<![CDATA[Purpose: This study examines the effects of digital marketing strategies–mobile marketing, gamification, customer reviews, and fintech–on ethical consumption, with particular emphasis on the mediating role of customer resistance. Research Methodology: A mixed-methods approach combining quantitative and qualitative techniques was employed. The quantitative phase involved survey data collected from 200 consumers of MSME-based digital businesses, while the qualitative phase included 15 in-depth interviews with consumers and MSME practitioners. A mediation analysis was conducted to assess the indirect effects of digital marketing strategies on ethical consumption through customer resistance, and qualitative findings were used to support triangulation and strengthen the interpretation. Results: The findings reveal that digital marketing strategies influence ethical consumption primarily through indirect mechanisms. Fintech does not exert a significant direct effect on ethical consumption; however, its impact becomes significant when it is mediated by customer resistance. These results indicate that ethical consumption is driven more by consumers’ cognitive and affective evaluations than by technological convenience alone Conclusions: Drawing on the Stimulus–organism–response (S-O-R) theory, this study concludes that customer resistance serves as a constructive psychological mechanism that transforms digital marketing stimuli into ethical consumption behavior within MSME digital ecosystems. Limitations: This study is limited by its cross-sectional design, focus on Indonesian digitally oriented MSMEs, and a sample that may not fully represent consumer diversity across regions and sectors. Contributions: This study reconceptualizes customer resistance as a key mediating mechanism in ethical consumption and clarifies the indirect role of fintech in consumers’ psychological evaluation processes.]]>
