All we have is words: applying rhetoric to examine how social media marketing activities strengthen the connection between the brand and the self

Abstract

Social media are increasingly leveraged on for the establishment of strong consumer–brand relationships, however the causal relationships leading to them have yet to be clarified. The underlying theory suggested to contribute to this gap is rhetoric, indicating the available means of persuasion to achieve one's goal. This paper builds on Aristotle's view, that effective rhetoric is based on the combination of Logos, Pathos and Ethos and examines how social media marketing activities help strengthen the connection between the consumer’s self and the brand. The proposed framework is tested in 183 consumers, which follow a brand on Facebook. The findings indicate that social media marketing activities positively affect brand attachment, through the mediating role of self-brand connections. Furthermore, brand engagement in self-concept moderates the effect of self-brand connections on brand attachment. Significant implications both from a theoretical and managerial perspective are discussed.