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1 – 10 of over 56000Fan-Chen Tseng, T.C.E. Cheng, Pei-Ling Yu, Tzu-Ling Huang and Ching-I. Teng
Mobile instant messaging (MIM) apps could provide rich and instant information in employees’ communication. However, how media richness impacts MIM user loyalty is unknown. The…
Abstract
Purpose
Mobile instant messaging (MIM) apps could provide rich and instant information in employees’ communication. However, how media richness impacts MIM user loyalty is unknown. The purpose of this paper is to adopt media richness and social presence theories as theoretical foundations to address this insufficiency.
Design/methodology/approach
Collecting 247 responses from an online survey, the authors use structural equation modelling for data analysis and hypothesis testing.
Findings
The authors found that immediate feedback and personal focus are the main aspects of media richness that are positively related to social presence, relatedness need satisfaction and user loyalty to MIM.
Originality/value
This is the first study using two pertinent theories to explain how aspects of media richness affect user loyalty to MIM. The present findings suggest that firms developing MIM apps focus on immediate feedback and personal focus as effective means to encourage user loyalty.
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Razaz Waheeb Attar, Asra Amidi and Nick Hajli
E-commerce and social media technologies can significantly benefit the food and beverage industry by reducing costs, streamlining supply activities, and, most importantly…
Abstract
Purpose
E-commerce and social media technologies can significantly benefit the food and beverage industry by reducing costs, streamlining supply activities, and, most importantly, engaging users in active interaction and enhancing social presence. This research aims to propose a model to examine the role of trust and social presence on loyalty in the food and beverage industry. Moreover, the mediating role of trust is the link between social presence and loyalty examined in this study.
Design/methodology/approach
A survey has been conducted to examine the structural model. The research model is tested using structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM).
Findings
The result indicated the effect of Social presence and Trust in social media on Customer loyalty in the context of online shopping. Our finding contributes remarkable insights into the food and beverage industry, particularly in the COVID-19 era, as more consumers buy through e-commerce platforms.
Originality/value
This study expands the understanding of the role of the managers of social commerce websites in maintaining customer loyalty. Hence, the social commerce site managers can use this finding to develop strategies for building customer trust and, ultimately, customer loyalty.
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S. Venus Jin, Ehri Ryu and Aziz Muqaddam
Social media campaigns by fashion brands typically rely on two types of accounts: official brands' accounts and social media influencers' accounts. The current study investigates…
Abstract
Purpose
Social media campaigns by fashion brands typically rely on two types of accounts: official brands' accounts and social media influencers' accounts. The current study investigates relevant mechanisms that explain the effectiveness of Instagram posts contingent upon their account types (commercial brand's Instagram account versus influencer's Instagram account) and content types (the absence versus presence of human figures in the posted contents).
Design/methodology/approach
Conducting an online experiment (N Females = 195), it was tested if parasocial interaction (PSI) and feelings of social presence moderate the effects of Instagram accounts' promotional posts on consumers' perceived trustworthiness of the endorsed fashion brand. The experiment employed a 2 (Type of Instagram posts: product-only posts versus product posts with a person content) × 2 (Type of Instagram account: a fashion-brand account versus a a fashion-influencer account) between-subjects factorial design.
Findings
Results demonstrate three-way interaction effects among the type of the Instagram account, the type of Instagram posts and PSI/social presence on the perceived trustworthiness of a brand. When the content is coming from a fashion-influencer account, there is no difference between product posts with a person and product-only posts conditions with regard to the positive relationship between PSI/social presence and trustworthiness. In contrast, when the source is a fashion-brand account on Instagram, the positive relationship between PSI/social presence and trustworthiness is stronger for product posts with a person. These findings suggest that Instagram posts that are promoted by fashion influencers would have similar effects of PSI and social presence, even if they do not appear themselves in the branded content.
Originality/value
This research contributes to our understanding of the effective antecedents of trustworthiness in social media-based fashion marketing and fashion brand management. Instagram account types and content types influence the extent to which social media communication allows for the formation of emotional ties with and positive evaluation of the fashion brand.
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Wimmala Pongpaew, Mark Speece and Leela Tiangsoongnern
Business use of social media is increasing rapidly as marketers aim to increase customer brand engagement (CBE) in brand communities to enhance the brand experience. However, use…
Abstract
Purpose
Business use of social media is increasing rapidly as marketers aim to increase customer brand engagement (CBE) in brand communities to enhance the brand experience. However, use of social media for marketing communications is not well understood. This study aims to examine manager and user views of CBE and effects of perceived social presence (PSP) on CBE in a corporate Facebook environment.
Design/methodology/approach
Qualitative in-depth interviews are conducted with 18 users of corporate Facebook – i.e. those who visit corporate Facebook regularly – and four marketing managers whose companies operate Facebook pages. The industry is smart-information technology devices, and the cultural context is Thailand.
Findings
Corporate Facebook sites with high SP functions foster customer engagement on cognitive, emotional and behavioral levels. PSP enhances product knowledge and encourages return page visits. Thus, CBE and PSP build brand trust and loyalty. However, managers may need to focus more on the nature of the brand community beyond the corporate Facebook page.
Practical implications
Companies that enrich their corporate Facebook with SP features can encourage CBE. Consumers feel more informed about the brand and therefore feel more positively about it, which enhances the brand experience and brand trust. This holds even for lurkers who do not behaviorally engage on the Facebook page much, but who are active in the broader brand community.
Originality/value
This paper studies the relationship between PSP and CBE in a corporate Facebook environment, providing insights into how PSP influences CBE, which can enhance the customer’s brand experience and contribute to brand perceptions.
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Jeff McCarthy, Jennifer Rowley, Catherine Jane Ashworth and Elke Pioch
The purpose of this paper is to contribute knowledge on the issues and benefits associated with managing brand presence and relationships through social media. UK football clubs…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to contribute knowledge on the issues and benefits associated with managing brand presence and relationships through social media. UK football clubs are big businesses, with committed communities of fans, so are an ideal context from which to develop an understanding of the issues and challenges facing organisations as they seek to protect and promote their brand online.
Design/methodology/approach
Due to the emergent nature of social media, and the criticality of the relationships between clubs and their fans, an exploratory study using a multiple case study approach was used to gather rich insights into the phenomenon.
Findings
Clubs agreed that further development of social media strategies had potential to deliver interaction and engagement, community growth and belonging, traffic flow to official web sites and commercial gain. However, in developing their social media strategies they had two key concerns. The first concern was the control of the brand presence and image in social media, and how to respond to the opportunities that social media present to fans to impact on the brand. The second concern was how to strike an appropriate balance between strategies that deliver short-term revenue, and those that build longer term brand loyalty.
Originality/value
This research is the first to offer insights into the issues facing organisations when developing their social media strategy.
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Patrick Merle and Karen Freberg
The purpose of this study is to explore whether public relations professors’ presence on social media and the inclusion of a social media assignment influence students’…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to explore whether public relations professors’ presence on social media and the inclusion of a social media assignment influence students’ perceptions of a course.
Design/methodology/approach
The experimental portion of this investigation consisted of a 2 (the presence or absence of a professor’s social media accounts) × 2 (the presence or absence of a social media assignment) factorial design resulting in four conditions.
Findings
The presence of a social media assignment positively influences students’ intent to register for a public relations course.
Research limitations/implications
The manipulation of a professor’s social media use and the inclusion of a social media assignment might have been too subtle. A more explicit scenario might elicit more reactions from the participants.
Practical implications
This study discussed key findings and best practices for professors who may want to use social media and the use of social media assignments in the classroom.
Originality/value
This experimental investigation emerged from a distinct need to understand whether university students expect their professors to engage in social media activities.
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Ana Paula Kieling, Rafael Tezza and Guilherme Lima Vargas
This study aims to expand previous work on website stage models by proposing a new model including a dimension encompassing digital integration and the context of mobile, digital…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to expand previous work on website stage models by proposing a new model including a dimension encompassing digital integration and the context of mobile, digital marketing and new technologies. Also, this study aims to classify Brazilian wineries using the stage model proposed and verify if the designated stages influence the wineries’ presence in digital and mobile media.
Design/methodology/approach
Observational research and quantitative content analysis were adopted to examine a sample of winery websites (N = 150) located in different states and regions of Brazil and create a new website stage model. After the new model’s development, the authors conducted a statistic analysis by running a one-factor analysis of variance to assess the influence of the company’s stage in the use of digital media and mobile strategies, as well as its impacts on market development.
Findings
The results suggested a quite mature market regarding website stage position, even though there is still room for growth and technological innovation. Also, the research findings show that there is a positive association between the company’s stage in the use of digital and mobile media strategies. In other words, the more advanced the winery stage, the greater its digital media and mobile presence.
Originality/value
While previous studies attempted to identify wineries’ stages through models, this study presents a new approach by updating the past studies’ stages as well as providing and testing a digital media and mobile dimension. This research contributes to consolidating the Brazilian wine industry position regarding its presence in digital and mobile media, bringing reflections to organizations, society and theory development.
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Pianpian Yang, Hong Sheng, Congcong Yang and Yuanyue Feng
This research examines the underlying psychological process of customers' impulsive buying on social media through the lens of customer inspiration. Drawing on the customer…
Abstract
Purpose
This research examines the underlying psychological process of customers' impulsive buying on social media through the lens of customer inspiration. Drawing on the customer inspiration theory, it identifies the factors influencing customer inspiration on social media from three perspectives: source characteristics, platform characteristics and personal characteristics, which subsequently lead to impulsive buying. Since the conceptualization of source credibility includes three mostly reported components: attractiveness, expertise and trustworthiness, it further contrasts the effects of three dimensions of source credibility on customer inspiration.
Design/methodology/approach
A structural equation model of customers' impulsive buying on social media was developed through the lens of customer inspiration. An online survey with 625 participants was conducted to test the hypotheses, and the partial least squares (PLS3) method was used.
Findings
This research found that source credibility, social presence and customer innovativeness are antecedents of customer inspiration on social media, which positively influence the inspired-by state of the customers, which impacts the inspired-to state and further leads to impulsive buying. By comparing the three dimensions of source credibility, the authors found that attractiveness and expertise positively affect the inspired-by state, while trustworthiness has no significant effect.
Originality/value
This research establishes the link between impulsive buying and customer inspiration, which provides a new psychological perspective to understand impulsive buying. In addition, it investigates the source characteristics of customer inspiration by comparing the effect of three dimensions of source credibility on customer inspiration, which provides the first evidence for connecting customer inspiration and source credibility.
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Maria Karampela, Ewelina Lacka and Graeme McLean
In business-to-business (B2B) settings, research on social media sites (SMS) has primarily examined the benefits and challenges relating to their use, as well as factors driving…
Abstract
Purpose
In business-to-business (B2B) settings, research on social media sites (SMS) has primarily examined the benefits and challenges relating to their use, as well as factors driving their adoption. Recently, attention has turned to the consequences of using SMS in B2B markets. The purpose of this paper is to extend this line of research by investigating the impact of B2B brands’ social media presence, interactivity and responsiveness on customers’ perceptions of four indicators of brand relationship strength (commitment, intimacy, satisfaction and partner quality).
Design/methodology/approach
Data from an online survey (N = 200) with customers of UK-based B2B firms were analysed using structural equation modelling.
Findings
The study reveals that a supplier’s presence on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook has a positive impact on all four brand relationship strength indicators; interactivity enhances perceived partner quality, while responsiveness positively influences commitment. Differences across the three SMS are also observed.
Research limitations/implications
The research was conducted on a sample of UK-based firms with varying degrees of SMS use that may influence the impact on B2B brand relationship strength.
Practical implications
This study indicates that B2B brands ought to focus primarily on presence on SMS, given its positive impact on brand relationship strength. At the same time, however, B2B brands should be active in responding to customers’ queries on SMS, as well as interacting with them to enhance commitment and perceived partner quality, respectively.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the digital marketing and B2B relationships interface and is the first to examine the role of B2B brands’ presence, interactivity and responsiveness on SMS in enhancing relationships with customers.
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Manoj A. Thomas, Ramandeep Kaur Sandhu, António Oliveira and Tiago Oliveira
This research aims to gain a holistic understanding of how video conferencing (VC) apps' media characteristics influence individuals' perceptions of VC apps and, ultimately, their…
Abstract
Purpose
This research aims to gain a holistic understanding of how video conferencing (VC) apps' media characteristics influence individuals' perceptions of VC apps and, ultimately, their use and continued use in professional settings.
Design/methodology/approach
A conceptual research model is developed by integrating constructs from media synchronicity theory (MST), social presence theory and the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT2) model, as well as ubiquity, technicality and perceived fees. Structural equation modeling (SEM) is used to empirically test the conceptual model using data collected from 252 working professionals from the European Union.
Findings
The results reveal that while performance expectancy (PE) and facilitating conditions (FC) are fundamental to VC app use, these factors alone do not explain the use and continuing use of VC apps in the professional context. Media characteristics that include synchronicity, social presence, and ubiquity are equally crucial to professionals using VC apps. It also confirms the moderating effect of convergence on the relationship between synchronicity and PE and the moderating effect of technicality and perceived fees on the relationship between ubiquity and FC.
Originality/value
For researchers, the study offers insights into the extent to which technological and socially derived characteristics of VC apps influence the routine tasks undertaken by professionals in virtual work settings. For practitioners, recommendations pivotal to the use of VC apps are presented to promote higher acceptance and improved well-being of the professional workforce.
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