Digital advertising attributes, Muslim consumers’ attitude and purchase intention toward dairy products: the moderating role of health consciousness

Purpose This study aims to examine the influence of nutritional information, clarity, consistency, competitiveness, credibility and type of digital media on Muslim consumers’ attitudes toward digital advertising in Saudi Arabia. It further explores the moderating role of health consciousness and the direct impact of attitudes toward digital advertising on purchase intention for dairy products. Design/methodology/approach The research integrates the 4Cs Marketing Communication Model with the Stimulus–Organism–Response (SOR) framework. A quantitative design was used using a self-administered online survey, with data collected from 377 dairy consumers in Saudi Arabia. Hypotheses were tested using SmartPLS structural equation modeling. Findings The results reveal that nutritional information, consistency, competitiveness, credibility and type of digital media significantly shape consumer attitudes toward digital advertising, whereas clarity does not. Health consciousness was found to strengthen the effects of clarity, consistency and competitiveness on attitudes. Moreover, attitudes toward digital advertising significantly predict purchase intention for dairy products. Research limitations/implications The study is limited to dairy products in Saudi Arabia and uses a cross-sectional design. Future research could extend the framework across different industries, cultural settings and longitudinal studies to enhance generalizability. Practical implications The findings suggest that dairy companies should emphasize nutritional information, ensure message consistency and maintain credibility in digital campaigns. Highlighting competitive advantages and using diverse digital media platforms can further strengthen consumer attitudes and purchase intentions, particularly among health-conscious consumers. Originality/value This study advances Islamic marketing research by integrating the 4Cs and SOR models into a unified framework to explain Muslim consumers’ responses to digital advertising. By incorporating nutritional information and health consciousness, it provides new theoretical insights and practical guidance for developing consumer-centric, ethically aligned digital marketing strategies in Islamic markets.