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Article
Publication date: 30 November 2022

Jenna Jacobson, Adriana Gomes Rinaldi and Janice Rudkowski

The paper aims to examine how employees influence their employer’s brand by applying Taylor’s (1999) six segment message strategy wheel in an employee influencer context.

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Abstract

Purpose

The paper aims to examine how employees influence their employer’s brand by applying Taylor’s (1999) six segment message strategy wheel in an employee influencer context.

Design/methodology/approach

The research uses a content analysis of employees’ public social media posts – including captions and images – to analyze the message strategies employees use to promote their employers.

Findings

While ego and social were popular message strategies in both the images and captions, the findings evidence the varying message strategies employees use in text-based versus image-based messages. Four “imagined audiences” of employee influencers are identified: current customers, prospective customers, current employees and prospective employees.

Research limitations/implications

The research provides insight into how employees act as influencers in building their employer brand on social media.

Practical implications

A unique measurement tool is developed that can be used by companies and future researchers to decode employees’ online communications.

Originality/value

This research contributes to theory and practice in the following important ways. First, the research provides a modernization of an existing framework from an offline setting to an applied industry context in an online setting. Second, this research focuses on a subtype of social media influencer, the employee influencer, which is an underdeveloped area of research. Third, a unique measurement tool to analyze text-based and image-based social media data is developed that can be used by companies and future researchers to decode employees’ online communications.

Details

European Journal of Marketing, vol. 57 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0309-0566

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 19 April 2022

N. Nurlaela Arief, Anne Gregory, Aria Bayu Pangestu, Dany Muhammad Athory Ramdlany and I Made Ariya Sanjaya

The purpose of this study is to explore how Indonesian state-owned enterprises (SOEs) select and “manage” employee influencers in order to engage more effectively with younger…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explore how Indonesian state-owned enterprises (SOEs) select and “manage” employee influencers in order to engage more effectively with younger generations.

Design/methodology/approach

The study applies a mixed-methods approach. Quantitative data were obtained by analyzing Instagram content with samples for analysis being taken from company-related posts from June 2018 to June 2020. Qualitative data collection was by two focus group discussions (FGD). The FGDs comprised in total, 22 employee influencers representing the 11 sectors of SOEs in Indonesia.

Findings

The article examines how employee influencers engage with others; how they are chosen by their organizations; how they are managed and the support they need from their employers. It was discovered that a careful triangulation is required between employees as influencers, their followers and SOE communication hubs. A key factor is maintaining the authentic relationship between employee influencers and their followers. A conceptual model of employee influencer management for Indonesia is proposed.

Research limitations/implications

The research provides useful insights for communication management, marketing, and human resources in developing and supporting the role of employee influencers.

Practical implications

The research provides useful insights for communication management, marketing and human resources in developing and supporting the role of employee influencers. The suggested model is of practical utility for SOEs for managing employee influencers in Indonesia and provides valuable indicators for other countries.

Originality/value

The study of SOEs’ employee influencers has not been explored previously in the literature. This, combined with the Indonesian perspective, brings new insights to the field. Social media use is especially high in Indonesia, so it acts as a good exemplar for the field. It also builds on the growing literature about the importance of employees as influencer, especially in the social media space. The model also make a theoretical contribution.

Details

Journal of Communication Management, vol. 26 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1363-254X

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 12 May 2021

Donna Smith, Jenna Jacobson and Janice L. Rudkowski

The practice of frontline employees articulating their brand voice and posting work-related content on social media has emerged; however, employee brand equity (EBE) research has…

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Abstract

Purpose

The practice of frontline employees articulating their brand voice and posting work-related content on social media has emerged; however, employee brand equity (EBE) research has yet to be linked to employees’ social media activity. This paper aims to take a methods-based approach to better understand employees’ roles as influencers. As such, its objective is to operationalize and apply the three EBE dimensions – brand consistent behavior, brand endorsement and brand allegiance – using Instagram data.

Design/methodology/approach

This qualitative research uses a case study of employee influencers at SoulCycle, a leading North American fitness company and examines 100 Instagram images and 100 captions from these influential employees to assess the three EBE dimensions.

Findings

Brand consistent behavior (what employees do) was the most important EBE dimension indicating that employees’ social media activities align with their employer’s values. Brand allegiance (what employees intend to do in the future) whereby employees self-identify with their employer on social media, followed. Brand endorsement (what employees say) was the least influential of the three EBE dimensions, which may indicate a higher level of perceived authenticity from a consumer perspective.

Originality/value

This research makes three contributions. First, it presents a novel measure of EBE using public Instagram data. Second, it represents a unique expansion and an evolution of King et al.’s (2012) model. Third, it considers employees’ work-related content on social media to understand employees’ role as influencers and their co-creation of EBE, which is currently an under-represented perspective in the internal branding literature.

Details

Journal of Product & Brand Management, vol. 30 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1061-0421

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 5 October 2023

Dominyka Venciute, Lukas Karalius, James Reardon and Vilte Auruskeviciene

This study aims to examine how employee advocacy, via the value and credibility of their professional social media content, affects their followers’ attitudes toward the brand…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to examine how employee advocacy, via the value and credibility of their professional social media content, affects their followers’ attitudes toward the brand through the mediating role of parasocial relationships.

Design/methodology/approach

A quantitative research was used, and questionnaires were answered by LinkedIn users who follow at least one person they consider to be an employee advocate. A total of 390 responses were analyzed using structural equation modeling.

Findings

The results suggest that the credibility of an employee advocate positively impacts the parasocial relationship between the user and the employee, which, in turn, impacts the user’s attitude toward the brand represented by the employee advocate.

Practical implications

The results of this study suggest that employee advocacy on LinkedIn can shape positive attitudes toward the advocate’s brand. These findings suggest that organizations should consider employee content and credibility as strategic tools in marketing communications.

Originality/value

This study delineates the linkages between the credibility and content value of the employee advocate, the parasocial relationship they have with followers and their attitude toward the brand. This research contributes to the literature on employee advocacy and studies on the concepts of parasocial interactions and relationships.

Details

Journal of Product & Brand Management, vol. 32 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1061-0421

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 26 May 2022

Andreas Hesse, Holger J. Schmidt, Ronja Bosslet, Mariella Häusler and Aileen Schneider

Though employees are important stakeholders of a brand, their role in building brand equity has long been neglected. This study aims to deepen the understanding of employees’…

Abstract

Purpose

Though employees are important stakeholders of a brand, their role in building brand equity has long been neglected. This study aims to deepen the understanding of employees’ brand co-creation efforts and their contribution to employee-based brand equity (EBBE).

Design/methodology/approach

The study analyses implicit and explicit communication activities by employees on the social media network LinkedIn and quantifies the contribution of their posts to EBBE. Data has been gathered from more than 1,300 posts and 130 private accounts, representing different employee groups of five corporate brands.

Findings

The investigation illustrates the high importance of brand co-creation in social networks by employees and helps practitioners to better understand the underlying processes.

Research limitations/implications

Case-study research has limitations of generalisability. However, the authors unveil important limits to exploiting the autonomy of employees’ word-of-mouth communication.

Practical implications

Under a co-creative perspective, every social media activity of an employee can be a positive contribution to a brand’s equity. Therefore, companies should closely monitor EBBE.

Originality/value

The authors draw on basic conceptual insights and empirical work by other researchers but extend and interpret them in a new context. The study provides initial indications of key antecedents of and barriers to successful management of employees’ brand co-creation activities.

Details

European Journal of Marketing, vol. 56 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0309-0566

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 30 September 2022

Thilini Chathurika Gamage and Nicholas Jeremy Ashill

Despite the increasing popularity of influencer marketing, there exists a lack of understanding of how content created by social media influencers stimulates the pre-purchase…

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Abstract

Purpose

Despite the increasing popularity of influencer marketing, there exists a lack of understanding of how content created by social media influencers stimulates the pre-purchase behaviour of followers. Based on the stimulus-organism-response framework, this paper aims to address this lacuna by examining how influencer-created content affects the willingness of followers to search for more information related to the posted product.

Design/methodology/approach

A cross-sectional research design uses a web-based questionnaire among Instagram users in Sri Lanka. Structural equation modelling with analysis of moment structures 27 and SPSS PROCESS macro are used for hypothesis testing.

Findings

Findings indicate that the commercial orientation of influencer-created content reduces follower trustworthiness towards them and the perceived credibility of the content. Mediation results demonstrate that the commercial orientation of influencer-created content negatively affects follower willingness to search for more information related to the posted product through trustworthiness and perceived credibility.

Practical implications

When adopting influencer marketing to stimulate information search behaviour, marketing practitioners should carefully examine the commercial orientation of the content of the messages posted by social media influencers to maintain high levels of follower trustworthiness towards the influencer and positive follower credibility perceptions of the message.

Originality/value

This paper adds to influencer marketing literature by demonstrating the underlying process through which the commercial orientation of influencer-created content impacts follower willingness to search for product-related information.

Details

Journal of Product & Brand Management, vol. 32 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1061-0421

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 December 2001

Dianne Dean and Robin Croft

Proposes a prescriptive model for political marketing based loosely on the Six Markets Model of relationship marketing. The rationale for this is to be found in an analysis of the…

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Abstract

Proposes a prescriptive model for political marketing based loosely on the Six Markets Model of relationship marketing. The rationale for this is to be found in an analysis of the historical treatment of political marketing, from within both disciplines. Argues that many of the conventional axioms of marketing are inappropriate in politics, and observes how in political science, as in marketing itself, there is a questioning ofthe fundamental rational foundations of anumber of key theoretical constructs. In proposing a multiple markets model for politics, cites as evidence the fact that many of the approaches advocated appear already to have been adopted during the 1997 general election campaign of the British Labour Party.

Details

European Journal of Marketing, vol. 35 no. 11/12
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0309-0566

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 22 November 2023

Bianca Sousa and Pedro Ferreira

Through a systematic literature review, this paper aims to endeavor to present a thorough historical perspective on the evolution of employee-based brand equity (EBBE), offering a…

Abstract

Purpose

Through a systematic literature review, this paper aims to endeavor to present a thorough historical perspective on the evolution of employee-based brand equity (EBBE), offering a comprehensive understanding of its development. The study explores the general model, causes and effects of EBBE, as well as the role of culture, leadership and brand management in building EBBE. The paper proposes an integrative framework to understand the interrelationships between the various dimensions of EBBE and offers practical guidelines for future research and the business world.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses a systematic literature review approach to analyze and synthesize 30 studies on EBBE retrieved from SCOPUS and Web of Science. The analysis involves a thematic and content-based examination of the literature, which is organized into three thematic groups.

Findings

The review highlights the importance of EBBE as a driver of organizational performance and success. The paper identifies the evolution of the major themes, trends and debates in the literature and suggests areas for future research. It underscores the need for more qualitative, multi-level and longitudinal research on EBBE, as well as the exploration of the links between EBBE and other forms of brand equity.

Originality/value

This paper is one of the first systematic literature reviews of EBBE, offering a comprehensive and integrated view of the existing literature since the beginning of this concept. The paper’s originality lies in its proposed integrative framework that captures the interrelationships between the various dimensions of EBBE and provides practical guidelines for future research and the business world.

Details

Journal of Management History, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1751-1348

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 17 October 2023

Granit Baca and Nail Reshidi

The purpose of this study is to propose a conceptual framework for measuring and managing employee-based brand equity. Drawing upon existing research, the authors argue that…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to propose a conceptual framework for measuring and managing employee-based brand equity. Drawing upon existing research, the authors argue that internal brand management should be approached from professional and socio-emotional perspectives.

Design/methodology/approach

The study establishes a comprehensive conceptual framework by thoroughly reviewing existing literature on employee-based brand equity and internal marketing. It builds upon existing research while adding unique insights to deepen the understanding of the subject.

Findings

The proposed conceptual framework highlights the importance of both professional and socio-emotional factors in building and managing employee-based brand equity. The framework emphasises the role of employees’ emotions, values and relationships in shaping their brand-related behaviours and their functional role in delivering brand promises.

Research limitations/implications

This paper offers a theoretical foundation for future research in internal branding. However, the framework is not empirically tested, and further research is needed to validate and refine the framework. Organisations can develop more effective internal branding strategies that enhance brand equity by recognising the importance of both professional and socio-emotional factors in shaping employees’ brand-related behaviours.

Practical implications

Organisations can develop more effective internal branding strategies that enhance brand equity by recognising the importance of both professional and socio-emotional factors in shaping employees’ brand-related behaviours.

Originality/value

This study presents a novel approach to internal brand management, introducing a unique, dual-perspective model. This enriches the current body of literature and provides fresh insights for academics and practitioners in the field of marketing and brand management.

Details

Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal, vol. 26 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1352-2752

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 5 May 2023

Sang Bong Lee, Shih-Hao Liu, Carl P. Maertz, Nitish Singh and James Fisher

This study aims to identify different antecedents and reveal divergent moderating effects of horizontal collectivism, thereby unlocking the asymmetric mechanisms for employees’…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to identify different antecedents and reveal divergent moderating effects of horizontal collectivism, thereby unlocking the asymmetric mechanisms for employees’ brand citizenship behavior (BCB) and negative word-of-mouth (NWOM).

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses a survey data set and analyzes it with structural equation modeling along with common latent factor analysis designed to control for common method variance.

Findings

BCB is associated with pride at work but not perceived organizational support (POS), so POS drives BCB not directly but indirectly through the emotion of pride at work. In contrast, employees’ NWOM is associated with both POS and frustration, and POS drives NWOM directly and indirectly through the emotion of frustration. Horizontal collectivism has divergent moderating effects that strengthen the relationships of BCB with POS and pride at work and weaken the relationship between employees’ NWOM and frustration.

Originality/value

This study makes two major theoretical contributions to internal branding. First, as a response to the need for an investigation into drivers of employees’ brand-oriented behaviors, it will identify different psychological antecedents and mechanisms for BCB and employees’ NWOM. Second, capturing the potential of horizontal collectivism on employees’ brand-oriented behaviors, this study will reveal the potential divergent moderating effects of horizontal collectivism on BCB and employees’ NWOM. These two contributions will lead to a better understanding of the different mechanisms for employees’ BCB and NWOM.

Details

Journal of Product & Brand Management, vol. 32 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1061-0421

Keywords

1 – 10 of over 3000