Analysis of the Irreplaceability of Offline Relationship

The rapid development of social media（such as live streaming, short videos, Vlogs, etc.）has attracted scholars’ attention to the theory of para-social interaction. Different from traditional media, social media provides new research ideas and content for exploring this kind of interaction between social media personae and consumers due to its characteristics of instant communication, interactivity, novelty of content, media personalization and social media scenario.Through literature reviews, this paper summarizes the psychological mechanism of para-social interaction in social media. Para-social interaction is distinguished from real social interaction by how it is influenced by social media. Media personae’s characteristics, consumers’ characteristics, and social platform characteristics, all of which are the main influencing factors of consumers’ para-social interaction engagement. According to the Elaboration Likelihood Model（ELM）, para-social interaction can stimulate consumers’ cognition of media personae’s self-disclosure and their perceived social presence through the central route and the peripheral route respectively, so as to improve the authenticity and accessibility of media personae perceived by consumers, and ultimately affect the para-social relationship between consumers and media personae. According to Skinner’s theory of reinforcement and previous studies, this paper also demonstrates that para-social interaction and para-social relationship will be continuously strengthened each other in a circular way, where para-social interaction drives the formation of para-social relationships, which will in turn motivate more para-social interaction. With each cycle of reinforcement between PSI and PSR, the para-social relationship between consumers and media personae rises to a higher level, presenting a spiral-upgrading state. Last but not least, when consumers and media personae establish the para-social relationship through para-social interaction, consumers tend to believe in media personas（source credibility）, and further believe in the brands recommended by media personae（brand credibility）, resulting in more marketing effectiveness（purchase intention and positive word-of-mouth）. Meanwhile, the influence of para-social relationships on source credibility may be moderated by the congruence between media personae and brands.In a word, both cyclic reinforcement mechanism and dual processing routes constitute the psychological mechanism of para-social interaction, which ultimately promotes more marketing effectiveness. Finally, this paper puts forward the marketing strategies to enterprises and the directions for future research.This paper makes two main contributions: On the one hand, it makes theoretical contributions through exploring the psychological mechanism of para-social interaction; on the other hand, it provides guidance for enterprises to effectively use social media, select and manage media personae, and promote enterprises to generate economic benefits.

Purpose This paper aims to explore how parasocial relationships with Korean celebrity endorsers on social media result in brand credibility and loyalty. Design/methodology/approach The participants were identified through a purposive sampling approach, and they were composed of consumers who purchased Korean-celebrity-endorsed products and services of a telecommunications company. The hypothesized relationships were gauged using a predictive approach as a research design via partial least squares (PLS) path modeling. Findings The findings show that all hypothesized relationships are supported. In particular, social media interaction was found to have a substantial, positive and significant effect on self-disclosure. Moreover, self-disclosure has a considerably significant and direct effect on parasocial relationships and was found to indirectly affect the link between social media interactions and parasocial relationships. The results further reveal that social media interactions and parasocial relationships predict source trustworthiness, leading to brand credibility and loyalty. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the present undertaking is the only study that examined how parasocial relationships on social media are built when foreign celebrities, in this case, the well-known Korean popular group BTS, endorse telecommunications products and services.

Malaysian companies have been using social media as a major platform for marketing their products or services. This trend is shared and preferred by various companies to interact with their customers in order to boost their sales. The primary objective of the study is to determine if the components of social media marketing, namely, social media activity, social media interactivity, and social media content, impact on customer satisfaction, in particular online fashion stores. A quantitative approach is adopted where data was collected using a selfadministered questionnaire. The respondents were consumers who use social media in their daily routine and those who have purchased any fashion product by using online platforms. A total of 393 useable questionnaires were collected using the online survey method. The collected data went through a process of analysis, where descriptive as well as inferential analyses were performed. Data analyses include reliability tests, validity tests, exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and hypotheses testing using structural equation modeling. The purpose of this research was to investigate the impact of social media marketing on consumer satisfaction. The study reveals that all three (3) factors related to social media marketing, namely: social media activity, social media interactivity, and social media content, has been tested empirically and found that they all contribute significantly towards customer satisfaction. However, social media content emerged with a stronger positive impact than the other two factors. The result of this study should contribute to the body of knowledge and will be of significance to those companies who are interested/or using social media platforms for their marketing purposes.

PurposeAs celebrity endorsements have extended from traditional media to social media, the role of celebrities has been amplified and celebrities have been able to establish unprecedentedly close relationships through interacting with consumers. This study, grounded in the theory of parasocial interactions and celebrity endorsement, aims to propose a framework of antecedents and outcomes of parasocial interactions with celebrities on social media.Design/methodology/approachUsing an experimental survey-based approach, this study collected 270 usable responses, and data were analyzed using partial least square structural equation modeling.FindingsThe study found that parasocial interactions fully mediate the relationship between social media interaction and celebrity attachment, celebrity attachment influences purchase intention directly and indirectly through both cognitive (brand credibility) and affective (brand attractiveness) elements, the need to belong moderates the relationship between social media interaction and parasocial interactions and the need to belong moderates the relationship between celebrity attachment and brand attractiveness. An exploratory analysis uncovers whether different types of social platforms may be more conducive to establishing parasocial interactions.Originality/valueThis study explores the mechanisms by which celebrity interactions on social media can impact the brands they endorse and the role that parasocial interactions and the need to belong play in these interactions and outcomes.

Green innovation, which promotes the coordinated development of the economy and ecology, serves as a critical means to achieve enterprises’ green transformation. Against the backdrop of the Internet era, retail investors, as an important supervisory group for enterprises, can generate online public opinion through interactive exchanges on social media platforms. This raises the question: Can such public opinion rooted in social media influence enterprises’ green innovation behaviors? To address this, this study uses data from Chinese A-share listed enterprises in heavily polluting industries on the Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges from 2008–2021, comprising a total sample size of 8755, and employs ordinary least squares (OLS) regression models to empirically examine the relationship between retail investors’ social media interactions and enterprise green innovation. The findings reveal that interactive discussions by retail investors on social media significantly enhance enterprises’ green innovation levels. Mechanism tests show that social media interactions among these investors strengthen enterprises’ environmental awareness and alleviate their financing constraints, thereby promoting green innovation. Moderation effect tests indicate that the quality of social media information interaction and public opinion sentiment positively moderate the relationship between retail’s social media interactions and enterprise green innovation. Heterogeneity tests further show that the positive effect of retail’s social media interactions on enterprise green innovation is more pronounced in regions with stronger environmental information regulation and stronger investor protection. The conclusions of this study not only enrich research on the relationship between retail investors’ social media supervision and enterprises’ behavioral decision-making but also extend the literature on the influencing factors of enterprise green innovation from the perspective of public governance. These findings hold important implications for enterprises’ green transformation practices under the “double carbon” goals and provide valuable insights for corporate governance in the era of the digital economy.

This research discusses the phenomenon of relational quality in the context of social media usage, where social media influencers play an important role as a strategic tool to build relationships with consumers. The focus of the research is on the relationship between millennial consumers, marketing activities on social media and social media influencers, moreover, how relational quality can be formed in the context of today’s rampant use of social media. The close relationship between millennials, social media and social media influencers is identified as a key factor that can shape relational quality. This research also explores the role of parasocial relationships in shaping relational quality, considering the imaginary relationship that may be created between consumers and influencers and their positive impact on brands used by an influencer. Then, this concept is also linked to the formation of brand connection in shaping relational quality. This study will analyze whether the parasocial relationship between millennial consumers and influencers can influence the formation of relational quality, considering the mediation by brand connection. Data from 253 respondents, collected through on online survey, were used to test te hypotheses using the SEM-PLS method. The results of the study show that social media interactions with influencers, and parasocial relationships built by influencers in skin care products have a significant influence on the formation of branch connections and relational quality, both directly and indirectly.

Understanding how credibility of influencers shape consumer behaviour is crucial at present as social media becomes a primary source of product information. This study aims to examine the influence of Instagram influencers’ source credibility; comprising of attractiveness, trustworthiness, and expertise, on the purchase intention of gadget products among Indonesian Generation Z with parasocial interaction serving as a mediating factor. Conducted through a quantitative method, the study collected data from 410 respondents via an online survey. Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was utilised to analyse and interpret the findings. The results indicated that Indonesian Generation Z heavily relied on Instagram for information-seeking, with influencers playing a critical role in shaping their purchasing decisions. Among the dimensions of source credibility, attractiveness and trustworthiness show a significantly stronger positive influence on purchase intention compared to expertise, which has a comparatively weaker impact. Furthermore, parasocial interaction is confirmed as a significant mediator, amplifying the influence of source credibility on purchase intentions. Respondents reported greater trust in influencer reviews, perceiving them as relatable and authentic, which highlights the importance of engagement and social interaction in shaping consumer behaviour. The study underscores the significant role of influencers’ credibility in building trust and driving purchase decisions through meaningful engagement with their followers. It contributes to the growing body of literature on social media interaction and marketing by providing valuable insights into the behaviours of Indonesian Generation Z and their reliance on social media for various needs. Keywords: Instagram, source credibility, purchase intention, Generation Z, parasocial interaction.

WHY DO WE LIKE COMMENTING AND SHARING IN SOCIAL MEDIA? AN ONLINE APPROCH OF LUXURY BRAND COMMUNICATION

Presently, social media exerts a profound influence on creating customer impressions of both celebrities and product companies. Moreover, the existence of emotional connections with celebrities often has a significant impact on consumers' intentions to buy. This study examines the relationship between social media interactions, para-social interactions, and celebrity attachment, and how these influence purchase intentions through brand attractiveness as a mediator. A total of 254 participants were selected for this study using the purposive sample strategy, and questionnaires were distributed to collect data. The data analysis technique uses Smart PLS with validity and reliability test analysis and t-test. The research findings indicate that brand attractiveness, celebrity attachment, and para-social interaction have a substantial and favorable impact on the purchase intention variable. Similarly, the factors of celebrity attachment and para-social contact exert a substantial positive impact on the variable of brand appeal. The social media interaction variable, in contrast, does not exert any influence on the variables of brand attractiveness and purchase intention. Furthermore, the mediating variables demonstrate that both para-social interaction and celebrity attachment variables have a substantial and favorable influence on the purchase intention variable via the brand attractiveness variable. Nevertheless, the variable of social media involvement does not exert any influence on the variable of purchase intention through the variable of brand attractiveness. This research is slightly different from previous research which examined brand credibility. Researchers explore and transform variables into brand attractiveness. Researchers also found that celebrity-endorsed purchase intentions increase brand appeal. In previous research two variables acted as mediation, namely para-social interaction and brand attractiveness, whereas in this study the mediating variable used was only brand attractiveness, para-social interaction acted as an independent variable.

Social media has been developing significantly from year to year. In Indonesia, 72% of the internet users use the internet to access social media. This indicates that social media are effective brand communication and promotion tools. Music industry is one of the business industries which utilizes social media as communication and promotion tools, especially related to music concerts. The purpose of this study is to identify the impact and relationship of social media towards emotional attachment and brand relationship quality, in which both will be then compare towards word of mouth (WOM) on concert’s attendees. This research uses descriptive design research conducted in one period (cross sectional design). Respondents of this study are 160 persons who attended concerts last year. The five-hypotheses research model in this study is tested using the Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). This research shows that social media interaction may result in emotional attachment. Emotional attachment felt by concert attendees may influence positively and significantly to brand relationship quality and creates word of mouth among the concert attendees.

PurposeThis study aims to apply parasocial relationship theory to understand the hospitality brand-consumer relationship on social media. Aiming to examine brand-initiated mechanisms that drive relationship development, the study identified two sets of brand actions as antecedents, namely, content-related (utilitarian and hedonic benefits) and interaction-related factors (perceived interactivity and openness). This study also investigated the subsequent impacts of parasocial relationships on customer engagement behaviors and brand loyalty. As baby boomers are an important but understudied consumer cohort in social media marketing, this study empirically tested the proposed model for this specific group.Design/methodology/approachA survey was conducted electronically with baby boomer consumers from the USA. The partial least squares analysis was used to test the model validity for this consumer group.FindingsThe results of this study showed that content-related factors had significant effects on the parasocial relationship, which, in turn, significantly influenced customer engagement and brand loyalty.Research limitations/implicationsThis study responds to the recent calls from scholars on developing and expanding a nomological network of parasocial relationships to understand consumer-brand relationships in social media. By focusing on baby boomers, this study adds unique insights on understanding online relationships and engagement, specifically for this cohort. Future studies should expand the study by examining other generations, platform differences or using longitudinal methods.Practical implicationsThis study informs hospitality marketers in the development and implementation of a successful Facebook relationship building campaign targeting baby boomers.Originality/valueAccording to the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study known to have developed a coherent parasocial relationship model that combined content-related benefits, interaction-related factors, online engagement and brand loyalty. It also represents one of the few to examine how hospitality brands can build a parasocial relationship with baby boomers, an important but cohort, on social media and provide actionable insights to hospitality marketers for this generation.

This study examines the application of stimulus-response theory in the context of product suitability promoted by influencers and social media interactions to increase consumer purchase intention. This research was taken with the population being social media users who follow influencer content. Total population in the study was 193 respondents who were taken using the purposive sampling method. Purposive sampling is a sample withdrawal based on consideration of certain criteria and a sample of 117 respondents was obtained. This research uses SPSS software for validity and reliability tests. After that, researchers used the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) method to determine the relationship between variables. Data analysis will be carried out using analysis of moment structures (AMOS) software. The results obtained are influencer-product congruence has a significant positive effect on content attributes; social media interaction has a significant positive effect on strategic interaction; content attributes and strategic interaction have a significant positive effect on para social relationships; para social relationships have a significant positive effect on purchase intention. The contribution of the Stimulus-Response Theory system in the context of influencer-product congruence and social media interaction is crucial for designing effective marketing strategies. By leveraging this theory, companies can enhance their understanding of the factors influencing consumer purchase intention and implement more integrated and responsive strategies.

BackgroundAdolescents are among the highest consumers of social media while research has shown that their well-being decreases with age. The temporal relationship between social media interaction and well-being is not well established. The aim of this study was to examine whether the changes in social media interaction and two well-being measures are related across ages using parallel growth models.MethodsData come from five waves of the youth questionnaire, 10-15 years, of the Understanding Society, the UK Household Longitudinal Study (pooled n = 9859). Social media interaction was assessed through daily frequency of chatting on social websites. Well-being was measured by happiness with six domains of life and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire.ResultsFindings suggest gender differences in the relationship between interacting on social media and well-being. There were significant correlations between interacting on social media and well-being intercepts and between social media interaction and well-being slopes among females. Additionally higher social media interaction at age 10 was associated with declines in well-being thereafter for females, but not for males. Results were similar for both measures of well-being.ConclusionsHigh levels of social media interaction in early adolescence have implications for well-being in later adolescence, particularly for females. The lack of an association among males suggests other factors might be associated with their reduction in well-being with age. These findings contribute to the debate on causality and may inform future policy and interventions.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine how customers’ perceptions of brands’ social media interactivity impact customer engagement behaviors (CEBs) (e.g. customer purchases, referrals, influence and knowledge) while accounting for the moderating role of brand type and social media platform. Design/methodology/approach Two separate online surveys (Study 1 (N1) = 341, Study 2 (N2) = 183) were conducted to measure the constructs of interest. Regression analyzes tests research hypotheses; PROCESS Model 1 was used to test the moderating roles of brand type and platform. Further, the pick-a-point approach (i.e. spotlight analysis) was used to probe the interaction terms. Findings The results indicate that when customers perceive a brand to be highly interactive on social media (vs inactive), they are more willing to buy brand offerings, refer the brand in exchange for monetary incentives, inform their family and friends about the brand on social media and provide feedback and suggestions for improving the brand. Furthermore, the positive impact of perceived social media interactivity on customer purchases, referrals, influence and knowledge varies across brand and social media platform types. Research limitations/implications Online surveys using convenience samples were conducted to assess the constructs of interest. Archival data may provide an avenue for further insight. Future research may be able to track actual online customer behavior using such data. Further, researchers are encouraged to corroborate the results found here over time as the winds of social media shift to new platforms. Practical implications The results suggest that interacting on social media encourages customers to contribute to brand value directly (through purchasing) and/or indirectly (through referring, influencing and suggesting). While all brands may leverage social media activity for success, the positive impact of perceived social media interactivity on CEBs is particularly impactful for non-global 500 brands. The results also indicate that customers are more willing to add value to the brand through purchases and suggestions when they perceive the brand to be highly interactive on both social media networking sites and the brand’s website. However, they are more willing to promote this brand and influence their social networks about it only when they perceive the brand to be highly (vs less) interactive on its own website. Originality/value This study examines the novel issue of the impact of perceived social media interactivity on different CEBs while accounting for the moderating role of the brand and platform used by customers. The results provide value in better understanding the levers through which social media affects performance.

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this study was to explore the underlying mechanisms through which the use of social media affects endorser effectiveness. Based on theories related to parasocial relationships, self‐disclosure, and celebrity endorsement, this study proposed a theoretical research model and empirically tested the model using online survey data collected from 400 Korean Wave fans in Singapore. The results showed that consumers’ parasocial interactions with celebrities though social media have a positive impact on celebrity endorsement. Specifically, we found that: (1) parasocial relationships mediated the relationships between social media interactions and source trustworthiness, (2) social media interactions influenced parasocial relationships via self‐disclosure; and (3) source trustworthiness had a positive effect on brand credibility, which, in turn, led to purchase intention. Implications for research and practice are discussed.