New Trends and Patterns in Consumer Behavior and Sustainable Marketing Strategies

Dear Colleagues,

We are delighted to extend an invitation to you for the upcoming Special Issue of Sustainability, entitled "New Trends and Patterns in Consumer Behavior and Sustainable Marketing Strategies".

Sustainability is a pervasive force, influencing various facets of different organizations. The evolution towards sustainable business models is reshaping the landscape of commerce. The formulation and implementation of marketing strategies play pivotal roles in this transformation, serving as central aspects of both marketing practice and academic pedagogy. Marketing strategy holds significance in explaining firm performance within marketing theory and remains a focal point for academic exploration.

While the research interest in strategic marketing has grown, particularly in areas crucial for understanding the long-term performance of products, brands, strategic business units, and firms, there is a need to discern the extent to which these research areas converge with marketing strategy—the core construct in strategic marketing.

The study of consumer behavior is gaining prominence due to the proliferation of new trends and patterns associated with evolving technologies. Consumer-oriented research has taken dual approaches, delving into psychological characteristics, demographics, and shopping motivations and orientations, alongside the examination of technical aspects such as online store specifications, payment methods, information accessibility, usage intentions, and ease of use. Despite their non-contradictory nature, there is a scarcity of research amalgamating both perspectives and a dearth of studies combining marketing strategy with consumer behavior.

Hence, the aim of this Special Issue is to provide a platform for researchers to use when delving into the interplay between marketing strategy and consumer behavior from a sustainability perspective. Our objective is to deepen the understanding of recent advancements, identify emerging trends, and disseminate the latest research findings. Ultimately, this endeavor seeks to assist managers and marketers in operating effectively and sustainably.

We welcome original research articles and reviews in diverse research areas, including, but not limited to, the following inquiries:

• What organizational structures facilitate the development of sustainable marketing strategies that adapt to changing customer and firm needs?
• Which optimal set of sustainable marketing strategies yields favorable outcomes amid competing priorities and diverse internal and external stakeholders?
• How can sustainable marketing strategies be formulated and implemented to enhance customer centricity and engagement?
• What digital marketing strategies can assist firms to achieve their sustainability objectives?
• What barriers exist in the adoption of sustainable marketing strategies?
• What attitudes do consumers hold toward sustainable consumption?
• What are the actual behaviors of consumers, and how do they evolve over time?
• Which combination of personal characteristics and new technical aspects result in new patterns of customer behavior?
• How effective are various marketing strategies in stimulating different consumer attitudes and behaviors?

We eagerly await your valuable contributions to this special issue.

Prof. Dr. Concepción Varela-Neira
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• marketing strategy
• customer behavior
• digital technologies
• sustainable strategies