Informing brand messaging strategies via social media analytics
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to offer a theory-driven, evidence-based approach to developing a brand’s messaging strategies on social media encompassing three messaging dimensions, namely, appeal, content, and richness.
Design/methodology/approach
Using longitudinal data from three Fortune 200 companies – Delta Airlines, Wal-Mart, and McDonald’s – the authors empirically investigate comprehensive strategic messaging framework. Using ANOVAs and regression analyses, the authors test a set of hypotheses regarding the relations between a brand ' s purchase involvement, its message appeal, message content, and message richness, and engagement.
Findings
Findings reveal significant relations between purchase involvement and appeal. Furthermore, the authors find that abstract content categories are best combined with richer media. Finally, both transformation appeal and richer media have a highly significant and positive effect on engagement.
Research limitations/implications
The authors offer a theoretical ground and empirical validation of both a comprehensive typology of content categories and a holistic strategic messaging framework that can fill a significant void in the social media marketing literature that lacks integrative models for assessing, classifying, analyzing, and in turn, informing future social media marketing strategies.
Practical implications
The validated framework can help managers better understand the diversity of messaging components as well as offer an analytical tool for assessing the nature of engagement associated with each appeal and category.
Originality/value
To the best of the author’s knowledge, this paper offers the first comprehensive typology of content categories and validates it in the context of a strategic messages framework using real-world data finding strong support for all hypotheses.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This research was supported by Leo Burnett Detroit (www.lbdetroit.com). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of Leo Burnet Detroit.
Citation
Coursaris, C.K., van Osch, W. and Balogh, B.A. (2016), "Informing brand messaging strategies via social media analytics", Online Information Review, Vol. 40 No. 1, pp. 6-24. https://doi.org/10.1108/OIR-02-2015-0062
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2016, Emerald Group Publishing Limited