Effects of SNS Characteristics on SNS Engagement and Consumer Brand Engagement

Abstract

Purpose: Social Network Sites(SNS) have been grown up as a public communication channel consumer frequently participate in. Most of food service brands are utilizing social media for advertising recently. As a result of SNS marketing, food service brands anticipate positive outputs from SNS engagement and consumer brand engagement so that we need to verify structural relationship among SNS characteristics, SNS engagement and consumer brand engagement. Research design, data, and methodology: This study identifies that SNS characteristics have effects on SNS engagement and examines relationship between SNS engagement and behavioral engagement. We conceptualize SNS characteristics as information quality, hedonic level and interaction. Furthermore, SNS engagement is composed of SNS participation, positive word of mouth(WOM). In order to verify the purposes of this research, research model and hypotheses were developed. All constructs were measured with multiple items developed and tested in the previous studies. Sample data were collected from 433 online survey panels and analyzed by using SmartPLS 3.2.9. Result: The findings of this research are as follows. First, information quality is positively related with SNS participation. Hedonic level and interaction have impacts on SNS participation and positive WOM respectively. Second, SNS participation has positive effects on positive WOM. Third, both SNS participation and WOM influence behavioral engagement respectively. Conclusions: The implications demonstrate that SNS characteristics such as information quality and hedonic level and interaction exert effects for consumer to participate in SNS brand page. Meanwhile, hedonic level and interaction influence on positive WOM but information quality doesn't. SNS participation and positive WOM affect consumer to engage in specific brand behaviorally as well. Therefore, food service brand marketer is required to manage SNS information quality and hedonic level and interaction among members to encourage SNS participation and positive WOM. As SNS participation and positive WOM increases behavioral engagement of consumer, marketer needs to incentivize SNS participation and look after situation of positive WOM and respond swiftly.