When will consumers be ready? A psychological perspective on consumer engagement in social media brand communities

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 704-724 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linlin Liu ◽  
Renjing Liu ◽  
Matthew Lee ◽  
Jiawen Chen
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Brand Loyalty ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Brand Community ◽  
Consumer Engagement ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Brand Communities ◽  
Engagement Theory ◽  
Community Identification ◽  
Personal Engagement

Purpose The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to explain whether consumer engagement in social media brand communities (SMBCs) motivates consumer brand loyalty; and second, to explore the antecedents of consumer engagement by developing a model based on personal engagement theory. Design/methodology/approach Online survey data from 279 brand community members of Weibo (one of the most popular social media websites in China) were used to test the proposed model. Structural equation modeling with partial least squares was performed to test both the measurement model and the structural model. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis was conducted to examine the interaction effects. Findings The findings show that three factors, namely, recognition, community identification and self-efficacy, had significant positive effects on consumer engagement in SMBCs, which consequently enhanced brand loyalty. Self-efficacy moderated the effects of both community identification and recognition on consumer engagement. The impacts of three factors on consumer engagement are contingent upon the type of SMBCs. Originality/value This study extends and advances the literature on consumer engagement by explaining consumer engagement in SMBCs from a new theoretical lens. This study also enriches personal engagement theory by investigating the effects of the interaction between different conditions of engagement. In addition, this study contributes to brand loyalty literature by providing empirical evidence of the impact of consumer engagement on brand loyalty. Finally, this study contributes to the online brand community study by introducing personal engagement theory into SMBC context, and examining the moderating role of SMBC types.

The group matters: examining the effect of group characteristics in online brand communities

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Junyun Liao ◽  
Lu Wang ◽  
Minxue Huang ◽  
Defeng Yang ◽  
Haiying Wei
Keyword(s):  
Brand Loyalty ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Brand Community ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Brand Communities ◽  
Similarity Group ◽  
Community Identification ◽  
Group Involvement ◽  
Group Characteristics ◽  
Group Similarity

PurposeIn an online brand community (OBC), consumers as a group occupy a dominant position, and their horizontal interactions are pivotal for the consumer–brand relationship. However, little is known about the effect of group characteristics on brands. To partially fill this gap, this study examines how group characteristics influence brand loyalty from the perspective of social identity theory. Specifically, by collecting data from an online survey, this paper investigates the effects of group similarity, group receptivity and group involvement on brand loyalty, the mediating role of community identification and the moderating effect of tenure in a community.Design/methodology/approachData from 482 brand community members were analyzed using structural equation modeling.FindingsThe results show that group similarity, group receptivity and group involvement increase brand loyalty; furthermore, the effect is mediated by community identification. Moreover, group receptivity is more effective in fostering community identification of short-tenure members, whereas group similarity plays a more important role for long-tenure members.Originality/valueThis paper enriches the brand community literature from a group perspective and provides implications for how brand communities develop customer loyalty strategies.

Consumer engagement in online brand communities: a social media perspective

2015 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurence Dessart ◽  
Cleopatra Veloutsou ◽  
Anna Morgan-Thomas
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Holistic Approach ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Consumer Engagement ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Brand Communities ◽  
Online Brand Communities ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Online Brand Community ◽  
Conceptual Relationships

Purpose – This paper aims to delineate the meaning, conceptual boundaries and dimensions of consumer engagement within the context of online brand communities both in term of the engagement with the brand and the other members of the online brand communities. It also explores the relationships of consumer engagement with other concepts, suggesting antecedents of engagement. Design/methodology/approach – Data are collected through semi-structured interviews with 21 international online brand community members, covering a variety of brand categories and social media platforms. Findings – This paper suggests that individuals are engaging in online communities in social network platforms both with other individuals and with brands. The study also identifies three key engagement dimensions (cognition, affect and behaviours). Their meaning and sub-dimensions are investigated. The paper further suggests key drivers, one outcome and objects of consumer engagement in online brand communities. These findings are integrated in a conceptual framework. Research limitations/implications – Further research should aim at comparing consumer engagement on different social media and across brand categories, as this study takes a holistic approach and does not focus on any particular category of brands or social media. Consumers’ views should also be evaluated against and compared with marketing managers’ understanding of consumer engagement. Originality/value – This paper contributes to the fast-growing and fragmented consumer engagement literature by refining the understanding of its dimensions and situating it in a network of conceptual relationships. It focusses on online brand communities in rich social media contexts to tap into the core social and interactive characteristics of engagement.

scholarly journals Augmenting brand community identification for inactive users: a uses and gratification perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurence Dessart ◽  
Cleopatra Veloutsou
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Strong Predictor ◽  
Information Value ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Brand Community ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Uses And Gratification ◽  
Highly Active ◽  
Community Identification ◽  
Facebook Pages

Purpose In an era where companies shift a part of their marketing budget to support their social media presence, very little is known about the antecedents and effects of participant identification in a social media community. This paper aims to examine the antecedents of community identification in a Facebook company-managed brand community, for inactive members, using the uses and gratification theory. Brand community identification is also expected to lead to higher levels of brand loyalty for these members. Design/methodology/approach This research reports the results of a quantitative with survey data from 389 members of a variety of different official Facebook pages. Findings The results reveal that inactive members of Facebook pages can be influenced to act in a way that is beneficial for a company. Perceived human and information value of the brand Facebook page lead members to identify with a brand community and identification is a strong predictor of loyalty to the brand. Practical implications This paper provides suggestions to managers on the development of brand community value that can increase brand community identification and loyalty of apparently inactive brand community members. Originality/value By showing that brand community identification and loyalty exist for users with low activity levels, this research challenges the widely accepted idea that only highly active members are valuable in online brand communities. Specifically, it reveals the most important motivations for these members to identify with the community and be loyal to the brand.

scholarly journals Why people use online social media brand communities

2018 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 205-221 ◽  
Author(s):  
Puneet Kaur ◽  
Amandeep Dhir ◽  
Risto Rajala ◽  
Yogesh Dwivedi
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Social Values ◽  
User Participation ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Brand Community ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Brand Communities ◽  
Online Social Media ◽  
Consumption Values ◽  
Intention To Continue

Purpose The success and survival of any form of online community relies on the presence and active participation of its users. Hence, ensuring active user participation and retaining existing users is a key concern of the moderators of online communities. To address these challenges, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the epistemic, emotional, and social values that influence users’ intention to continue using an online social media brand community. Moreover, the study also investigates the differences in the influence of the investigated constructs and users’ various activity levels. Design/methodology/approach This study utilized the consumption value theory framework for testing the relationship between different measures. An empirical analysis of the consumption values of 577 users in an online social media brand community was accomplished using structural equation modeling. Findings The study findings revealed that emotional and social values exert partial influence in predicting users’ intention to continue using online social media brand communities. In particular, social enhancement and playfulness predict users’ continuation intentions. Moreover, the results show that the influence of the investigated constructs (except playfulness) is consistent across users with various activity levels in online social media brand communities. Research limitations/implications These findings pave the way for further theoretical and practical considerations of the role of consumption values in resolving challenges of user participation and retention. However, there are still some open gaps concerning the generalizability of the findings as well as other factors that could potentially influence the user intentions. Future studies should validate the findings by recruiting diverse users in terms of their age and cultural background. Practical implications The study findings are of special relevance for the service operators interested in practicing user-centric innovation. Moreover, the findings can help online social media brand community managers to kick start user-centric innovation activities in their community. Originality/value The study provides a novel perspective on the challenges of assessing users’ consumption behavior. The perceived values have been conceptualized using the constructs of social influence, problem solving, playfulness, social enhancement, and social interaction.

scholarly journals Unveiling heterogeneous engagement-based loyalty in brand communities

2019 ◽  
Vol 53 (9) ◽  
pp. 1854-1881 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurence Dessart ◽  
Joaquín Aldás-Manzano ◽  
Cleopatra Veloutsou
Keyword(s):  
Brand Loyalty ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Brand Community ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Brand Communities ◽  
Brand Engagement ◽  
Equation Modelling ◽  
Behavioural Engagement ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose Although recent research appreciates that consumers increasingly interact with brands in brand communities and that brand engagement is an important and complex phenomenon in brand communities, little is known about the nature of individuals’ brand engagement in brand communities. This study aims to identify brand community members’ segments in terms of their brand engagement within the community; help us understand if these segments use a different approach in the development of brand loyalty; and develop mechanisms that can be used to identify members of these segments. Design/methodology/approach The paper adopts a quantitative approach and uses a total of 970 responses from members of Facebook brand pages in three popular languages on Facebook (English, French and Spanish). Data are analysed with structural equation modelling, integrating FIMIX-PLS and POS-PLS. Findings The results reveal that cognitive, affective and behavioural engagement dimensions play a different role in driving brand loyalty. Three different segments of engaged consumers exist (emotional engagers, thinkers and active engagers). Variables related to the perceived value of the brand community provide initial explanations as to the differences of the consumer groups. Research limitations/implications The data were collected from a specific type of brand communities (Facebook-based, company-managed brand communities) and are self-reported. Practical implications This work demonstrates the heterogeneity of brand community members in terms of their brand engagement profile and the effect of this profile on the formation of behavioural brand loyalty. Suggestions on identifying members of these segments based on the value that they get from the community are offered. Originality/value This work extends the brand engagement and brand community literature. It is the first work that provides this nature of actionable suggestions to the teams supporting brands with brand communities.

Exploring the forced closure of a brand community that is also a participatory culture

2020 ◽  
Vol 54 (5) ◽  
pp. 957-978 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacqueline Burgess ◽  
Christian Jones
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Participatory Culture ◽  
Game Studies ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Brand Community ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Brand Communities ◽  
Financial Gain ◽  
Emotional Bonds

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate members’ reactions to the forced closure of a narrative video game brand community and its participatory culture. Design/methodology/approach The BioWare Social Network forums closure was announced in a thread, which attracted 8,891 posts. These were analysed using thematic analysis, facilitated by the software program Leximancer and non-participatory netnography. Findings The brand community and participatory culture members were predominantly distressed because they would lose their relationships with each other and access to the participatory culture’s creative output. Research limitations/implications Previous research suggested that video game players cannot be fans and that player-generated content is exploitative. However, members, self-identified as fans, encouraged BioWare’s use of their player-created content for financial gain and articulated the community’s marketing benefits, all of which have implications for Fan and Game Studies’ researchers. Research using primary data could identify brand communities and participatory cultures’ specific benefits and their members’ attitudes about brands’ commercial use of their outputs. Further research is required to identify other products and brands not suitable for establishing brand communities on social media to determine the best ways to manage them. Practical implications Addressing narrative brand communities’ complaints quickly can prevent negative financial outcomes and using social media sites for brand communities may not be suitable structurally or because of members’ privacy concerns. Furthermore, consumers often have intense emotional bonds with narrative brands, their communities and participatory cultures, which marketers may underestimate or misunderstand. Originality/value This study of the unique phenomenon of the forced closure of a narrative brand community and its participatory culture increased understandings about them.

scholarly journals The effects of social media based brand communities on brand community markers, value creation practices, brand trust and brand loyalty

2012 ◽  
Vol 28 (5) ◽  
pp. 1755-1767 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michel Laroche ◽  
Mohammad Reza Habibi ◽  
Marie-Odile Richard ◽  
Ramesh Sankaranarayanan
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Value Creation ◽  
Brand Loyalty ◽  
Brand Trust ◽  
Brand Community ◽  
Brand Communities

The Effects of Consumer Engagement Behavior on the Growth of Social Media Brand Community

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoyun He ◽  
Arash Negahban
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Growth Rate ◽  
Brand Community ◽  
Consumer Engagement ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Brand Communities ◽  
Engagement Behavior ◽  
Dynamic Relationships ◽  
Predictive Relationship

In recent years, there has been increasing attention to how consumers' roles and behaviors can shape and affect social media based brand communities. In this study the authors examine the dynamic relationships between specific consumer engagement behaviors and the growth rate of social media brand community over time. The results of their study suggest that the overall consumer engagement behavior has a significant predictive relationship with the growth rate of brand community in both short term and long term. While each type of positive consumer engagement behavior alone is not a significant indicator of the growth rate of brand community, a combination of them, as a whole, has a positive predictive relationship with the growth rate of brand community. When the effect of promotional posts is taken into consideration, consumer sharing is found to have relatively stronger and faster predictive relationship with the growth rate of brand community, followed by commenting and liking, than other consumer engaging activities. Negative consumer engagement behaviors in general do not play a significant role in predicting the growth rate of brand community in long term, but it does lead to adverse effect in the short term. This study sheds insights on the dynamic effects of consumer engagement behavior in building and growing social media based brand communities.

The Effects of Consumer Engagement Behavior on the Growth of Social Media Brand Community

2017 ◽  
pp. 1283-1304
Author(s):  
Xiaoyun He ◽  
Arash Negahban
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Growth Rate ◽  
Brand Community ◽  
Consumer Engagement ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Brand Communities ◽  
Engagement Behavior ◽  
Dynamic Relationships ◽  
Predictive Relationship

In recent years, there has been increasing attention to how consumers' roles and behaviors can shape and affect social media based brand communities. In this study the authors examine the dynamic relationships between specific consumer engagement behaviors and the growth rate of social media brand community over time. The results of their study suggest that the overall consumer engagement behavior has a significant predictive relationship with the growth rate of brand community in both short term and long term. While each type of positive consumer engagement behavior alone is not a significant indicator of the growth rate of brand community, a combination of them, as a whole, has a positive predictive relationship with the growth rate of brand community. When the effect of promotional posts is taken into consideration, consumer sharing is found to have relatively stronger and faster predictive relationship with the growth rate of brand community, followed by commenting and liking, than other consumer engaging activities. Negative consumer engagement behaviors in general do not play a significant role in predicting the growth rate of brand community in long term, but it does lead to adverse effect in the short term. This study sheds insights on the dynamic effects of consumer engagement behavior in building and growing social media based brand communities.

Understanding the antecedents and outcomes of brand community-swinging in a poly-social-media context: a perspective of channel complementarity theory

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Junyun Liao ◽  
Jiawen Chen ◽  
Xuebing Dong
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Social Interaction ◽  
Brand Loyalty ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Information Value ◽  
Brand Community ◽  
Self Presentation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Complementarity Theory

PurposeThis study aims to examine the increasingly widespread phenomenon of brand community-swinging, which refers to a user's routine use of multiple brand communities of a brand across different social media. Drawing from channel complementarity theory, this study examines whether the complementarity of gratifications in four values (i.e. information value, entertainment value, social interaction value and self-presentation value) influences brand community-swinging and, in turn, cultivates brand loyalty.Design/methodology/approachA questionnaire was developed to collect relevant data from users of a well-known smartphone brand. The survey yielded a total of 351 useable responses, and a structural equation model approach was used to test the hypotheses.FindingsThe results indicate that three types of gratification complementarity (information value, social interaction value and self-presentation value) have a significantly positive impact on consumers' brand community-swinging, which further fosters brand loyalty.Originality/valuePrevious research predominantly focused on the motivations and outcomes of consumers' participation within a single-brand community, but little is known about the antecedents and outcomes of brand community-swinging in a poly-social-media context. This study contributes to the brand community literature by addressing this research gap.

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