areas such as health, consumer decision-making, environmental actions, and more [86].

Context (C): Research settings, including e-commerce platforms, social media marketing, and online retail ecosystems, were identified.

Characteristics (C): Key variables were explored, such as green content marketing effectiveness, affiliate marketing influence, shopping motives, and sustainability consciousness.

Methodology (M): The research designs used, including qualitative studies (interviews, conceptual papers, and case studies) and quantitative methods (structural equation modelling (SEM), experimental studies, and surveys), were analysed.

Based on the insights from the TCCM analysis, a conceptual framework was developed to illustrate the relationships between green effective marketing strategies, shopping motives, and variety-seeking shopping behaviours. The model outlines how green content and green affiliate marketing stimulate both online and offline consumer engagement, trigger shopping motives, and influence variety-seeking shopping behaviour tendencies.

4. Results

The analysis of the existing literature using the TCCM framework provides critical insights into green product variety-seeking shopping behaviours, particularly in the era of content marketing and affiliate marketing.

4.1. Theoretical Insights

Research on variety-seeking behaviours for green products is primarily grounded in consumer behaviour and marketing theories, such as hedonic consumption theory, shopping motivation theory, brand loyalty theory, E-WOM theory, sequential-choice theory, brand credibility theory, trust theory, risk and incentive theory, content marketing theory, advertising effectiveness theory, cultural dimensions theory, ideal point model, self-presentation theory, the SOR model, the e-commerce framework, social influence theory, sustainable consumption theory, brand familiarity theory, active marketing theory, consumption values theory, digital content marketing theory, social media and loyalty theory, social media marketing theory, decision theory, the technology acceptance model (TAM), cultural values theory, and sustainable branding theory. Studies also incorporate sustainable consumption theory, pro-environmental behaviour theory, and green marketing theory to examine the impacts on green shopping choices. Digital marketing theories, particularly those related to green content marketing and affiliate marketing, are emerging as essential frameworks for understanding how online advertising influences variety-seeking behaviours in sustainable product choices. However, socialization theories and psychological ownership remain underexplored in the context of green shopping.

4.2. Contextual Trends

Most research focuses on e-commerce and digital retail platforms, where green content marketing and green affiliate marketing play a crucial role in shaping consumers’ green product choices. Social media and influencer marketing have gained significant attention, as platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and blogs drive consumer awareness and engagement with sustainable products. However, regional and cross-cultural studies on green product variety-seeking remain limited, despite cultural values influencing sustainable purchasing decisions. While research in Western markets highlights the role of digital strategies in increasing green product adoption, studies on developing economies and diverse consumer segments are scarce. Future research should explore how economic, social, and environmental factors affect variety-seeking in different cultural contexts.

4.3. Characteristics

A central theme in the literature is the impact of digital marketing strategies, particularly content marketing and affiliate marketing, in influencing green variety-seeking behaviours in green products. Key characteristics identified in the framework include the role of green content marketing in engaging content, influencer recommendations, and interactive advertisements, which encourage consumers to explore different green brands and product categories in online and offline contexts. Educational and storytelling-based content strengthens brand-consumer relationships, fostering a greater willingness to experiment with sustainable options. Studies suggest that green affiliate marketing increases purchase intention and brand trust, particularly when promoted through credible sources. Affiliate links provide incentives, such as discounts and personalized recommendations, which enhance exploratory buying behaviours in green product categories. Psychological factors of consumer motivation, such as novelty-seeking, self-expression, and status-driven consumption, influence variety-seeking shopping behaviour with green features. Consumers also switch brands based on perceived product effectiveness, eco-label credibility, and social validation from influencers and peer groups. While some consumers embrace variety-seeking in green products, others hesitate due to uncertainty about product quality, sustainability claims, and higher costs. Green content and green affiliate marketing can reduce perceived risks by offering transparent information, peer reviews, and brand credibility signals.

4.4. Methodological Approaches

The methodological approach highlights that quantitative methods, particularly surveys and SEM, dominate research on green product marketing and variety-seeking behaviours. Experimental studies, including testing of digital marketing strategies, eye-tracking in e-commerce platforms, and neuromarketing techniques, provide valuable insights but remain limited in green product research. There is a lack of qualitative studies exploring consumer motivations, emotional connections to sustainability, and long-term variety-seeking patterns. Additionally, longitudinal studies and real-time digital tracking (e.g., website analytics, social media engagement metrics) are underutilized in measuring the evolving impact of content and affiliate marketing on green product variety-seeking behaviours.

5. Discussion

The TCCM logic illustrates how green content marketing, green affiliate marketing, and consumer motives collectively influence green variety-seeking shopping behaviours, offering insights into how these factors work together to encourage consumer exploration in both online and offline contexts. A conceptual model developed from the TCCM analysis demonstrates that green content marketing and affiliate marketing strategies, when effectively aligned with consumers’ shopping motives, can strongly stimulate exploratory buying behaviours. These strategies can not only engage customers with products featuring green attributes but also reduce perceived risk, enhance credibility, and create emotional connections, thereby encouraging consumers to try new green products or brands.

5.1. Key Empirical Patterns

The TCCM analysis, supported by

Table 1. Overview of key journals and articles cited in the TCCM analysis.

Sl. No.	Journal Name/Conference Theme, Year and Number of Article(s) Published, and Citation of the Concerned Article	Journal Citations/Impact Factor	Relevant Connection and Total Citation
1	Environmental Communication (2017, 1, 25)	3.6	Green content marketing with effective marketing, 3246
2	Publishing Research Quarterly (2012, 1, 850)	1.0 IF
3	Management Science Letters (2020, 1, 93)	1.1
4	Journal of Product and Brand Management (2019, 1, 218)	5.7
5	International Journal of Digital Content Management (2023, 1, 5)	NA
6	Sustainability (2024, 1, 1)	3.3 IF/6.8 CS
7	Computers in Human Behaviours (2013, 1, 740)	9.5
8	Psychology & Marketing (2010, 1, 291)	7.9
9	Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics (2022, 1, 108)	4.6
10	Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing (2018, 1, 895)	9.6
11	Practice of Educational Communications & Technology (2011, 1, 20)	NA
12	Journal of Consumer Marketing (2005, 1, 74)	3.1	Green affiliate marketing with Effective marketing, 4798
13	The Service Industries Journal (2010, 1, 22)	7.5
14	International Journal of Mental Health Addiction (2024, 1, 0)	4.7
15	Journal of Marketing Research (2015, 1, 7)	5.1
16	Journal of Interactive Marketing (2019, 1, 41)	10.0
17	International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management (2007, 1, 251)	5.5
18	Family and Consumer Sciences Research Journal (2009, 1, 17)	1.4
19	ICEMT 2010—2010 International Conference on Education and Management Technology, Proceedings (2010, 1, 21)	NA
20	Journal of Retailing (2003, 1, 1585)	9.1
21	Online Information Review (2012, 1, 209)	3.3
22	Journal of Business Research (2017, 1, 75)	11.2
23	Journal of Retailing (2001,2015, 2, 322, 2174)	9.1
24	Sustainability (2023, 1, 80)	3.6	Effective marketing with green shopping motives, 1159
25	Journal of Cleaner Production (2017, 2021, 2, 510, 96)	9.8
26	Marketing Science (2011, 1, 58)	5.4
27	Marketing Intelligence and Planning (2017, 1, 324)	4.2
28	Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal (2005, 1, 89)	2.1
29	Asian Journal of Business Research (2024, 1, 0)	1.49
30	6th International Conference on HCI in Business, Government, and Organizations, HCIBGO (2019, 1, 2)	NA
31	Psychology and Marketing (2023, 1, 2)	7.9	Green shopping motives with variety-seeking shopping behaviour, 1103
32	Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services (2016, 1, 307)	11.2
33	Journal of Retailing (2009, 1, 148)	9.1
34	Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management (2023, 1, 9)	3.1
35	Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing (2018, 1, 48)	9.6
36	Journal of Cleaner Production (2012, 1, 589)	10.2
37	Telematics and Informatics (2015, 1, 43)	8.2	Effective marketing with variety-seeking shopping behaviour, 3163
38	Journal of Marketing (2000, 1, 964)	15.0
39	Journal of Marketing Research (2013, 2020, 2, 108, 52)	7.4
40	Direct Marketing: An International Journal (2008, 1, 189)	10.0
41	Journal of Consumer Marketing (2015, 1, 1003)	3.1
42	Electronic Green Journal (2014, 1, 188)	0.29
43	Journal of Consumer Research (2000, 2021, 2, 249, 0)	10.5
44	International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management (2022, 1, 47)	5.5 IF/8.6 CS
45	Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics (2020, 1, 17)	4.6
46	Journal of Interactive Marketing (2019, 1, 94)	10.0
47	Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services (2015, 1, 139)	11.2
48	Journal of Interactive Marketing (2022, 1, 0)	10.0
49	Journal of Marketing Channels (2009, 1, 70)	3.8

Note: Within brackets—the year of publication of the study in the concerned journal, the number of articles published in that particular journal, and the citations of that article. Source: Compiled by the authors of this study.

and Figure 2, reinforces the interdependence between green marketing strategies, green shopping motives, and variety-seeking shopping behaviours. Table 1 shows the name of the journal, their citations and/or impact factor, whichever is applicable to the concerned journal, and the citation total (calculated by taking all relevant articles under every connection). The results of the TCCM framework clearly show that a majority of the most cited articles stem from reputable journals, with high concentrations in journals like the Journal of Retailing, Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of Interactive Marketing, and Journal of Cleaner Production. These outlets have repeatedly focused on the aforementioned interdependence, though less in the green context, signalling that existing academic relevance and evolving scholarly interest should increasingly address the nexus of green marketing, green shopping motives, and variety-seeking shopping behaviour.

The TCCM review analysis (Table 1) indicates that a wide range of journals spanning green marketing, consumer research, sustainability, and content and affiliate marketing have published articles relevant to the topic. The Journal of Retailing leads with the highest number of publications (four articles), followed by the Journal of Marketing Research and Journal of Interactive Marketing with three studies each; Journal of Consumer Research and the Journal of Cleaner Production with two articles each; and other notable journals contributed a single article each. The diversity of publication years (2000 to 2024) reflects a sustained academic interest in green marketing in connection with variety-seeking behaviour and shopping motives over the decades. This table highlights not only the spread of contributions across journals but also the interdisciplinary nature of the topic, drawing from psychology, digital marketing, and environmental sustainability domains.

5.2. Theoretical and Managerial Implications

Logically forwarding the above discussions along with Table 1, it can be inferred that conceptual/theoretical clarity is explored with five key conceptual connections, aiming to total the number of citations per category. The analysis reveals that the connections of ‘green affiliate marketing’ with ‘effective marketing’ and ‘green content marketing’ with ‘effective marketing’ have attracted the highest academic attention, accumulating a total of 4798 and 3246 citations, respectively, indicating a robust scholarly foundation. These are followed by the literature exploring the link between ‘effective marketing’ and ‘variety-seeking shopping behaviour’, and ‘effective marketing’ and ‘green shopping motives’, with 3163 and 1159 citations, respectively. These facts underscore the growing relevance of sustainable promotional strategies. Comparatively, the connection involving ‘green shopping motive’ and ‘variety-seeking shopping behaviour’ (1103 citations) appears to be less explored as compared to others, suggesting potential gaps for future researchers. Table 1 further shows the extent of academic engagement with each theoretical linkage and identifies well-researched areas versus emerging or underdeveloped themes in variety-seeking purchasing behaviour in green marketing.

The logical outcome emerging from this review is that green content marketing serves as a catalyst for curiosity, novelty, and trust-building by offering immersive, relevant, and educational content that sparks consumers’ motives in both online and offline shopping contexts. Simultaneously, green affiliate marketing, facilitated by trusted influencers and platforms, incentivizes product exploration with personalized suggestions, peer validation, and monetary incentives such as discounts and cashbacks. The TCCM analysis (

Table A1. TCCM framework, organizing existing literature based on key research elements.

Study	Theory	Context	Characteristics	Methodology
Agrawal (2022) [78]	Consumer behaviour theory; generational cohort theory	Online shopping behaviour differences between Generation Y and Z consumers	Examines motivations, perceived risk, and technological affinity influencing shopping patterns	Experimental, Logistic regressions
Agrawal (2023) [77]	Digital marketing theory; consumer decision-making theory	Online apparel shopping behaviour of Generation Y consumers	Focuses the impact of digital content dissemination and social media engagement on online apparel	Mixed-method approach
Al-Gasawneh & Al-Adamat (2020) [44]	e-WOM theory	Green marketing; online shopping	Mediating role of e-WOM in content marketing and purchase intention	Structural equation modelling (SEM)
Ariely & Levav (2000) [58]	Sequential choice theory	Group decision-making	Effects of group influence on variety-seeking Behaviours	Experimental study
Baek, Kim, & Yu (2010) [39]	Brand credibility and prestige theory	Brand choice	Differentiation of brand credibility and prestige in influencing choices	Empirical study
Berger & Iyengar (2013) [64]	Customization and consumer behaviours	Digital marketing	Impact of personalization on variety-seeking behaviours	Experimental Study
Bhatia & Jain (2014) [60]	Green marketing theory	Indian consumer market	Consumer perception and preferences toward green products	Survey-based research
Bleier & Eisenbeiss (2015) [41]	Trust theory	Online advertising	Impact of trust on personalized online advertising	Empirical study
Byrum (2017) [48]	Web communication using media richness theory; public relations Theory	Social media, media format, corporate social responsibility, environmental purchasing, and green marketing	addresses the use of message carriers to convey corporate social responsibility information to promote eco-purchasing involvement.	Empirical study
Chaffey & Ellis-Chadwick (2019) [18]	Digital marketing strategy	Online retail	Strategies for digital marketing implementation	Conceptual framework
Chandon et al. (2000) [55]	Benefit congruency framework	Sales promotion in general marketing contexts	Focus on utilitarian and hedonic motivations for promotions	Conceptual and empirical studies
Chen & Chou (2012) [35]	Fairness theory	Continuance intentions, fairness, trust, consumer, and B2C online shopping	Integrating fairness theory with the trust concept to construct a model for investigating consumers’ continuance intentions toward online shopping.	Qualitative research
Childers et al. (2001) [69]	Hedonic and utilitarian shopping motivations	Online retail	Factors influencing online shopping motivations	Survey, Regression analysis
Dangelico & Vocalelli (2017) [66]	Green marketing strategy	Sustainable consumption	Definitions and strategic steps in green marketing	Systematic literature review
Duffy (2005) [26]	Affiliate marketing model	Digital commerce	Role of affiliate marketing in driving online sales, Successful long-term relationship	Conceptual and empirical study
Edelman & Brandi (2015) [27]	Risk and incentive theory	Online affiliate marketing, online marketing, and affiliate sales	Role of risk, incentives, and information in online marketing	Quantitative analysis
Evangelista et al. (2020) [52]	Switching barrier theory in online loyalty	Asian online consumer loyalty under dissatisfaction	Importance of switching barriers to explain loyalty	Quantitative surveys and logistic regression analysis
Flavián et al. (2019) [56]	Webrooming and consumer satisfaction theory	Webrooming behaviour	Emotional influences like consumer confidence and feeling	Survey-based research and structural equation modelling
Goldfarb & Tucker (2011) [75]	Advertising effectiveness theory	Online display advertising	Targeting vs. obtrusiveness in digital advertising	Experimental and survey-based
Haridasan & Fernando (2018) [71]	Means–end theory	Online/in-store shopping, hedonic/utilitarian products, laddering, and hierarchical virtual map	comparing online and in-store shoppers motivations based on product type	Content analysis, means-end approach
Hing et al. (2024) [49]	Revenue share model	Gambling harm, problem gambling, wagering, marketing, affiliate tipsters, and influencers	the key features of wagering affiliate marketing and how it may increase the risk of gambling harm.	Mixed research methods
Halligan & Shah (2010) [29]	Inbound marketing model	Social media and SEO	Strategies for attracting consumers using digital tools	Case studies and conceptual framework
Ivkovic & Milanov (2010) [30]	Affiliate marketing framework	Internet marketing	Analysis of affiliate marketing applications	Case study analysis
Jeong et al. (2023) [76]	Self-presentation theory	Social media, e-commerce	Influence of social media and variety-seeking behaviours	Online behavioural study (laboratory studies and content analysis)
Kamalul Ariffin et al. (2018) [33]	Stimulus–Organism–Response (SOR)	Online consumer behaviour, online shopping, security, and e-commerce	examining the relationship between six factors of consumers’ perceived risk and consumers’ online purchase intentions.	Empirical study
Kim, Kim, & Kang (2009) [37]	Shopping motivation theory	Teen consumers	Effects of loneliness and media usage on mall shopping motivation	Empirical study
Kukar-Kinney et al. (2009) [70]	Compulsive-buying theory	Consumer tendencies, shopping motivations, compulsive buying, and internet	examining how consumers’ preferences to shop and buy on the internet rather than at brick-and-mortar stores differ depending on their compulsive buying tendencies.	Empirical study
Kumar & Pandey (2023) [72]	Social influence theory	Green consumption behaviours	Impact of social media motivations on green shopping	Empirical study
Kumar & Yadav (2021) [73]	Sustainable consumption theory	Green apparel	Influence of shopping motivation on sustainable consumption	Empirical study
Kwon & Jain (2009) [53]	Variety-seeking behaviour with hedonic and utilitarian motivations	Multichannel and nontraditional retail formats	Influence of variety-seeking, hedonic, and utilitarian motives on multichannel shopping	Survey-based quantitative analysis
Lee, Park, & Kim (2021) [63]	Active marketing theory	Consumer expertise	Moderating role of expertise in active marketing and variety-seeking	Experimental study
Lim & Cham (2015) [57]	Internet shopping behaviour theory	Internet shoppers across nine different countries	Profiling internet shoppers based on demographics and shopping patterns	Cross-national survey study
Lin & Huang (2012) [65]	Consumption values theory	Green product choice	Factors influencing green product choices	Survey-based study
Lou, Xie, Feng, & Kim (2019) [42]	Branded content marketing	Brand building	Role of non-hard-sell content in marketing	Empirical study
Lu & Miller (2019) [47]	Social media and loyalty theory	Green retail sales	How social media and customer loyalty influence green retail purchases	Empirical study
Mariussen et al. (2010) [50]	Complexity theory	Network, affiliate marketing, and unintended consequences	Investigating unintended consequences in the evolution of affiliate marketing networks in tourism distribution.	Qualitative content analysis
Martinez, Johnson, & Brown (2022) [62]	Social media marketing theory	Variety-seeking behaviours	Impact of social media on variety-seeking Behaviours	Cross-category analysis
Mohd Suki, Ramayah & Mohd Suki (2008) [51]	Technology acceptance model (TAM)	Internet shopping	Investigates intrinsic and extrinsic motivations in online shopping	Empirical study
Moser (2015) [59]	Pro-environmental behaviours theory	Green consumer behaviours	Identifies drivers of pro-environmental purchasing Behaviours	Survey and quantitative analysis
Mozaffari & Ranjpoor (2023) [40]	Digital content engagement	Digital content marketing, green marketing, and social media	Impact of digital content marketing on brand loyalty	Mixed-methods approach (exploratory, qualitative, meta synthesis)
Nabivi (2024) [45]	Self-congruence theory	Green marketing; sustainability; social media; consumer behaviour	Exploring how eco-friendly social media posts influence consumer perceptions and behaviours, specifically regarding informativeness, entertainment, perceived relevance, brand attitude, purchase intention, and word of mouth	Empirical study
Nguyen, Lobo & Greenland (2017) [67]	Cultural values theory	Green purchase behaviours	Examines cultural values influencing green purchases	Survey-based research
Odden (2012) [25]	Digital marketing framework	SEO, social media, and Content Marketing	Discusses strategies for integrating SEO and social media	Conceptual study
Pappas (2016) [74]	Consumer trust and risk perception	Online buying behaviours	Analyses marketing strategies, perceived risks, and trust in e-commerce	Empirical study
Peattie & Crane (2005) [68]	Green marketing theory	Sustainable consumerism	Critically examines green marketing and its myths	Qualitative research
Przybylski et al. (2013) [43]	Fear-of-missing-out (FoMO) theory	Digital consumer behaviours	Studies motivational and emotional aspects of (FoMO) in online Behaviours	Experimental and survey-based study
Pulizzi (2012) [38]	Storytelling marketing	Content marketing	Highlights the importance of storytelling in digital marketing	Case study and conceptual analysis
Rezaei (2015) [54]	Consumer decision-making styles (CDMS) framework	Retail and consumer services market segmentation	Segmentation based on decision-making styles using PLS modelling	Partial least squares (PLS) path modelling approach
Smith et al. (2020) [61]	Theory of Planned Behaviours (TPB)	Green consumer Behaviours	Examines how attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control influence variety-seeking in green products	Survey-based, SEM
Sun, Li, & Wang (2022) [46]	Consumer intent theory	Green product purchase intention	Consumers’ motivations for purchasing green products	Empirical study
Swani & Milne (2017) [32]	Social media engagement	Facebook brand content	Factors affecting popularity of brand content on social media	Empirical study
Thompson et al. (2011) [31]	Kaplan & Haenlein’s taxonomy, learning participation styles framework, disciplinary learning framework	Social networking sites; content communities	Discusses informal learning among teenagers and young adults engaging with social media platforms	Conceptual analysis
Wagner (2007) [36]	Means–end chain analysis	Retail and shopping motivation	Revisiting shopping motivation through means-end analysis	Empirical study
Widyastuti et al. (2024) [79]	Switching barrier theory in online loyalty	Asian online consumer loyalty under dissatisfaction	Importance of switching barriers to explain loyalty	Quantitative surveys and logistic regression analysis
Wolfinbarger & Gilly (2003) [34]	Retail quality framework	Online retailing	Measuring and predicting e-tail service quality	Empirical study
Zaharia (2019) [80]	Shopping motivation theory	Germany’s online retail segments	Exploratory behaviour in diverse online product categories	Qualitative Secondary data analysis

) supports the trend that highly cited studies show a strong focus on how effective marketing techniques interact with green shopping motives and variety-seeking behaviours. Additionally, the TCCM analysis predicts that when marketers understand consumer motivations such as novelty-seeking, social validation, or environmental consciousness, they can develop tailored marketing interventions that are more likely to drive exploratory behaviour. This synergy can enhance both the reach and impact of marketing campaigns for products with green features, encouraging long-term engagement with sustainable consumption of green products.

Table A1 offers a synthesis of the literature categorized by the TCCM framework, reviewing relevant articles under five key connections among ‘theory’, ‘context’, ‘characteristics’, and ‘methodology’. Most of the reviewed studies were accomplished with experimental or empirical approaches, highlighting the lack of qualitative approaches that are most needed to connect green marketing strategies with green shopping motives and variety-seeking shopping behaviour. This logical outcome can be further justified by the argument that consumers’ favourable decision-making for green features is mostly based on judgmental dimensions.

Going one step further with the TCCM framework, it is explored that the green marketing context (with content marketing and affiliate marketing) is considered by researchers with lesser intensity to connect effective marketing for green products with shopping motives and variety-seeking shopping behaviour towards products with green features. Logically combining the above two outcomes, it can be suggested that qualitative approaches like in-depth interviews, projective techniques, and ethnography should be embraced by both researchers and practitioners in a green-conscious scenario. The TCCM analysis also identified a gap in existing studies related to consumers’ socialization theories and socialization resources theory. If examined in connection with green-ness or sustainability, both academicians and practitioners can achieve a synergy of knowledge and profit.

Referring literally to the defined research problems:

RQ1: Studies that explain the relationship between effective green marketing strategies and variety-seeking behaviours towards green products are based on a wide range of theories, such as hedonic consumption theory, purchase motivation theory, brand loyalty theory, brand credibility theory, risk and incentive theory, content marketing theory, social influence theory, consumption values theory, the TAM, and sustainability theory. These theories explain how effective marketing can influence consumers’ exploratory behaviour toward green products.

RQ2: Content marketing (e.g., storytelling, education) and affiliate marketing (e.g., influencer recommendations, discounts) increase consumer engagement and encourage them to experiment with different brands and categories of green products, thus driving the variety-seeking shopping behaviours of consumers towards green products. Both content marketing and affiliate marketing increase purchase intentions and brand trust.

RQ3: Shopping motives—both online and in-store—mediate the relationship between effective marketing strategies and green variety-seeking shopping behaviour. Utility factors, such as the need for novelty, self-sufficiency, and status consumption, influence green product purchase decisions.

RQ4: Factors such as culture, environmental awareness, and technology adoption levels affect content and affiliate marketing effectiveness and purchase motivations. Cross-cultural research is limited, even though cultural values strongly determine purchase decisions.

RQ5: Understanding the relationships between marketing, purchase motivations, and exploratory behaviour allows companies to better design marketing strategies that reduce consumer perceived risk, increase brand credibility, and build emotional bonds. This, in turn, promotes greater openness to experimenting with green products.

6. Research Gaps and Future Directions

Based on an extensive literature review, this conceptual model (Figure 3) is developed to provide a comprehensive theoretical framework for understanding the interaction of various marketing strategies, especially promotional strategies or interactive marketing strategies with consumer behaviours. The directional linkages offer significant scope for future researchers to empirically justify the proposed model. Future research should focus on cross-cultural comparisons of variety-seeking behaviour in green shopping, as cultural values, economic conditions, and regulatory frameworks influence consumer choices. Understanding how different regions respond to green content and green affiliate marketing strategies can help marketers tailor their approaches to diverse consumer segments. Additionally, long-term consumer behaviour analysis is essential to determine the sustainability of variety-seeking habits in green shopping. Incorporating longitudinal studies and real-world consumer data tracking can provide insights into how green content and green affiliate marketing influence purchasing patterns over time.

Moreover, it is suggested that psychological factors such as psychological ownership, habit formation, and emotional attachment remain underexplored in the context of green shopping behaviour. While novelty-seeking and brand switching are widely discussed, a deeper understanding of how these psychological mechanisms shape consumer engagement with sustainable products is needed. Finally, emerging digital marketing innovations—such as AI-driven marketing, personalized affiliate strategies, and blockchain-based sustainability tracking—should be examined to assess their impact on variety-seeking behaviour in green shopping. As technology continues to evolve, these innovations may redefine how consumers explore and adopt green products, making it crucial to study their effectiveness in driving sustainable consumption.

7. Conclusions

The TCCM framework emphasizes the growing influence of content marketing and affiliate marketing on shaping the behaviour of seeking diversity in the group of products with ecological features. The influence of external factors, such as marketing strategies, on consumer decisions in the area of variety-seeking behaviour has been demonstrated, among others, by Zhang (2022). Zhang emphasized that dynamic and diverse marketing content (e.g., in content marketing) can stimulate the need for variety in purchases [87]. However, the research conducted in this article confirms that these conclusions can be extended—as indicated—to ecological products promoted using green content marketing and green affiliate marketing. The obtained results are partly consistent with the conclusions of Liu, Zheng, and Chen (2015), who, analyzing how the size and structure of the choice set affect consumer behaviour, showed, among other things, that a diversified online shopping environment, often created by content marketing and affiliations, can increase the consumers’ tendency to seek variety—also in the case of ecological products [88].

Companies can direct their customers towards products with green features by reducing perceived risk, increasing credibility and building emotional bonds with customers. Emotional bonds, resulting from customer satisfaction and trust in the company or brand, are particularly important for the effectiveness of green marketing [89]. These goals can also be achieved by disseminating accurate and up-to-date information about the pros and cons of green products and by educating customers about the importance of a sustainable approach to consumption.

While research highlights digital engagement, sustainability awareness, and psychological motivations as key drivers, gaps remain in cross-cultural studies, psychological factors, and long-term consumer behaviour tracking for business and social sustainability. Addressing these gaps will offer deeper insights into how marketing strategies can foster consumer choices in the sustainability context while managing consumers’ variety-seeking behaviours towards green shopping products.

8. Limitations

The main limitation of this study is that the inferences are drawn logically, not empirically. So, an excellent future research direction would be testing the directional relationships in Figure 3 as hypotheses in order to provide in-depth insight into the nomological network of constructs in Figure 3, which is lacking in the TCCM framework [90]. Further, this paper considered studies conducted in the last 24 years, particularly in the management and social science fields, which is another limitation of this work. So, the scope of similar future studies can be enhanced by incorporating a wider range of studies from other disciplines. Furthermore, more qualitative studies connected to consumer socialization theories can provide deeper insight into green marketing.