Social Media Engagement in Shaping Green Energy Business Models

Marzena Czarnecka,Borys Budka,Mateusz Grzesiak,Grzegorz Kinelski,Magdalena Stefańska

doi:10.3390/en15051727

Abstract

Recent years have seen an increase in the role of social media in the communication of energy sector companies (ESCs) with consumers. Currently, consumers look for information, create it themselves, and share it with other Internet users. eWOM communication means that energy companies, firstly, must be present in social media so that consumers can get to know them better, and secondly, they must consciously shape their image according to the expectations of their customers. One-way communication, such as customer satisfaction measurements, is no longer enough to know their preferences. Market trends indicate that for current buyers—both consumer and non-consumer products—the image of a “green product” or a “green company” is expected. Only a few companies report that they are harmful for environment. All companies report that they are generally community friendly. The consumer would like to know, in particular, about the harmfulness to the environment. Thus, there is a knowledge gap that the companies are not filling. In addition to the advertised satisfaction indicators, you can also test customers’ perceptions of environmental responsibility. That is, the research and results in the area of social responsibility must also be accompanied by environmental responsibility. Therefore, the article aims to indicate whether the level of consumer engagement in social media affects the perception of the green energy business model and how the attitude and pro-environmental behavior of social media users affects this perception. The paper also identifies factors related to social media that influence the perception of ESCs.

Highlights

The introduction should Until recently, energy sector companies (ESCs) mainly communicated through media relations, CSR or Sustainability reports, or corporate websites among other means
A correlation analysis was carried out to verify the relationship between the perception of energy companies and social media activity (H1 verification); a correlation analysis was carried out to verify the relationship between the perception of energy companies and the attitude and behavior of respondents under the influence of information received in social media (H2 verification); a correlation analysis was carried out to verify the relationship between social media activity and the attitude and behavior of respondents under the influence of information received on social media (H3 verification); a correlation analysis was carried out to verify the relationship between the perception of ESCs and respondents’ perception of SM (H4 verification);
The main aim of the study was to examine the relationship between user activity in social media and perceiving energy companies

Summary

Introduction

The introduction should Until recently, energy sector companies (ESCs) mainly communicated through media relations, CSR or Sustainability reports, or corporate websites among other means. Companies can use a wide range of electronic Web 2.0 based applications that include social networks, blogs, and photo and video sharing platforms [1,2]. Thanks to ICT, companies in the energy sector can communicate with consumers cheaper, faster, and more effectively. That is not enough when two specific issues are at stake, such as ecology on the one hand, and communication through social media and its effectiveness on the other hand. Decarbonization, and climate change are necessary aspects to consider in the development of energy companies [5,6]

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