From fandom to fad: are millennials really engaged with and loyal to their loved brands on social media?

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Teresa Fernandes ◽  
Inês Inverneiro
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Identity Formation ◽  
Brand Loyalty ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Holistic Model ◽  
Brand Love ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Brand Engagement ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Use Of Social Media

Purpose Exerting a peculiar fascination on both managers and academics, Millennials can be distinguished from other cohorts by their intense exposure to the internet and heavy use of social media, which, in turn, affect their identity formation, brand engagement, loyalty and purchase behaviour. Yet, uncertainties regarding online engagement and the real benefits brands can reap from Millennials’ avid use of social media remain. Therefore, by developing a holistic model of drivers and outcomes, this study aims to understand how Millennials engage with their most loved, self-expressive brands across social media platforms and its impact on loyalty-related intentions. Design/methodology/approach Data was gathered using a self-administered survey, answered by 343 millennial generation social media users and based on self-selected self-expressive, loved brands. Considering brand loyalty as a key outcome, a holistic model was developed and tested using partial least squares-structural equation modelling, emphasizing not only the role of social media engagement but also including brand love, experience and identification as direct and indirect antecedents. Findings Findings suggest a disconnection between online and offline brand relationships: though Millennials love and are very loyal to their favourite brands, they are not actively engaged in social media, which helps to explain the non-significant effect of engagement on brand loyalty. Moreover, together with brand identification, brand experience was found to play a major role in developing brand love, which, in turn, is positively related to engagement and loyalty. Originality/value Theoretically, this study contributes to bridging a gap in the literature, as research on engagement, its drivers and outcomes is scant and there is no robust evidence about its impact on brand loyalty, particularly among Millennials. Moreover, research on disengaged consumers who exhibit limited willingness to engage is still scant. Managerially, this study provides insights for brand managers wishing to successfully engage and build relationships with Millennials and to identify key routes to Millennials’ loyalty.

Do value cocreation and engagement drive brand evangelism?

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Harrigan ◽  
Sanjit K. Roy ◽  
Tom Chen
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Customer Value ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Brand Love ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Brand Engagement ◽  
Brand Advocacy ◽  
Value Cocreation ◽  
Service Logic

PurposeDrawing on service logic, the authors investigate how value cocreation leads to evangelical brand-related behaviors (brand defense and brand advocacy). The authors analyze the interplay between value cocreation and customer brand engagement on social media in driving these outcomes. The authors also consider the role of brand love in eliciting evangelical brand-related behaviors.Design/methodology/approachRespondents recruited through Amazon MTurk were surveyed on social media use in tourism-related decisions. The total useable sample size was 397. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to test the research model.FindingsValue cocreation and customer brand engagement are drivers of evangelical brand-related behaviors, emphasizing the importance of these two in marketing and how they drive behavioral outcomes.Research limitations/implicationsService logic highlights the significance of value cocreation which, through customer brand engagement and love, leads to brand defense and advocacy. This explains the mediation in our model, where marketers must undertake efforts to support customer brand engagement and brand love.Practical implicationsValue is created by the user for the user through their experiences over time. Brands are owned by customers, and their defense and advocacy of them must be earned. Marketers facilitate customer value creation by providing the resources to cocreate value and love the brand.Originality/valueMost studies investigate value cocreation from an in-role and/or extra-role perspective as to how it benefits firms. Through service logic, the authors illustrate how it leads to evangelical brand-related behaviors.

scholarly journals Do firms still need to be social? Firm generated content in social media

2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 387-404 ◽  
Author(s):  
Athanasios Poulis ◽  
Ioannis Rizomyliotis ◽  
Kleopatra Konstantoulaki
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Brand Loyalty ◽  
Purchase Intention ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Brand Awareness ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Consumer Purchase Intention ◽  
Brand Perception ◽  
Use Of Social Media

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate how firm-generated content (FGC) impacts consumer brand awareness, brand loyalty and electronic word of mouth (eWOM), and how this, in turn, influences consumer purchase intention.Design/methodology/approachIn order to test this conceptual framework, statistical analysis was carried out employing structural equation modelling.FindingsThe findings indicate that FGC has a positive impact on brand awareness, brand loyalty, eWOM and purchase intention. Furthermore, the results reveal that a link exists between consumer eWOM behaviour and brand awareness and loyalty. This study also demonstrates that company communication through Facebook and Instagram has a positive effect on consumer purchase intention. Finally, it has been shown that, regarding eWOM and purchase intention, FGC posted on Instagram has a greater impact on its users than that posted on Facebook.Originality/valueConsumer purchase intention is increasingly impacted by the growing use of social media by companies and marketers. This changing environment has opened up new challenges. However, there is still much work to be done in understanding the full effects of FGC communication, and how this influences consumer brand perception and purchase intention.

Understanding drivers of brand love - the role of personalized ads on social media

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Trang P. Tran ◽  
Adrienne Muldrow ◽  
Khanh Ngoc Bich Ho
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Brand Management ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Brand Love ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Brand Engagement ◽  
Digital World ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This paper aims to test a theory-driven model reflecting the effects of perceived personalization on consumer–brand relationships on social media. Design/methodology/approach The conceptual model is empirically tested through two studies using partial least squares-structural equation modeling. Other techniques, such as common method bias, multigroup comparison, mediation analysis and model fit comparison, are also used to give more insights into the analytical process. Findings Data from two studies show that perceived personalization is positively related to brand-related outcomes including brand self-expressiveness, consumer–brand engagement and brand connection. While consumer–brand engagement and brand connection are positively related to brand love, brand self-expressiveness is not. Research limitations/implications The paper contributes to the advertising and brand management literature by shedding light on a better understanding of the impact of personalization in the digital world. Practical implications Management could learn important lessons from personalization. If a strategy of promoting personalized ads is implemented successfully, those ads could change customer perceptions of brands which ultimately strengthens brand love. Originality/value This research provides an empirical model that helps marketers better understand the factors affecting brand love with personalized ads on social media.

Brand personality in cultural tourism through social media

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Francisco Peco-Torres ◽  
Ana I. Polo-Peña ◽  
Dolores M. Frías-Jamilena
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Brand Personality ◽  
Cultural Tourism ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Brand Engagement ◽  
Exploratory Approach ◽  
Use Of Social Media ◽  
Positive Effect

Purpose This study aims to analyze the effect of the use of social media on the perception of brand personality and to identify its effect on customer brand engagement. Design/methodology/approach The study adopted an exploratory approach, adapting Aaker's brand personality scale (1997) to the context of cultural tourism before carrying out a quantitative study resorting to a structural equation modeling to obtain empirical evidence to identify these relationships. Findings The findings reveal that the use of social media has a positive effect on the perception of brand personality and that brand personality, likewise, has a positive effect on customer brand engagement. Research limitations/implications This study indicates that transmission of an attractive brand personality according to the desires of the public, combined with dissemination through social media, is a valid strategy to improve customer brand engagement. Originality/value This study represents an advance in the specialized literature on the value that consumers place on information transmitted through social media. Specifically, it sheds light on how the transmission of brand personality through social media affects customer brand engagement.

Linking social media marketing activities with brand love

Kybernetes ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 46 (10) ◽  
pp. 1801-1819 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raed Salah Algharabat
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Brand Loyalty ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Social Media Marketing ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Brand Love ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Marketing Activities ◽  
Facebook Pages ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This research aims to investigate the link between social media marketing (SMM) activities and brand love. It further investigates the mediating impact of self-expressive brands (inner and social) between the relationships of SMM activities and brand love, which in turn impact brand loyalty. Using the context provided by Facebook, the author contributes in three ways to the nascent marketing literature: by linking SMM activates with brand love, by investigating the mediating impact of self-expressive brands between SMM activities and brand love and by investigating the impact of brand love on brand loyalty. Design/methodology/approach Using a sample of 400 followers of Facebook pages, data were collected and analyzed using structural equation modeling. Findings The findings reveal that SMM activities positively affect self-expressive brands (inner and social), which in turn impact brand love. The author also finds that brand love positively affects brand loyalty. The author further finds that self-expressive brand (inner) fully mediates the relationship between SMM activities and brand love, whereas self-expressive brand (social) partially mediates this relationship. Originality/value Previous researchers neither have the chance to link SMM activities with brand love nor to explain its role as an antecedent to self-expressive brand. Therefore, the author contributes to nascent literature by linking and investigating the mediating impact of self-expressive brands between the relationships of SMM activities and brand love which in turn impact brand loyalty.

Consumers’ self-congruence with a “Liked” brand

2017 ◽  
Vol 51 (2) ◽  
pp. 367-390 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elaine Wallace ◽  
Isabel Buil ◽  
Leslie de Chernatony
Keyword(s):  
Social Relations ◽  
Brand Loyalty ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Tie Strength ◽  
Brand Love ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Self Image

Purpose Brand “Likes” on Facebook facilitate self-expression, forming part of consumers’ virtual selves. Yet, consumers’ brand “Likes” may bear little resemblance to their material realities. This paper aims to test similarities of brand image with self-image for Facebook “Likes” to determine whether self-congruence with a “Liked” brand leads to positive offline brand outcomes. It also investigates whether consumers’ perceptions about their Facebook social relations influence self-congruent brand “Likes”. Design/methodology/approach A large-scale survey was conducted of regular Facebook users who “Liked” brands. Data from 438 respondents was analysed and hypotheses tested using structural equation modeling. Findings Empirical results show that the perceived self-congruence with a “Liked” brand increases with social tie strength. Perceived social tie strength is informed by perceived attitude homophily. When the perceived self-congruence with a “Liked” brand is higher, brand love and word of mouth (WOM) are enhanced. Consumers also have greater brand loyalty and offer more WOM when brands are loved. Research limitations/implications Findings demonstrate the influence of consumers’ cognitive network on “Likes” and brand outcomes. Further replication would enhance generalisability. Future research should use a wider sample and investigate other variables. Practical implications Findings support managers seeking to grow and analyse Facebook “Likes” by providing insights into brand loyalty, brand love and WOM for “Liked” brands. Originality/value The paper addresses the dearth of research exploring how consumers’ perceptions of their Facebook network influence their online brand behaviour and how perceived self-congruence with a “Liked” brand relates to brand outcomes.

Understanding social media advertising effect on consumers’ responses

2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 426-445 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manel Hamouda
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Corporate Reputation ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Communication Strategy ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Moderator Effect ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Advertising Effect ◽  
Social Media Advertising ◽  
Use Of Social Media

Purpose This study aims to deepen the current understanding of social media advertising by using the Ducoffe’s advertising value model. The purpose of this paper is to examine the antecedents of advertising value and its consequences on consumers’ attitude and behavior in the specific context of tourism advertising on Facebook. Design/methodology/approach Survey was conducted on a quota sample of 352 Tunisian Facebook users. Web-based questionnaires were used to collect the data which was analyzed using exploratory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. Findings Findings indicate that there is a significant relationship between informativeness, entertainment, credibility and social media advertising value. This positive value will affect favorably consumers’ attitude toward social media advertising and their behavioral responses. The moderator effect of corporate reputation was also confirmed in this relationship. Practical implications Tourism marketers should focus not only on developing information-rich and entertaining social media advertisements but also a credible content of the ads. Furthermore, Facebook should be systematically integrated by tourism practitioners in their communication strategy as it affects the attitude and consequently the behavior of the consumers especially when the company using social media advertising has a good corporate reputation. Originality/value In the tourism context, the effectiveness of social media advertising remains little known to practitioners and scholars despite the frequent use of social media by tourism customers and companies in recent years. So, this research study contributes to a better understanding of the use of social media advertising on Facebook regarding tourism products and services.

Examining drivers and outcomes of social media brand engagement

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Civilai Leckie ◽  
Abhishek Dwivedi ◽  
Lester Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Consumer Satisfaction ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Perceived Value ◽  
Brand Trust ◽  
Consumer Engagement ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Brand Engagement ◽  
Brand Congruence

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.

Exploring the antecedents and consequences of the coffee quality of Starbucks: a case study

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Won Seok Lee ◽  
Jiwoo Jung ◽  
Joonho Moon
Keyword(s):  
Food Quality ◽  
Brand Loyalty ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Quality Attributes ◽  
Equation Model ◽  
Amazon Mechanical Turk ◽  
Price Fairness ◽  
Brand Love ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Antecedents And Consequences

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to analyze the influence of coffee quality on brand preference and loyalty using Starbucks as a study subject. The determinants of coffee food healthiness are also investigated.Design/methodology/approachFood quality measures are composed of healthiness, taste, customization, price fairness and convenience. Hygiene and nutrition disclosure were examined as determinants of food healthiness. The highlighted food quality attributes were brand love and brand loyalty. Data were collected using Amazon Mechanical Turk. A total of 431 observations were used for data analysis. A structural equation model was conducted for hypotheses testing.FindingsThe results revealed that healthiness is positively associated with hygiene and nutrition disclosure. Brand love is also significantly influenced by healthiness, taste, customization and price fairness. Moreover, taste and price fairness appeared to be essential determinants of Starbucks brand loyalty.Originality/valueThis study scrutinized food quality in the domain of coffee business, and presented implications for the business. Data collected in this study contributed to the literature by revealing quality attributes of coffee and its determinants and also showing the significant relationship between coffee food quality, brand love and brand loyalty.

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.

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