사회적 지속 가능성 표현 광고가 도시 브랜드 태도 및 행동 의도에 미치는 영향: 중국의 Z세대와 Z세대 이전 세대 비교

This study investigates the effects of social sustainability-themed city brand advertising on the city brand attitudes and behavioral intentions of Generation Z and pre-Z generation consumers in China through an experimental design. Based on generational theory and life-span development theory, the study hypothesizes that the pre-Z generation would exhibit greater concern for social sustainability issues and show more favorable brand attitudes and behavioral intentions toward social sustainability advertising compared to Generation Z. Data were collected from 1,200 participants in Harbin, China, equally divided between the two generational groups. The results indicate that the pre-Z generation demonstrated significantly higher levels of interest in social sustainability, along with more positive city brand attitudes and stronger behavioral intentions than Generation Z. Furthermore, no significant differences were found within each generational group in response to different social sustainability advertising themes, suggesting generational homogeneity in the perception of social issues. Theoretically, this study extends research on consumer responses to social sustainability by applying the Perceived Social Sustainability of Brands (PSSB) framework to the context of city branding. Practically, it highlights the need for differentiated advertising communication strategies that consider generational differences when developing city brand strategies. Limitations include the focus on a single city, and future research should explore broader regional and generational comparisons to validate the generalizability and specificity of social sustainability advertising strategies.