Bilingual brand communities? Strategies for targeting Hispanics on social media

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dino A. Villegas ◽  
Alejandra Marin Marin
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Cultural Identity ◽  
Customer Engagement ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Online Spaces ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Four Levels ◽  
Facebook Pages ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This paper aims to explore different strategies used by brands to target the Hispanic market via social media from the lens of the Spanish language in a multicultural country like the USA. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a netnographic approach by drawing information from a study of the Facebook pages of 11 brands belonging to different industries. Findings Companies engage in four levels of cultural identity adaptation using different strategies based on ethnicity: language adaptation, identity elements, identity matching and Latino persona. The study also shows that merely translating Facebook pages do not generate high levels of communitarian interaction. Practical implications This study examines different strategies used by brands in the USA to target the Hispanic audience on social media to provide insights for brand managers to develop online engagement. Originality/value With the increase in cultural diversity in different countries and the rise of social media platforms, brand researchers need to better understand how cultural identity permeates marketing strategies in online spaces. Social media platforms such as Facebook offer flexible environments where strategies beyond product- and brand-related aspects can be used. This study extends the literature by showing the heterogeneity of cultural identity-based strategies used by companies to ensure customer engagement and brand loyalty and the impact of such strategies on users.

Creation of unstructured big data from customer service

2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 723-738 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jyotirmoyee Bhattacharjya ◽  
Adrian Bachman Ellison ◽  
Vincent Pang ◽  
Arda Gezdur
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Big Data ◽  
Customer Service ◽  
Customer Engagement ◽  
Customer Contact ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Media Platform ◽  
Using Data

Purpose Customer service provision is a growing phenomenon on social media and parcel shipping companies have been among the most prominent adopters. This has coincided with greater interest in the development of analysis techniques for unstructured big data from social media platforms, such as the micro-blogging platform, Twitter. Given the growing use of dedicated customer service accounts on Twitter, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the effectiveness with which parcel shipping companies use the platform. Design/methodology/approach This paper demonstrates the use of a combination of tools for retrieving, processing and analysing large volumes of customer service-related conversations generated between parcel shipping companies and their customers in Australia, UK and the USA. Extant studies using data from Twitter tend to focus on the contributions of individual entities and are unable to capture the insights provided by a holistic examination of the interactions. Findings This study identifies the key issues that trigger customer contact with parcel shipping companies on Twitter. It identifies similarities and differences in the approaches that these companies bring to customer engagement and identifies the opportunities for using the medium more effectively. Originality/value The development of consumer-centric supply chains and relevant theories require researchers and practitioners to have the ability to include insights from growing quantities of unstructured data gathered from consumer engagement. This study makes a methodological contribution by demonstrating the use of a set of tools to gather insight from a large volume of conversations on a social media platform.

scholarly journals Imported feminism: problematizing the Westernized image of the feminist in Arab social media

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramy Magdy ◽  
Maries Mikhael ◽  
Yassmine G. Hussein
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
New Media ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Arab Women ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Second Wave Feminism ◽  
Women Experiences ◽  
Facebook Pages ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Second Wave

Purpose This paper aims to analyze the discourse of Arab feminism social media pages as a form of real-time new media. This is to be conducted culturally to understand the Westernized character these pages tend to propagate and the politico-cultural significations of such a propagation. Design/methodology/approach Using visual and content analysis the paper analyzes both the written and visual contents of two popular Arab feminist Facebook pages, “Thory” and “Feminist doodles” to explore its culture relevance/Westernization via the categories of “re-employing the binary second wave feminism, the historical relevance and the Westernized tone of both pages. Findings The pages showed a tendency toward second wave, Westernized, anti-orient feminism. Such importation of feminism made the pages’ message not only a bit irrelevant but also conceptually violent to a large extent. Starting from alien contexts, the two pages dislocate the Arab women experiences of their situation for the sake of comprehending and adapting to heavily Westernized images. Originality/value The paper contributes to the ongoing debate over the gender issue in the Arab context after 2011, what it originally offers is discussing the cultural relevance of popular feminist Facebook pages claiming to represent the everyday struggles of the Arab women. In addition, it shows the impact of real-time media on identity formulation.

The role of perceived social media agility in customer engagement

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
David Gligor ◽  
Sıddık Bozkurt
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Customer Engagement ◽  
Measurement Scale ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Seeking Behavior ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The concept of agility has been applied to several domains to help firms develop the capability to quickly adjust their operations to cope and thrive in environments characterized by frequent changes. Despite the soaring number of social media users and the benefits associated with agility in other domains, the application of agility in a social media context has yet to be explored. Further, little is known about how agility in a social media context impacts desirable customer-related attributes, such as customer engagement and customer-based brand equity (CBBE). This paper aims to address this gap by adapting the construct to social media (i.e. perceived social media agility) and exploring its impact on customer engagement and CBBE. Design/methodology/approach This paper conducted an online survey with 200 adult subjects. This paper used multivariate regression analyzes to empirically test a scale for perceived social media agility and explore its impact on CBBE and customer engagement, along with the moderating role of customer change-seeking behavior. Findings The study results show that perceived social media agility directly and indirectly (through customer engagement) positively influences CBBE. Also, results show that the positive impact of perceived social media agility on CBBE is further magnified for customers high on change-seeking. However, customer change-seeking does not affect the strength or direction of the impact of perceived social media agility on customer engagement. Originality/value This paper contributes to social media literature by adapting and testing a measurement scale for the construct of perceived social media agility and exploring its role in enhancing customer engagement and CBBE.

Investigating the effects of consistent visual identity on social media

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Harsandaldeep Kaur ◽  
Kanwal Roop Kaur
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Online Marketing ◽  
Media Environment ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Visual Identity ◽  
Company Reputation ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Sphere Of Influence ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose Although the prominence of social media for companies is widely acknowledged, a close examination of the literature reveals a lack of empirical research pertaining to the effect of consistency specifically on social media. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to fill the gap in social media communication concerning the effect of consistent visual identity on social media users. Design/methodology/approach The study executed an experiment 2 (corporate visual identity condition) × 2 (organization type) between subjects design to map the effects of consistent visual identity on social media users appreciation of the visual identity, attitude toward the company, reputation and intention to commit to a company on social media. Findings The results of the study indicated the significant effects of consistent visual identity on social media users over the inconsistent conditions of visual identity on all dependent variables. Furthermore, there were insignificant main effects of organization type on general judgment, credibility, distinctiveness and reputation of the company. Practical implications This study presents the effects of consistent visual identity on social media platforms. The research will help marketing academicians, graphic designers and social media practitioners in online marketing by using its practical implications to strategically positioning their corporate brand in a social media environment. Originality/value This study provides novel insights on the impact of consistency on social media users. This is the first study to determine the role of consistent visual identity in the social media environment. It thereby adds to the literature of visual identity by developing the sphere of influence of consistency and its effects toward the user’s attitude.

Effects of content characteristics on stages of customer engagement in social media: investigating European wine brands

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aspasia Vlachvei ◽  
Ourania Notta ◽  
Eirini Koronaki
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Data Analysis ◽  
Panel Data ◽  
Panel Data Analysis ◽  
Customer Engagement ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Interactive Engagement ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Three Stages ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThis study advances knowledge of interactive marketing strategies by examining the effect of different content types on the three stages of customer engagement (CE) in social media, namely, relationship formation, engagement creation and engagement contribution, for European wine brands.Design/methodology/approachBoth quantitative and qualitative content analyses are conducted; a panel data analysis validates the impact of content type on the three stages of CE in social media.FindingsThe results indicate that remunerative content is the most consistent and promising strategy for enhancing all three stages of CE in social media. Social content motivates consumers to interact with wine brands by commenting, which is the most demanding and time-consuming form of engagement.Practical implicationsThe empirical results offer valuable directions for managers and marketers of European wine brands on creating and maintaining optimal interactive engagement in all three stages with their Facebook communities over the long run.Originality/valueThis study is one of the first to empirically examine, through objective measurement, how content type affects the three stages of CE in social media. The case of European wine brands is examined, over time, through a panel data analysis.

Managing the Engagement of Sustainable Tourism in Natural Protected Areas Through Social Media

2018 ◽  
pp. 201-218
Author(s):  
Federico Galán-Valdivieso ◽  
Juana Alonso-Cañadas ◽  
Laura Saraite-Sariene ◽  
Carmen Caba-Pérez
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Protected Areas ◽  
Sustainable Tourism ◽  
Customer Engagement ◽  
Natural Protected Areas ◽  
Rural Economies ◽  
Protected Natural Areas ◽  
Facebook Pages ◽  
The Impact

Tourism in protected natural areas is one of the main economic drivers of rural economies in Europe, and Spain is the European country with the highest number of protected areas awarded as sustainable destinations by the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas. The involvement of both local businesses and tourists is vital to the effective management of sustainable tourism, and social media is increasingly becoming a relevant tool to this task. Taking these considerations into account, this chapter has two goals: first is to examine the online activities performed by tourists in Facebook pages of local tourist businesses, aiming to enhance customer engagement with sustainable tourism; second is to perform a comparative analysis on the impact and degree of engagement achieved of firms from different Spanish regions. Findings will contribute significantly to our understanding of the influence of social media in fostering citizen engagement with sustainable tourism.

scholarly journals Unpacking the impact of social media analytics on customer satisfaction: do external stakeholder characteristics matter?

2020 ◽  
Vol 40 (5) ◽  
pp. 647-669 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yichuan Wang ◽  
Minhao Zhang ◽  
Ying Kei Tse ◽  
Hing Kai Chan
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Customer Satisfaction ◽  
Customer Engagement ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Social Media Analytics ◽  
Content Type ◽  
External Stakeholder ◽  
Business Partners ◽  
External Stakeholders ◽  
The Impact

PurposeUnderpinned by the lens of Contingency Theory (CT), the purpose of this paper is to empirically evaluate whether the impact of social media analytics (SMA) on customer satisfaction (CS) is contingent on the characteristics of different external stakeholders, including business partners (i.e. partner diversity), competitors (i.e. localised competition) and customers (i.e. customer engagement).Design/methodology/approachUsing both subjective and objective measures from multiple sources, we collected primary data from 141 hotels operating in Greece and their archival data from TripAdvisor and the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels (HCH) database to test the hypothesised relationships. Data were analysed through structural equation modelling.FindingsThis study confirms the positive association between SMA and CS, but it remains subject to the varied characteristics of external stakeholders. We find that an increase in CS due to the implementation of SMA is more pronounced for firms that (1) adopt a selective distribution strategy where a limited number of business partners are chosen for collaboration or (2) operate in a highly competitive local environment. The results further indicate that high level of customer engagement amplifies the moderating effect of partner diversity (when it is low) and localised competition (when it is high) on the SMA–CS relationship.Originality/valueThe study provides novel insights for managers on the need to consider external stakeholder characteristics when implementing SMA to enhance firms' CS, and for researchers on the value of studying SMA implementation from the CT perspective.

Cross-cultural differences in the adoption of social media

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 119-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dhoha A. Alsaleh ◽  
Michael T. Elliott ◽  
Frank Q. Fu ◽  
Ramendra Thakur
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Cultural Influences ◽  
Cultural Characteristics ◽  
Modified Model ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Different Cultures ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Cross National

PurposeAs social media have become very popular and an integral part of the world economy in recent years, identifying factors that influence consumers’ attitudes toward social media sites has become a major goal of many researchers in academia and industry. This paper aims to identify factors that predict consumers’ attitudes and intentions toward usage of Instagram, a relatively new social media tool. In addition, it examines the role of an important dimension of culture – individualism vs collectivism –to determine cultural influences on the adoption of social media in the USA (i.e. an individualistic culture) and Kuwait (i.e. a collectivist culture).Design/methodology/approachData were collected from a convenience sample of undergraduate business and MBA students from Kuwait and the USA. To validate the measures for the constructs depicted in the conceptual model, the authors conducted an exploratory factor analysis using all items. They then conducted a confirmatory factor analysis to further evaluate the adequacy and validity of the measurement model. They also tested the hypotheses using structural equation modeling (SEM).FindingsOut of the nine hypotheses that were tested for significance, the SEM results indicated that seven hypotheses were significant. The results indicated a non-significant result between perceived critical mass is not a predictor of perceived usefulness and social influence to attitude.Research limitations/implicationsThe current study has some limitations that need to be recognized and can be used as guidelines for future research. First, college students represent only a portion of online users and may impact the external validity of our study. Hence, a more diverse sample with a broader range of ages, incomes, education levels, cultures and national origins would be advisable. Second, this study featured a dynamically continuous innovation (Instagram) rather than a discontinuous innovation. Third, other factors can be carried out to see other variables other than those described in this study to predict consumer’s attitude and intention to use the social media.Practical implicationsCultural characteristics such as individualism/collectivism would seem to be potentially useful when segmenting countries. The results of the current study indicate that the modified model is applicable to a cross-national group of social media users. This study demonstrates the impact of cultural characteristics on various technology adoption. Hence, managers must be aware that countries can be grouped according to the type of cultural effect within each. Each social media category, clusters can be formed consisting of countries that are expected to have similar usage patterns based on technological capability and social norms. By understanding the factors that influence each cluster of countries, firms can design customized social media programs.Social implicationsThis research provides valuable information to better understand the consumers’ attitudes and intentions toward the emerging social media landscape. Indeed, the popularity of social media has greatly changed the way in which people communicate in today’s world. In particular, Instagram has gradually become a major communication media for both social and business purposes. This research shed light into the factors that influence intentions to adopt social media across different cultures. It empirically examines the role of culture – individualism vs collectivism – by using two samples (i.e. Kuwait and the USA) to determine cultural influences on the adoption of social media in different cultures.Originality/valueUsing data drawn from Kuwait and US samples, this current study draws upon the theory of reasoned action (Fishbein and Ajzen, 1975) and the technology acceptance model (Davis, 1989). The results of the analysis indicate that the modified model is applicable to a cross-national group of social media users. Moreover, this study demonstrates the impact of cultural characteristics on various technology adoption constructs in the model.

Social media in government offices: usage and strategies

2020 ◽  
Vol 72 (4) ◽  
pp. 445-462
Author(s):  
Gal Yavetz ◽  
Noa Aharony
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Digital Media ◽  
Government Agencies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Government Organizations ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Government Websites ◽  
Use Of Social Media ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThe current study seeks to present and examine the strategies, management and dissemination of information on social media platforms by Israeli government organizations and agencies.Design/methodology/approachThe article uses the “Case Study” approach, through semi-structured, in-depth interviews conducted with directors in charge of the use of social media in government departments.FindingsThe findings indicate that government agencies tend to favor Facebook over other social network platforms, in order to reach the widest possible audience. They do this by adhering to the platform's limitations, such as regularly using sponsored advertising to increase reach and visibility, and also by publishing visual content, such as videos and images, at the expense of text. In addition, the impact of respondents to adopt social media outweighs the use and importance awarded to traditional government websites. A clear preference is evident toward cultivating and strengthening existing information on social media at the expense of further developing official websites.Originality/valueFindings and conclusions from this type of research can help digital media directors and content editors in government agencies, to improve the quality of their content and improve the accessibility of the information they share online. In addition, the findings of the study strengthen the growing body of knowledge focused on the relationship between government ministries and social media.

scholarly journals Engaging customers through user-and company-generated content on CSR

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 339-372 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alberto Badenes-Rocha ◽  
Carla Ruiz-Mafé ◽  
Enrique Bigné
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Hotel Industry ◽  
User Generated Content ◽  
Customer Engagement ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mixed Methods Approach ◽  
Customer Perceptions ◽  
Customer Trust ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This study aims to analyze the role of corporate social responsibility (CSR) customer perceptions, customer–company identification and customer trust on customer engagement (CE), paying special attention to the moderating effects of two types of social media communication, firm-generated content and user-generated content. Design/methodology/approach The study uses a mixed-methods’ approach. First, a single-factor experiment using Twitter posts as stimuli with 227 hotel guests. The structural model was analyzed using SmartPLS 3.2.7. Second, structured in-depth interviews were undertaken with three hotel industry experts to complement the conclusions of the quantitative study. Findings The results show that when a customer trusts a hotel and identifies with its corporate values, CSR tweets generate CE toward the hotel. CSR communications made by customers reinforce the impact of CSR tweets on customer trust more than CSR tweets posted by hotels. Hotel industry experts give insights to explain these results in different types of hotels. Practical implications CSR communications made through Twitter affect customers’ perceptions of a hotel’s CSR activities and customer trust in hotels, especially if they originate from a source external to the company. This result can be of use for hotel managers who have not previously given importance to active CSR communications or the interactivity of social media. Originality/value The authors show the moderating effect of user-generated content in the relationship between CSR customer perceptions and customer trust, thus contributing to the research into the effectiveness of social media. They use a mixed-methods’ approach to increase the validity of the results.

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