Determining the perception level of sustainable marketing activities: A field study on generation Z and generation Alpha

This study aims to identify differences in perception of sustainable marketing activities (SPFA) between Generations Z and Alpha, as well as the factors influencing this perception. By revealing these generations' perception levels and the factors influencing them, the study aims to contribute to academic literature and provide businesses with guidance on developing generation-specific marketing strategies. The study assumes that Generation Z and Generation Alpha have different perceptions of sustainable marketing activities due to generational differences and exposure to different socio-cultural and technological developments. This study's analyses were conducted using survey data collected from 444 Turkish participants between the ages of 12 and 24 who belong to the Alpha and Z generations. The analyses revealed that personality traits (PT) had a statistically significant impact on the SPFAD (p<0.001). Personality traits were found to explain approximately 40.5% of the variance in perceived marketing activities and 43% of the variance in sustainable product purchase intention (SUSAN). Overall, the results show that individuals with high levels of conscientiousness and agreeableness are more sensitive to sustainability activities. Significant differences in SPFAD levels were found among the age groups (p = 0.002). The 12–17 age group (Generation Alpha) had the highest mean SPFAD level (3.47), while the 18–20 age group had the lowest. Additionally, single participants had higher SPFAD levels (mean = 3.50) than married participants (mean = 3.22). A significant relationship was found between SPFAD and SUSAN (F = 161.77; p < 0.05). However, participants' positive attitudes toward sustainability are limited in terms of price sensitivity and brand loyalty. Gender and income level were found to have no significant effect on SPFAD. This study fills a gap in marketing literature by providing field research on Generation Alpha and offering a unique comparative analysis of young generations' perceptions of sustainability based on personality traits.