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1 – 10 of 340
Article
Publication date: 20 March 2017

Welf H. Weiger, Hauke A. Wetzel and Maik Hammerschmidt

The proliferation of online brand communities has shifted control over brands from firms to consumers. Demonstrating how marketers can stimulate consumers to use these…

2444

Abstract

Purpose

The proliferation of online brand communities has shifted control over brands from firms to consumers. Demonstrating how marketers can stimulate consumers to use these opportunities and engage with the brand in such communities, the purpose of this paper is to address the effectiveness of normative and utilitarian appeals commonly employed in practice for enhancing engagement intensity and brand equity in turn.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper presents two studies at an individual user level. The first study builds on matched data on marketing actions, user behavior, and user perceptions from a Facebook brand community. The second study uses an experiment with members of a firm-hosted online brand community. The authors employ seemingly unrelated regressions while controlling for self-selection.

Findings

Marketer-generated appeals have a positive effect on brand equity that is mediated by engagement intensity. However, the strength of these effects depends highly on community, user, and relationship characteristics.

Practical implications

Generally speaking, marketer-generated appeals are effective tools for marketers to build brand equity through enhanced user engagement. However, their effectiveness can be improved when managers use a targeted approach. To offer precise managerial guidance, this paper shows how entertainment value, content consumption asymmetry (e.g. whether a user prefers user-generated content over marketer-generated content), and membership duration increase or lower the impact of appeals in building the brand through engagement intensity.

Originality/value

The authors provide evidence that appeals designed to drive user engagement in online brand communities are effective tools for boosting brand equity.

Article
Publication date: 27 March 2019

Welf H. Weiger, Hauke A. Wetzel and Maik Hammerschmidt

Firms increasingly rely on content marketing to trigger user engagement in social media brand communities. The purpose of this paper is to examine how three generic types of…

1949

Abstract

Purpose

Firms increasingly rely on content marketing to trigger user engagement in social media brand communities. The purpose of this paper is to examine how three generic types of marketer-generated content (affiliative, injunctive and utilitarian content) drive user engagement by considering distinct motivational paths and the role of users’ preference for intimate (vs broad) social networks.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conduct a field survey and a scenario experiment among social media users across different brands from three different product categories. They examine the impact of marketer-generated content on user engagement while considering the moderating role of network intimacy (i.e. the mutual confiding within a user’s social network in terms of small social circles) and the mediating role of user motivations (i.e. autonomous vs controlled motivation for community membership).

Findings

The findings show that affiliative content (i.e. content that highlights shared values) drives user engagement through autonomous motivation, and utilitarian content (i.e. content that highlights tangible benefits) drives user engagement through controlled motivation. Notably, injunctive content (i.e. content that demands specific user behavior) is not a promising instrument to increase user engagement in social media brand communities when not targeted correctly.

Research limitations/implications

The authors link three generic content types derived from literature on communal systems to user engagement, demonstrate the motivational underpinnings of their translation into engagement behavior and show that network intimacy can explain why the same content type can impact user engagement through two motivational paths.

Practical implications

The authors present three types of content that marketers can craft to trigger users to engage with a brand’s social media community and show when this content is most effective and why. By examining the moderating role of network intimacy, this research aims at providing targeting implications to social media marketers.

Originality/value

This research provides new insights on the effectiveness of marketer-generated content. The authors reveal two motivational paths that compete in explaining the overall effectiveness of different types of marketer-generated content to fuel user engagement. The authors further demonstrate that these relationships depend on the intimacy of a user’s circle of online friends.

Details

European Journal of Marketing, vol. 53 no. 9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0309-0566

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 January 2023

Junhui He

This study examined how marketer- and user-generated photographs jointly influence consumers' online hotel booking.

Abstract

Purpose

This study examined how marketer- and user-generated photographs jointly influence consumers' online hotel booking.

Design/methodology/approach

Viewing photographs as stimuli that influence consumers' online hotel booking, this study proposes a research model and validates that using one quasi-experiment.

Findings

The findings of this study provide some empirical insights. Marketers can release room- and scene-related photographs. Users can release product- and social-related photographs. The interaction between room-related photographs by marketers and product-related photographs by users can promote energetic arousal and dominance and then promote online booking intention. The interaction between scene-related photographs by marketers and social-related photographs by users can promote energetic arousal and dominance and then promote online booking intention. Pleasure, energetic arousal and dominance can positively influence the attitude toward photographs. Pleasure and energetic arousal can positively influence the attitude toward photographs and then positively influence booking intention. Dominance can positively influence booking intention.

Originality/value

The findings of this study reveal significant interaction effects between marketer- and user-generated photographs on consumers' online booking. The findings will help researchers and marketers better understand the impact of photographs on consumers' online hotel booking.

Details

Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, vol. 35 no. 9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1355-5855

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 September 2021

Ernest Emeka Izogo and Mercy Mpinganjira

Marketer-generated value-laden social media digital content marketing (VSM-DCM) relates to content that is neither too “pushy” nor too “pully.” On the foundation of media…

1289

Abstract

Purpose

Marketer-generated value-laden social media digital content marketing (VSM-DCM) relates to content that is neither too “pushy” nor too “pully.” On the foundation of media engagement, motivation- and attitude-based theories, this study rationalizes and investigates the mechanism that underlies the effect of VSM-DCM on electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) intention.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors devised a 2 (product type: search vs. experience) × 3 (VSM-DCM: utilitarian vs. hedonic vs. utilitarian + hedonic) between-subject design (N = 360) after three pre-tests (N = 223).

Findings

The authors show that VSM-DCM formats are effective in enhancing brand attitude and eWOM intention for different products. Specifically, market-generated VSM-DCM that simultaneously embeds utilitarian and hedonic values is the most effective for optimizing brand attitude and eWOM intention in both search and experience product contexts. The effect of VSM-DCM formats on eWOM intention is mediated by brand attitude, while product type (search vs. experience) moderates this indirect effect.

Originality/value

This paper breaks new ground by highlighting the relevance of marketer-generated VSM-DCM in the DCM context and by illustrating the mechanism through which it leads to consumers’ intention to engage in eWOM. In so doing, it contributes to the debate on DCM implementation and the contextual factors that moderate the optimization of DCM outcomes.

Details

Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing, vol. 16 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2040-7122

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 28 January 2020

Ruibin Geng, Shichao Wang, Xi Chen, Danyang Song and Jie Yu

With the popularity of social media and, recently, live streaming, internet celebrity endorsements have become a prevalent approach to content marketing for e-commerce sellers…

17221

Abstract

Purpose

With the popularity of social media and, recently, live streaming, internet celebrity endorsements have become a prevalent approach to content marketing for e-commerce sellers. Despite the widespread use of social media and online communities, empirical studies investigating the economic value of user-generated content (UGC) and marketer-generated content (MGC) still lag behind. The purpose of this paper is to contribute both theoretically and practically to capture both first-order effects and second-order effects of internet celebrity endorsements on marketing outcomes in an e-commerce context.

Design/methodology/approach

This study conducts a cross-sectional regression to evaluate the economic value of internet celebrity endorsement, and a panel vector autoregressive model is adopted to examine the relationship between celebrities’ and consumers’ content marketing behaviors and e-commerce sales performance. The authors also adopt look-ahead propensity-score matching technique to correct for selection bias.

Findings

The empirical results show that the content generation efforts of marketers and the interaction behaviors between marketers and consumers will significantly influence the e-commerce sales, which refers to the first-order effects of internet celebrity endorsement. Moreover, interactions within the fan community exert second-order effects of content marketing on sales performance.

Originality/value

This paper provides new insights for e-commerce retailers to evaluate the economic values of internet celebrity endorsement, a new content marketing practice in e-commerce platform.

Details

Industrial Management & Data Systems, vol. 120 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0263-5577

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 15 December 2023

Yuhong Peng, Jianwei Ding and Yueyan Zhang

This study examines the relationship between streamers' product descriptions, customer comments and online sales and focuses on the moderating effect of streamer–viewer…

Abstract

Purpose

This study examines the relationship between streamers' product descriptions, customer comments and online sales and focuses on the moderating effect of streamer–viewer relationship strength.

Design/methodology/approach

Between June 2021 and April 2022, the structured data of 965 livestreaming and unstructured text data of 42,956,147 characters from two major live-streaming platforms were collected for the study. Text analysis and regression analysis methods were employed for data analysis.

Findings

First, the authors' analysis reveals an inverted U-shaped relationship between comment length and product sales. Notably, comment volume and comment emotion positively influence product sales. Furthermore, the semantic richness, emotion and readability of streamers' product descriptions also positively influence product sales. Secondly, the authors find that the strength of streamer–viewer relationship weakens the positive effects of comment volume and comment emotion without moderating the inverted U-shaped effect of comment length. Lastly, the strength of streamer–viewer relationship also diminishes the positive effects of emotion, semantics and readability of streamers' product descriptions on product sales.

Originality/value

This study is the first to concurrently examine the direct and interactive effects of user-generated content (UGC) and marketer-generated content (MGC) on consumer purchase behaviors in livestreaming e-commerce, offering a novel perspective on individual decision-making and cue utilization in the social retail context.

Details

Marketing Intelligence & Planning, vol. 42 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0263-4503

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 3 April 2019

Francisca Blasco-Lopez, Nuria Recuero Virto, Joaquin Aldas Manzano and Daniela Cruz Delgado

The purpose of this paper is to examine the role that Facebook Fan Pages (FFPs) play in the generation of visit intention. The study has three objectives: first, to examine the…

4734

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the role that Facebook Fan Pages (FFPs) play in the generation of visit intention. The study has three objectives: first, to examine the effects of museum-generated content (MGC) on perceived information quality and perceived customer service and perceived information quality and perceived customer service on visit intention and, second, to test the model with two samples to make comparisons that provide useful insights.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected through an online survey that achieved 308 valid responses. A multi-group analysis was conducted to compare the results from two groups: users of the Frida Kahlo museum and Anahuacalli museum FFPs.

Findings

The results reveal that there are significant differences between the two samples regarding the direct effects of perceived information quality on visit intention and perceived customer service on visit intention. The authors also noted a slight difference between the two museums’ FFPs in the relationship between MGC and perceived information quality.

Research limitations/implications

Further research is needed to examine other FFP factors that influence visit intention to clarify the results obtained from the two samples and to analyse the proposed model in other settings. This research contributes to the literature concerning the impact of online platforms on visit intention.

Originality/value

The findings provide useful insights for managers as to how to increase their FFP followers’ intention to visit their establishments.

Objetivo

El propósito de esta investigación es examinar el papel que desempeñan las páginas de fans de Facebook (PFFs) en la generación de intenciones de visita. El objetivo de este estudio es doble: primero, examinar los efectos del contenido generado por el museo sobre la calidad de la información percibida y el atención al cliente percibido, y la calidad de la información percibida y el atención al cliente percibido sobre las intenciones de la visita y el segundo, probar el modelo en dos muestras para establecer una comparación que proporcione ideas útiles.

Diseño/metodología

Los datos fueron recogidos a través de una encuesta online de 308 respuestas válidas. Se realiza un análisis multigrupo para comparar los resultados entre dos grupos: PFF del museo de Frida Kahlo y la PFF del museo Anahuacalli.

Resultados

Los resultados revelan que existen diferencias significativas entre las dos muestras con respecto a los efectos directos de la calidad de la información percibida en las intenciones de visita y el servicio al cliente percibido en las intenciones de visita. También se ha observado una ligera diferencia entre las PFF de los dos museos en la relación entre el contenido generado por el museo y la calidad de la información percibida.

Limitaciones/implicaciones

Se necesita más investigación para examinar otros factores en las PFF que influyen en las intenciones de visitar, aclarar los diferentes resultados obtenidos en las dos muestras y analizar el modelo propuesto en otros entornos. Esta investigación contribuye a la literatura sobre el impacto de las plataformas online en las intenciones de visitar.

Originalidad/valor

Los resultados proporcionan información útil para los gerentes sobre cómo aumentar las intenciones de sus seguidores de visitar sus establecimientos.

Palabras clave

Intención de visitar, Contenido generado por el museo, Calidad de la información percibida, Atención al cliente percibido, Facebook

Tipo de artículo

Trabajo de investigación

Details

Spanish Journal of Marketing - ESIC, vol. 23 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2444-9709

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 19 October 2022

Valeria Noguti

This paper aims to understand how structural characteristics of social media enable consumers to satisfy needs related to marketer-generated content (MGC) and identify the…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to understand how structural characteristics of social media enable consumers to satisfy needs related to marketer-generated content (MGC) and identify the consequences of consumer exposure to MGC.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper revisits research on antecedents and consequences of advertising consumption to build an emergent conceptual model applied to MGC through the investigation of consumer experiences in social media. Thirty-three semi-structured interviews were conducted with consumers who follow brands on Instagram. The interview transcripts were coded and analysed using a grounded theory approach.

Findings

This study finds that, structurally, MGC consumption is characterised by the combination of: consumer micro-control over both content and timing/place of consumption and ease of consumption, enabling consumers to seek pleasure and utility without effort. The data show that MGC is only likely to be shared to a restricted group with strong social connections, such as family members and close friends with similar interests, with whom new interactions develop over brands and products, online or in person. MGC consumption experiences also generate significant consumer learning that improves purchase outcomes for consumers. Three types of MGC consumers were identified in the data: “enthusiasts”, “circumstantial” and “occasional”.

Research limitations/implications

This study updates previous literature, offering a conceptual framework that specifies how the structural characteristics of social media are conducive to consumer exposure to self-curated MGC flows. This research also uncovers unique social dynamics and consumer learning related to MGC consumption.

Practical implications

Insights from this study suggest alternative business models that may be attractive for consumers, brands and social media platforms. This research also suggests ways in which brands can improve consumer MGC experiences.

Originality/value

This research demonstrates how and why consumers embrace MGC at scale through social media and reveals consequences of MGC consumption.

Details

European Journal of Marketing, vol. 56 no. 12
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0309-0566

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 6 February 2019

Mira Lee, Jieun Lee and Elizabeth Quilliam

This study examined both American and Korean consumers’ motivation to share marketer-generated content (MGC) on Facebook and how these motives are related to the frequency of…

1161

Abstract

Purpose

This study examined both American and Korean consumers’ motivation to share marketer-generated content (MGC) on Facebook and how these motives are related to the frequency of various types of sharing activities and the frequency of sharing various types of MGC.

Design/methodology/approach

An online survey was conducted in the US and Korea.

Findings

The findings demonstrated that both American and Korean consumers share MGC for several reasons: liking/helping the brand, self-presentation/social interaction, economic rewards, and entertainment. In addition to these four motivations, Korean consumers also share MGC with others to offer information that may be of use to them. These different types of motivations were associated with the frequency of sharing MGC directly from Facebook brand pages, of re-sharing what Facebook friends shared first, of adding comments when sharing, and of sharing different types of MGC differently. We found similarities and differences in the patterns of these relationships between the US and Korea.

Originality/value

Although many studies on electronic word of mouth (eWOM) have examined consumers’ motivations for providing consumer-generated content, research on consumer motivations to forward marketer-generated content is scarce. Additionally, earlier work examined the influences of motivation on sharing in general and on a certain type of MGC. Our findings that focused on various types of motivations to share MGC, and their influences on various types of MGC and specific types of sharing activities can provide a more complete picture than what was previously available in the eWOM literature. Further, by comparing American consumers’ motivations to share MGC on SNSs and their influences on sharing activities with those of Korean consumers, this study contributes to building a body of cross-cultural studies on consumer sharing of MGC.

Details

Journal of Consumer Marketing, vol. 36 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0736-3761

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 28 June 2021

Si Tan and Weiping Chen

Leveraging marketer-generated content (MGC) can increase firms' success. However, few studies uncover the effects of MGC-related attributes on consumer engagement in the context…

1122

Abstract

Purpose

Leveraging marketer-generated content (MGC) can increase firms' success. However, few studies uncover the effects of MGC-related attributes on consumer engagement in the context of food marketing. This paper aims to explore the influence of MGC characteristics (valence, content types, vividness and interactivity) on consumer engagement.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses WeChat official account data of seven food companies from China and conducts negative binomial regression models.

Findings

The findings indicate that different MGC-related characteristics have separate impacts on consumer WeChat engagement. Title valence, transactional title content and title with punctuation vividness negatively affect consumers' consuming engagement. Knowledgeable or entertaining title content and title with interactivity both positively affect consumers' consuming engagement. Moreover, transactional body text content negatively influences consumers' contributing engagement, whereas entertaining body text content shows positive effects. Vivid and interactive MGC body text attributes enhance consumers' contributing engagement behavior.

Originality/value

This study contributes to social media research in food marketplaces and sheds light on the effect of different WeChat MGC characteristics on separate consumer engagement.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 124 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

Keywords

1 – 10 of 340