Regional tourism destination brand identity formation via social media: A mixed methods study

The purpose of this research is to see, test and analyze the influence of Social Media Marketing on Percieved Value, Purchase Intention, Willingness to Pay Premium Price, and Electronic Word of Mouth as well as the positive influence of Percieved Value on Purchase Intention, Willingness to Pay Premium Price, and Electronic Word of Mouth and the positive influence of Social Media Marketing on Purchase Intention, Willingness to Pay Premium Price, and Electronic Word of Mouth mediated by Perceived Value. Data was obtained from the results of a questionnaire distributed to 200 respondents who had purchased Halodoc services twice in the last 3 months via social media. Data testing was carried out using Structural Equation Model (SEM) analysis. The results of this research show that Social Media Marketing has a positive influence on Purchase Intention. Social Media Marketing has a positive influence on Willingness to Pay Premium Price. Social Media Marketing has a positive influence on Electronic Word of Mouth. Social Media Marketing has a positive influence on Perceived Value. Perceived Value has a positive influence on Purchase Intention. Perceived Value has a positive influence on Willingness to Pay Premium Price. Perceived Value has a positive influence on Electronic Word of Mouth. Perceived Value mediates the positive influence of Social Media Marketing on Purchase Intention. Perceived Value mediates the positive influence of Social Media Marketing on Willingness to Pay Premium Price. Perceived Value mediates the positive influence of Social Media Marketing on Electronic Word of Mouth.

In the current age of digital transformation, social media platforms have become vital instruments for marketing, building brand identity, and interacting with consumers, particularly within the fashion industry. This study explores the relationship between social media marketing (SMM), electronic word of mouth (eWOM), and brand identity, with a specific focus on the fashion retail sector in Bangalore, India. Utilizing social identity theory, the study proposes a conceptual framework to analyze how SMM activities affect eWOM and how eWOM, in turn, influences the creation and strengthening of brand identity. The research adopts a quantitative approach, gathering primary data through structured questionnaires from 210 consumers who have previously engaged with online fashion retail via social media. By employing partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), the study examines the direct and mediating effects among the constructs. The findings indicate that SMM has a significant impact on eWOM, and eWOM strongly positively affects brand identity. Furthermore, eWOM mediates the relationship between SMM and brand identity, suggesting that consumer-generated content serves as a link between brand communication efforts and identity formation. These results have theoretical implications for expanding the literature on digital branding and consumer engagement, as well as practical significance for marketers seeking to enhance brand equity through interactive and trust-based communication strategies. The study highlights the importance for fashion retailers to invest in socially engaging content that promotes consumer participation, builds community identity, and reinforces brand values in a digitally saturated market.

Social media is great news for businesses and brands in this pandemic situation and at best it can benefit both big and small brands. Once you know the numbers, it’s easy to understand why businesses and consumer marketers unanimously believe that social media is essential to building a brand. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to identify the impact of social media marketing on brand loyalty through brand awareness and brand identity of the consumers, given that the concept is receiving increasing attention from marketing academia and practitioners while analyzing the mediate effect of brand awareness and brand identity. The study employs a quantitative research method where the sampling method is followed by a convenience sampling technique, and study data is collected from consumers in the fashion apparel industry in Sri Lanka through the online survey questionnaire with social media users. Based on the samples of 285 respondents, Structural Equation Modelling has been used for analysis. The results showed that social media marketing influenced brand awareness, brand identity, and brand loyalty, and also, brand awareness and brand identity influenced brand loyalty. The findings further prove that brand awareness and brand identity can mediate the effect of social media marketing on customer loyalty which is promoted through social media. As a result, social media marketing has enhanced the brand and consumers can easily remember the brand as the brand visibility on social media platforms increases. Research has shown how fashion apparel consumers interact with the brand through social media and how fashion apparel companies build awareness and identity about their brand when they hear their hiccups by interacting with social media.

Purpose — This study aims to acquire a comprehensive understanding of how social media platforms contribute to the process of destination branding by identifying major themes in the literature pertaining to social media's role in destination branding.Method — This study employs a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) methodology to conduct an in-depth analysis of academic journal articles pertaining to the role of Social Media Marketing (SMM) in destination branding. The review encompasses 55 final articles published and indexed in the Scopus database from 2014 to 2024. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) method is employed as the framework for this systematic review, ensuring the robustness of the review process.Result — Four prominent themes have been identified regarding the role of SMM in destination branding: 1) Enhancing Destination Brand Value Co-Creation, 2) Influencing Customer-Based Brand Equity, 3) Shaping Destination Brand Identity, and 4) Driving Destination Brand Engagement and Loyalty.Practical implications — Destination marketers should leverage social media strategically to enhance brand visibility, engagement, and loyalty, utilizing these platforms as virtual stages to showcase the destination's culture, heritage, and diversity.

Social media are increasingly becoming a strategic vehicle of modern companies’ way of communicating and interacting with consumers. Actually, social media marketing (SMM) has recently emerged as an effective two-way communication channel able to provide the sharing and exchange of information, ideas, and user-generated content in virtual environments. This is especially true for fashion brands, which are progressively creating interactive platforms such as online brand communities in order to enhance their consumer-based brand equity (CBE), interpreted as the consumers’ assessment of a company brand image, identity, and value. Scholars have widely analyzed the relationship between a company’s SMM and brand equity, thus finding a direct positive impact of the five main constructs depicting perceived SMM activities, namely entertainment, interaction, trendiness, customization, and word of mouth, on CBE. Despite this relevant scholarly interest, the consumer behavioral responses linking a company perceived SMM activities and CBE have been largely neglected. Actually, consumers’ benefits from virtual environments and online brand experience may represent significant elements marketing strategists should focus on in order to enhance a company’s brand equity. Building on the uses and gratifications theory and experiential marketing, we develop a conceptual model that unpacks such linkages, by relating SMM activities, perceived benefits of using social media, online brand experience, and CBE. Specifically, we interpret SMM activities as significant brand-related stimuli able to influence consumers’ cognitive, social interactive, personal interactive, and hedonic benefits, which in turn influence consumers’ sensory, affective, behavioral, and intellectual online experience. Moreover, we investigate the experiential responses of consumers that mostly affect a company’s brand equity, which finally impacts on consumers’ purchase intention of the fashion brand. The model is validated using structural equation modeling (SEM) on a sample of real users of online brand communities operating in the fashion industry. Our sample is composed of Millennials, which currently represent the most influential grown-digital generation of consumers. Overall, our findings shed light on consumers’ online behavioral and experiential responses to a company’s perceived SMM activities, thus proposing strategic implications for the management of brand online communities and suggesting interesting possibilities of future research on social media and fashion consumers.

PurposeDespite its potential as a new source of competitive advantage, the performance implications of social media (SM) marketing (SMM) are not well understood. This study aims to investigate how and when SMM matters to firm performance, analysing the mediating role of product innovation (PI) and moderating the role of marketing innovation (MI) in business to business (B2B) small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).Design/methodology/approachThis paper used structural equation modelling analysis in STATA, using the Australian bureau of statistics data set of 4,956 SMEs which operate in the B2B environment.FindingsThe results reveal differential moderating effects of MI on the direct SMM–performance relationship. MI positively moderates internal SMM and SM use for promotion and branding on firm performance. MI also negatively moderates SM use for customer communication on firm performance, underscoring SMM constituting a double-edged sword. The indirect effects of internal SM use and SM use for promotion and branding, and customer involvement in new product development on performance via PI are significant when MI is absent.Practical implicationsHence, B2B SMEs benefit from PI and existing SMM but do not benefit from dual PI and new MI.Originality/valueBy disaggregating SMM and explicating the mediating mechanism and moderating effects of MI, this study reveals how and under what conditions SMM matters to firm performance in B2B SMEs.

In recent years, social media is not only used for social interaction activities, but is also used as a medium for doing business. Especially at this time when the whole world is facing the covid 19 pandemic, where most countries make decisions about closing and restricting several physical places, which have been used to carry out business activities, entrepreneurs are trying to optimize digital media and social media as a strategy to market their products. This study aims to determine the role of social media marketing in increasing brand awareness, brand image and purchase intention. The design of this research is hypothesis testing. The study uses the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) method with a sample of 331 respondents who are active users of social media in Indonesia, for at least 2 years and have purchased products marketed on social media. The results show that social media marketing activities based on entertainment, interaction, trendiness, customization, and word-of-mouth have a positive influence on brand awareness, brand image, and purchase intention. Furthermore, brand awareness has a positive influence in mediating social media marketing activities on purchase intentions, and brand image also has a positive influence in mediating social media marketing activities on purchase intentions. Thus, so that consumer intentions to buy products can increase, online shop owners can increase awareness and positive image of the brand, and to increase brand awareness and positive image of the brand, online shop owners can increase their marketing activities through social media.Keywords: Social Media Marketing, Brand Awareness, Brand Image, Purchase Intention.

Background: The growing influence of social media platforms on consumer behavior, particularly in developing countries like Nepal, has been a subject of increasing interest. As social media usage rises, the impact of advertisements on purchasing decisions becomes a critical area of exploration, especially among the youth. This study seeks to understand how demographic factors, including age and gender, affect social media usage patterns and the influence of advertisements on purchasing behaviors. Objective: The primary objective of this research is to examine the relationship between social media usage and consumer purchasing decisions, with a focus on the demographic characteristics of age and gender among Nepalese youth. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 123 respondents from different age groups, ranging from 16 to above 35 years. Descriptive data analysis was employed to assess demographic distributions and social media usage patterns, while a Chi-Square test was used to analyze the influence of gender on purchasing behavior due to social media advertisements. Respondents were asked about their preferred social media platforms, purchasing behaviors, and their views on the influence of social media advertisements. Findings: The results revealed that Instagram is the most popular social media platform across all age groups, with a notable gender difference in platform preferences. Social media advertisements were found to influence purchasing behavior, with a majority of respondents either agreeing or being uncertain about their impact. The Chi-Square test showed no significant relationship between gender and the influence of social media advertisements on purchasing decisions. The majority of participants, particularly those aged 16-25, indicated that they were influenced by social media ads in their purchasing choices. Conclusion: This study highlights the substantial impact of social media advertisements on the purchasing decisions of Nepalese youth, particularly among those aged 16-25. Gender did not appear to significantly influence the effectiveness of these advertisements. The findings suggest that social media platforms, especially Instagram and Facebook, play a crucial role in shaping consumer behavior, and advertisers should focus on these platforms to target younger audiences. Novelty: This study provides valuable insights into the specific impact of social media advertisements on consumer behavior in Nepal, a developing market, and explores the role of demographic factors in shaping these behaviors.

In the current era of globalization, the development of social media has become a global phenomenon, where customers prefer social media as a credible source of information compared to other channels. With the rapid development of technology and information, it can be seen the potential for changes in the company's marketing through social media, namely social media marketing activities. This study aims to study the role of social media marketing activities in increasing brand trust and brand loyalty on Brand X through its Instagram social media account. Data collection was carried out through an online questionnaire given to active Instagram users who knew the brand X was < 20 to 45 years old in Indonesia. There were 477 respondents who filled out the questionnaire, and 400 of them met the criteria as research respondents. Data analysis was performed using Partial Least Squares - Structural Equation Model (PLS-SEM). Based on the research that has been done, the conclusion that can be drawn is that there is a positive and significant relationship between SMMA_CUST on Brand Loyalty and Brand Trust. There is a positive and significant relationship between SMMA_ENT on Brand Loyalty and Brand Trust. There is a positive but not significant relationship between SMMA_INT on Brand Loyalty and Brand Trust. There is a positive and significant relationship between SMMA_TREN on Brand Loyalty and Brand Trust. Due to the differences in the results obtained, further research is needed to examine the influence of Social Media Marketing on Brand Loyalty and Brand Trust in industries other than tourism. The results show that social media marketing efforts including active and up-to-date social media, online interactivity, and collaboration with other platforms are beneficial for brand loyalty and trust. The results of this study can help Brand X and various companies engaged in the tourism industry to maintain loyalty and trust in the company by using social media in marketing all their tourism products. In addition, the results of this study also show the need for companies to develop appropriate online strategies to compete with other tourism industry company.

This study aims to analyze the role of consumer engagement in mediating the influence of social media marketing on electronic word of mouth. Data was collected by distributing questionnaires with a total of 14 statement items. The number of samples studied was 230 respondents, the sample was taken using a purposive sampling technique, namely determining the sample selected based on predetermined criteria. Respondent criteria in this study were individuals who actively use social media and follow a brand on social media. The data analysis tool used is the Structural Equation Model (SEM). The results of the study found that social media marketing had a positive effect on consumer engagement and electronic word of mouth, consumer engagement had a positive effect on electronic word of mouth and consumer engagement played a role in mediating the influence of social media marketing on electronic word of mouth.

This study aims to determine the influence of Social Media Marketing, Service Quality on Customer Loyalty, with Brand Trust and Customer Satisfaction as intervening variables. The variables in this study are Social Media Marketing, Service Quality, Brand Trust, Customer Satisfaction, and Customer Loyalty. This research uses a quantitative approach, based on the level of explanation, thus making it an associative research or a study that tests the influence between variables. The sample size consists of 180 respondents taken from the population of Gojek users in Indonesia, using purposive sampling technique. Data collection of variables was done using a questionnaire distributed through Google Form. Data analysis was conducted using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) in the AMOS software. The results of this study are as follows: Social Media Marketing does not have a significant influence on Customer Loyalty, Service Quality does not have a significant influence on Customer Loyalty, Social Media Marketing has a positive and significant influence on Brand Trust, Social Media Marketing has a positive and significant influence on Customer Satisfaction, Service Quality has a positive and significant influence on Brand Trust, Service Quality has a positive and significant influence on Customer Satisfaction, Brand Trust has a positive and significant influence on Customer Satisfaction, Brand Trust has a positive and significant influence on Customer Loyalty, Customer Satisfaction has a positive and significant influence on Customer Loyalty. Brand Trust fully mediates the relationship between Social Media Marketing and Customer Loyalty, Customer Satisfaction fully mediates the relationship between Social Media Marketing and Customer Loyalty, Brand Trust fully mediates the relationship between Service Quality and Customer Loyalty, and Customer Satisfaction fully mediates the relationship between Service Quality and Customer Loyalty.

Purpose – This paper aims to: (1) examine the effect of social media advertisement and influencers on Compulsive buying, (2) investigate the role of materialism as a mediator and narcissism as a moderator on the relationship between social media advertisement and influencers on Compulsive Buying. Design/methodology/approach – The study is based on 300 responses. Data of the responses was used for statistical analysis and hypothesis testing. The study uses Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) to test all hypotheses. Findings – The study revealed insignificant relationships between social media advertisements and influencers, and compulsive buying. The findings provided evidence that materialism mediates the relationship between social media advertisements and compulsive buying. In contrast, materialism does not mediate the relationship between social media influencers and compulsive buying. The study failed to reveal a moderating role of narcissism on the relationship between materialism and compulsive buying. Research implications – Recommendations for marketing managers, scholars, and policymakers have been given adopting the marketing orientation that puts the consumers’ satisfaction of needs and wants first, based on the researchers’ faith that compulsive buying is not a virtue for consumers by all means. Originality/value – This paper investigates one of the most pressing issues regarding consumer behaviour in social media, consumer traits, and compulsive buying.

Social Media Marketing is all strategic formations in sales communication carried out through social media. Social Media Marketing is considered more effective than traditional marketing communications such as print or electronic media, so Social media marketing is considered to be able to increase brand loyalty which has an impact on customers who will consistently use the product repeatedly, will inform, and even recommend the product to others. This study analyzes the influence of Social Media Marketing on Brand Loyalty directly and its effect through the mediation of consumer satisfaction & Brand equity on Brand Loyalty. The sample was taken from 195 followers of the Instagram account of the largest e-commerce platform in Indonesia, including Tokopedia, Shopee, Lazada, Bukalapak, OLX, and others. The research uses quantitative methods with an explanatory research approach, while hypothesis testing is carried out with SEM (Structural Equation Model) analysts. The research shows that social media marketing has a direct and significant effect on brand equity and consumer satisfaction, but social media marketing has no effect on brand loyalty. Brand equity has a direct and significant effect on brand loyalty, but consumer satisfaction has no effect on brand loyalty. From this research, it was found that it is so important to optimize the use of social media marketing to reach a wider scope. Attractive social media marketing can influence consumer perceptions to form a good impression of a brand. Previous research stated that an increase in social media activity and brand equity affects consumers’ desire to buy products, an increase in brand equity will also impact high brand loyalty. However, it needs to be re-examined to find out the addition of the right variable as mediation to see the influence between customer satisfaction on brand loyalty and social media marketing on brand loyalty.

Purpose: This study aims to explore the impact of social media marketing activities on purchase intention on millennials, with a particular focus on how customer experience mediates this relationship. The research applies the S-O-R (Stimulus-Organism-Response) model, the research seeking to explicate the mechanisms through which social media marketing influences purchase intention. Design/Methodology/Approach: Data were collected from 329 participants in Jharkhand, India who actively engage on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and WhatsApp. A purposive sampling method was used to ensure involvement of relevant respondents. To analyze the data Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with SmartPLS 4 was used. Place and Duration of Study: The study, conducte­d between March and May 2024, targe­ted social media users in Jharkhand, particularly in East Singhbhum, Dhanbad, Ranchi, Ramgarh, Bokaro, Hazaribagh, Khunti, and De­ogarh. Findings: The analysis reveals that Social Media Marketing Activities (SMMAs) has a strong and positive influence on Purchase Intention (PI) and Customer Experience (CE). The link was established as means to both directly and indirectly, through Customer Experiences (CE). Positive customer experiences significantly enhance purchase intention, highlighting the pivotal role of customer experience in the efficacy of social media marketing. Originality/Value: Testing the relationship between customer experience as a mediator between Social Media Marketing Activities (SMMAs) and Purchase Intention (PI). The application of the S-O-R model offers a novel perspective on understanding consumer behavior in the context of social media marketing. The findings underscore the importance for businesses to focus on creating positive customer experiences through their social media marketing strategies to drive purchase intentions in Jharkhand.

Purpose: This study aims to understand how social media marketing (SMM) affects customer satisfaction and loyalty in the context of emerging e-commerce markets, with a particular focus on the mediating role of brand tr Purpose: This study aimed to understand how social media marketing (SMM) affects customer satisfaction and loyalty in emerging e-commerce markets, with a particular focus on the mediating role of brand trust. Methodology/approach: This study used a quantitative correlational research design. Data were collected through an online survey of 182 active users of a leading Indonesian e-commerce platform. The data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with SmartPLS software to examine the relationships between SMM, brand trust, customer satisfaction, and loyalty. Results: The study found that SMM had a significant positive impact on brand trust. In turn, brand trust positively influences customer satisfaction and loyalty. Furthermore, brand trust is a critical mediating variable that strengthens the relationship between SMM and customer outcomes. Conclusions: Building brand trust through effective social media engagement is essential for enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty in e-commerce brands. SMM strategies that foster trust can serve as powerful tools for achieving long-term consumer retention in competitive digital marketplaces. Limitations: This study focused solely on Indonesian users of a single e-commerce platform, which may limit the generalizability of the findings to other markets or platforms. Contribution: This study provides practical insights for marketers, digital strategists, and e-commerce businesses aiming to strengthen consumer relationships. This study contributes to a broader understanding of how social media engagement can be leveraged to build trust and drive loyalty in rapidly growing online markets. ust. Methodology/approach: A quantitative correlational research design was used. Data were collected through an online survey of 182 active users of a leading e-commerce platform in Indonesia. The data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with the SmartPLS software to examine the relationships between SMM, brand trust, customer satisfaction, and loyalty. Results/findings: The study found that SMM has a significant positive impact on brand trust. In turn, brand trust positively influences both customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. Furthermore, brand trust acts as a critical mediating variable that strengthens the relationship between SMM and customer outcomes. Conclusions: Building brand trust through effective social media engagement is essential for enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty in e-commerce. SMM strategies that foster trust can serve as powerful tools for achieving long-term consumer retention in competitive digital markets. Limitations: The study focused solely on Indonesian users of a single e-commerce platform, which may limit the generalizability of the findings to other markets or platforms. Contribution: This study provides practical insights for marketers, digital strategists, and e-commerce businesses aiming to deepen consumer relationships. It contributes to the broader understanding of how social media engagement can be leveraged to build trust and drive loyalty in rapidly growing online markets.