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This study explores the contribution of social media to food waste reduction among hospitality customers as part of the global net zero emissions agenda. It does this by using the Stimulus–Organism–Response (SOR) model to examine how social media food waste reduction promotion affects hospitality customer food waste intentions, mediated by social media-driven environmental motivation and sustainability-driven customer happiness. Moreover, gratitude towards food waste initiatives moderates these effects such that motivation and emotional satisfaction are more strongly associated with sustainable behaviors. We find that social media campaigns can effectively elicit cognitive and emotional engagement, which in turn strengthens food waste reduction intentions, using data from 404 hospitality customers in China. Furthermore, the study extends the SOR model to sustainability and consumer behavior literature and provides practical guidance for hospitality businesses to harness social media in engaging customers in sustainability efforts. Organizations can enhance the effectiveness of their environmental campaigns by using emotionally resonant messages and highlighting gratitude. Filling important gaps, this research explores mechanisms driving sustainable behaviors in line with strategies to achieve net zero emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Applying behavioral reasoning theory, this study examines the effect of social media food waste advertising on consumers' intention not to waste food, with customer–brand communal engagement and awareness of food waste consequences acting as mediators, and fast-food customers' altruism as a moderator. Structural equation modeling was applied to data from 422 customers of Malaysian retail fast-food chains. The findings reveal that social media food waste advertising positively affects customers' intentions not to waste food directly and indirectly through two mediators: awareness of food waste consequences and customer–brand communal engagement. The stronger mediator was awareness, and it indicated that cognitive factors play a greater role in pro-environmental behaviors than emotional ones. Additionally, this study demonstrates that customer altruism moderates the cognitive pathway but not the emotional pathway. The results of these findings suggest that social media campaigns should focus on both cognitive and emotional dimensions as well as personal value to maximize effectiveness. The findings have implications for fast-food chains to design more effective social media campaigns that promote food waste reduction as part of broader sustainability goals in the food industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]