Unveiling drivers and brand relationship implications of consumer engagement with social media brand posts

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zalfa Laili Hamzah ◽  
Hazwani Abdul Wahab ◽  
Muhammad Waqas

Purpose The purpose of this study is to identify the customer perceptions of social media brand post characteristics that drive consumer engagement with the brand post. Furthermore, this study identifies the customer-brand relationship outcomes resulting from the behavioural engagement on social media. Design/methodology/approach An online survey of 407 social media users was undertaken. Structural equation modelling was used to test all hypotheses. Findings The results indicated that consumers respond positively to interactive and/or novel posts. Furthermore, consumer engagement with brand posts positively influenced all customer-brand relationship facets including brand love and customer-brand identification. Originality/value This study contributes to closing the empirical gap in social media consumer engagement research by providing support for consumer perception of brand post’s characteristics as a significant factor triggering consumer engagement with the brand post. This study also provides evidence that consumer engagement with brand posts leads to customer-brand relationships.

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Civilai Leckie ◽  
Abhishek Dwivedi ◽  
Lester Johnson

PurposeThis study empirically examines a set of drivers (i.e. social media involvement, self-brand congruence, firm image and relationship age) of consumers’ social media brand engagement (SMBE), which subsequently influences consumer outcomes (i.e. consumer satisfaction, brand trust and perceived value).Design/methodology/approachData were collected using a self-administered online survey of 340 social media users. Structural equation modelling was employed to test the conceptual model.FindingsFindings indicate that social media involvement, self-brand congruence and firm image are significant drivers of SMBE, while relationship age is not. SMBE subsequently impacts consumer satisfaction, brand trust and perceived value.Research limitations/implicationsThis study contains some limitations associated with cross-sectional research. It does not investigate consumer engagement with other entities (e.g. other commercial brands) through the use of social media.Practical implicationsThese findings call for marketing managers and social media brand managers to pay attention and invest resources in the significant drivers of SMBE. They also provide insights on enhancing SMBE to strengthen consumer–brand relationships.Originality/valueBased on consumer–brand relationship marketing and consumer psychology of brands, this study investigates brand-related relational drivers and outcomes of SMBE, thereby deepening understanding of consumer engagement in digital environments.


2020 ◽  
Vol 54 (6) ◽  
pp. 1281-1303
Author(s):  
Maria Karampela ◽  
Ewelina Lacka ◽  
Graeme McLean

Purpose In business-to-business (B2B) settings, research on social media sites (SMS) has primarily examined the benefits and challenges relating to their use, as well as factors driving their adoption. Recently, attention has turned to the consequences of using SMS in B2B markets. The purpose of this paper is to extend this line of research by investigating the impact of B2B brands’ social media presence, interactivity and responsiveness on customers’ perceptions of four indicators of brand relationship strength (commitment, intimacy, satisfaction and partner quality). Design/methodology/approach Data from an online survey (N = 200) with customers of UK-based B2B firms were analysed using structural equation modelling. Findings The study reveals that a supplier’s presence on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook has a positive impact on all four brand relationship strength indicators; interactivity enhances perceived partner quality, while responsiveness positively influences commitment. Differences across the three SMS are also observed. Research limitations/implications The research was conducted on a sample of UK-based firms with varying degrees of SMS use that may influence the impact on B2B brand relationship strength. Practical implications This study indicates that B2B brands ought to focus primarily on presence on SMS, given its positive impact on brand relationship strength. At the same time, however, B2B brands should be active in responding to customers’ queries on SMS, as well as interacting with them to enhance commitment and perceived partner quality, respectively. Originality/value This study contributes to the digital marketing and B2B relationships interface and is the first to examine the role of B2B brands’ presence, interactivity and responsiveness on SMS in enhancing relationships with customers.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Violetta Wilk ◽  
Geoffrey N. Soutar ◽  
Paul Harrigan

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to increase the understanding of the online brand advocacy (OBA) and brand loyalty relationship through a social identity theory lens.Design/methodology/approachAn online survey was used to obtain the needed data and the relationships of interest were examined using a partial least squares structural equation modelling approach.FindingsBrand loyalty and consumer-brand identification were found to be predictors of OBA, while OBA impacted on purchase intent. In addition, a strong reciprocal relationship was found between OBA and brand loyalty, which has not been reported in prior studies.Research limitations/implicationsThis study highlighted OBA's complexity. It suggested OBA is not only an outcome of a consumer-brand relationship but also that OBA plays a key role in the development of such relationships. A consumer's identification with a brand fosters brand loyalty and purchase intent through the giving of OBA.Practical implicationsThe more consumers vocalise their brand relationships through OBA, the more they strengthen their relationship with brands. The inclusion of OBA management in brand and marketing strategies should enable organisations to foster opportunities for online consumer-brand interactions that strengthen consumer-brand relationships.Originality/valueFirst, unlike previous studies that have used makeshift scales to measure OBA, the authors used a recently developed OBA scale. Second, the important reciprocal relationship between OBA and brand loyalty, which has significant implications, has not been reported in prior research.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kuan-Ju Chen ◽  
Jhih-Syuan Lin

Purpose Given the thriving attention paid to brand personification in marketing, this paper aims to delve into consumers’ psychological traits that may moderate the positive anthropomorphic effects on brand outcomes specific to relationship marketing. Design/methodology/approach A theoretical model was proposed based on a review of the extant literature. Study 1 conducted an online survey and used confirmatory factor analysis to validate the constructs significantly correlated with anthropomorphic processing. Two follow-up studies (Study 2a and 2b) using experimental designs were performed to provide evidence substantiating the moderated mediation in the process. Findings Based on the results across the three studies, motivational, rather than cognitive, disposition significantly correlates with perceived anthropomorphism and brand relationship outcomes. Need for belonging serves as a sociality moderator in strengthening the mediating effects of perceived anthropomorphism on brand attachment and brand experience, respectively. Parasocial interaction serves as an effectance moderator in augmenting the mediating effects of perceived anthropomorphism on brand attachment. Research limitations/implications This research extends and contrasts the theoretical grounding for anthropomorphism as a set of situational consumer perceptions by integrating its boosting factors in social psychology with emerging brand constructs in marketing and consumer behavior research. More studies are encouraged to probe into the complex anthropomorphic phenomenon. Practical implications This research sheds light on marketers’ strategic management efforts in implementing brand personification to target a wide range of market segments with diverse psychological disposition. Originality/value Conceiving anthropomorphism as an in-process situational output in information processing, this research provides further understanding of the psychological traits that facilitate the construction of consumer-brand relationships through anthropomorphic perceptions in the context of brand personification.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zheng Shen

Purpose This study aims to find how can fashion micro-influencers and their electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) messages increase consumer engagement on social media, focusing on micro-influencers’ influence, typology, eWOM content and consumer engagement. Design/methodology/approach A total of 20,000 microblogs were collected from Irish fashion micro-influencers and analyzed through keyword classification and content analysis in NVivo. The determinants of eWOM persuasiveness for consumer engagement on social media were investigated based on Sussman and Siegal’s information adoption model. Findings The study finds that among the four types of micro-influencers, market mavens and their eWOM messages have the highest impact on consumer engagement on social media, and it presents a repetitive and persuasive eWOM model of market mavens to increase consumer participation. Also, the study discovers that micro-influencers’ occasion-related microblogs have an increasing impact on consumer interactions whereas microblogs with brands have a decreasing engagement with consumers on social media. Originality/value This study advances prior studies on the relationship between influencers’ eWOM messages and consumer participation on social media by the development of a persuasive eWOM model of micro-influencers to increase consumer engagement and fill in the lack of relevant literature. Also, findings provide actionable insights for marketing communication practitioners to persuade consumers to participate in eWOM communications and establish strong consumer-brand relationships on social media.


Kybernetes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dongming Wu ◽  
Junjun Zheng

PurposeDrawing on the stress and coping theory, conservation of resources (COR) theory and social role theory, this study aims to investigate the impact of social media overload on knowledge withholding behavior and examine the gender differences in social media overload, engendering knowledge withholding.Design/methodology/approachBy hiring a professional online survey company, this study collected valid responses from 325 general social media users. The structural equation modeling (SEM) technique, bootstrapping method and multi-group analysis were used to test the proposed theoretical model.FindingsThe empirical results reveal that three types of social media overload positively affect users' knowledge withholding behavior and that emotional exhaustion significantly mediates the above relationships. The multi-group analysis demonstrates that gender differences do exist in the decision-making process of knowledge withholding; for example, females are more likely than males to become emotionally exhausted from social media overload, while males are more likely than females to engage in knowledge withholding behavior in the case of emotional exhaustion.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the existing body of knowledge by examining the relationship between social media overload and knowledge withholding, verifying the mediating role of emotional exhaustion as the key mechanism linking them, and narrowing the research gap of lacking gender differences research in knowledge withholding literature.


2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Man Lai Cheung ◽  
Wilson K.S. Leung ◽  
Morgan X. Yang ◽  
Kian Yeik Koay ◽  
Man Kit Chang

PurposeGrounded in uses and gratification theory (UGT) and observational learning theory (OLT), this study aims to understand the impact of motivational factors on consumer-influencer engagement behaviors (CIEBs). Motivating factors, including entertainment, information seeking, reward and social interaction, are regarded as antecedents of consumers' OLT, as manifested by CIEB dimensions, including consumption, contribution and creation, and subsequently drive consumer engagement with the endorsed brands.Design/methodology/approachA self-administered questionnaire was distributed to Malaysian social media users. A total of 263 responses were collected and analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to examine the impact of motivational factors on CIEBs.FindingsThe results show that the three dimensions of CIEBs can be predicted by different gratifications (information seeking, entertainment, reward and interaction). In addition, two of the CIEB dimensions, consumption and contribution, were found to have a significant positive influence on consumers' engagement with endorsed brands.Practical implicationsThis study provides insights into how social media influencers (SMIs) could lead to CIEBs by creating entertaining and rewarding content that facilitates social interaction between consumers. SMIs and marketers that encourage consumers to browse, comment and share SMI-created posts will enhance consumer engagement with the endorsed brands, as engagement is driven by the consumption and contribution to SMI-created content.Originality/valueSMI marketing is increasing, and many brands are beginning to rely more on SMIs to promote brands. Yet, there is a dearth of studies that have examined how SMIs play a role in affecting consumers' engagement with endorsed brands. This study contributes to the marketing literature by developing and empirically testing the research model. Results suggest that social interaction, reward and entertainment are key motivational factors that drive CIEBs, which, in turn, foster consumer engagement with endorsed brands.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shaizatulaqma Kamalul Ariffin ◽  
Nur Qistina Ihsannuddin ◽  
Ainul Mohsin Abdul Mohsin

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between attitude functions and attitude towards social media advertising. Additionally, this study also examines the relationship between attitude towards social media advertising and purchase intention. Design/methodology/approach The data was collected via an online survey among Malaysian Muslim participants. Quantitative analysis was used to test the hypothesis. A total of 280 respondents participated in the online survey but only 264 responses fit the analysis. The data was analysed via SPSS and partial least squares structural equation modelling. Findings The findings of this paper show that attitude functions, namely, utilitarian, value-expressive, ego-defensive and religiosity have a significant positive influence on attitude towards social media advertising, whilst knowledge function was found to be insignificant. Attitude towards social media advertising was also found to have a significant positive influence on purchase intention. Practical implications Advertisers should also consider the religious aspects of Muslim consumers and their level of sensitivity as Muslims nowadays are well-informed. This is to avoid controversies and have a better understanding of their consumer needs. Originality/value This is one of the few studies examining the influence of religiosity in the social media advertising of controversial products such as bubble tea.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Saeed Awadh Bin-Nashwan ◽  
Meshari Al-Daihani

Purpose The rapid outbreak of coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) has triggered unprecedented restrictions on not only human movement but also a wide sphere of economic activities, disrupting livelihood, welfare and business worldwide. In response, some Muslim communities have launched fundraising campaigns to mitigate the socio-economic impacts of the virus on the front-liners and the most affected segments of vulnerable populations. The purpose of this study is to explore the intrinsic and extrinsic motivations of donors to these campaigns who contribute via social media platforms (SMPs). Design/methodology/approach This study adopts a cross-sectional research design using an online survey conducted in a typical Muslim community such as Kuwait. A total of 565 samples of data (356 women, 209 men) were used for analysis. Partial least squares-structural equation modeling was used to estimate the research model and extract meaningful conclusions. Findings The results show that charitable projects, internet technology features, SMP features and religiosity are significant motivations that influence attitudes toward online donations related to COVID-19 response. All these relationships are indirectly related to intentions to donate via SMP through a significant mediating effect of attitude. Practical implications The outcome of this study could support the efforts of governments, non-profit organizations and communities to focus attention on suitable proactive strategies to boost online fundraising campaigns for those affected by epidemic diseases. Originality/value This study enriches the literature by integrating both intrinsic and extrinsic motivations of online donations into a new and unique related context such as SMP, especially amid the COVID-19 crisis.


The actual behavioural engagement of consumers with social media brand-related content is measured by three activities; consumption, contribution and creation. This type of engagement is considered the true practical indicator of the success of brand presence on social media. The study aims to uncover the drivers of consumer behavioural engagement identified by the key characteristics of social media context. Accordingly, quality dimensions and perceived usefulness of the brand hosting media channel are adopted from the IT use and acceptance models. Data is collected using self-administrated questionnaire from a sample of 366 respondents in the UK. Structural Equation Modeling-V.26 was used to analyse the data. The results support the significant role of cognitive absorption in explaining how perceptions of social media quality dimensions are shaped to motivate consumer engagement behaviour. The findings enrich the extant literature of consumer engagement; additionally, several practical insights can be drawn related to the design of social media marketing strategy.


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