MONOGRAPHIC SECTION DECEMBER 2026

Consumer Behaviour, Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability of Brands in the Digital Age
Special issue coordinated by Iza Gigauri, University of Georgia, Tbilisi, (Georgia) and Félix Puime Guillén, Universidade da Coruña (España).

Introduction

Consumer behaviour is influenced by multiple, interrelated factors, including perceived value, pricing, social and environmental concerns, brand perception, and digital marketing campaigns. Beyond these traditional drivers, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and companies’ Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategies are increasingly shaping how consumers evaluate brands and make purchase decisions.

In parallel, digital CSR, digital branding, and digital consumer behaviour have emerged as salient research and managerial trends. These dynamics have been accelerated by recent socio-economic disruptions in the post-pandemic period and by rapid advances in immersive and AI-enabled technologies. Within this evolving landscape, firms can leverage CSR initiatives not only to enhance corporate legitimacy and stakeholder trust, but also to promote more sustainable consumer behaviours. At the same time, brand experience remains central to building customer loyalty, raising important questions about how digitally mediated experiences interact with CSR and sustainability narratives.

Although academic interest has increased in CSR, consumer behaviour, and branding, scarce consideration is devoted to understanding their reciprocal implications. This creates challenges for firms to move towards more sustainable practices and simultaneously stay competitive. Therefore, this Special Issue aims to fill the gap in theory and practice by examining the complex relationships between CSR, branding, and consumer behaviour considering digital transformation and sustainable development.

Objective

CSR is essential for companies to contribute to sustainable development, and new technologies are anticipated to tackle global social, economic, and environmental challenges. This Special Issue intends to examine the role of business companies in achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs) from various perspectives. It focuses on concepts, models, theories, views, and empirical study results, which underline CSR as a tool to implement branding strategies and transform consumer behaviour towards sustainability.

Recommended Topics

• The rise of responsible branding in a hyperconnected world of digital consumers
• Branding, trust, and the new rules of consumer behaviour
• Shaping ethical brands in the digital age through consumer engagement and CSR
• Sustainable branding in Virtual/ Augmented reality
• Digital branding and sustainable consumption
• Digital sustainable branding and corporate social responsibility
• Influence of corporate social responsibility on consumer behaviour
• Sustainability, corporate social responsibility, and digital communication
• Impact of CSR and ESG reporting on digital branding
• Brand digital engagement, CSR, and sustainable consumer behaviour
• Environment, climate change, and energy issues in relation to sustainable branding
• Waste management, CSR, and consumer behaviour
• Global perspectives on digital and sustainable consumer behaviour

Dealine: September 15, 2026

*Redmarka also welcomes miscellaneous papers outside the main theme of the issue.