Social media marketing strategy: The impact of firm generated content on customer based brand equity in retail industry

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study aims to investigate the influence of firm-generated content (FGC) on Carrefour’s consumer-based brand equity (CBBE) within the Middle Eastern context, with a particular focus on the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI). The dimensions encompassed within firm-generated content (FGC) are comprised of informational content, entertainment-oriented content, social interactivity, and avenues for self-expression. We conducted an online survey among one thousand (1000) followers of Carrefour’s Facebook page. SmartPLS was employed to examine the proposed hypotheses. The findings reveal that informational content, social interactivity, and self-expression exert a significant and positive impact on CBBE, with self-expression demonstrating the most pronounced influence on Carrefour’s brand equity. However, a non-significant relationship between entertainment-oriented content and CBBE was observed. The primary contribution of this research highlights the imperative for marketing decision-makers to incorporate content creation (encompassing informational content, entertainment-oriented content, social interactivity, and self-expression) on social media platforms as a pivotal component of marketing strategies. This study strives to bridge an existing gap in marketing literature within the domain of digital content marketing as a communication channel within the Middle Eastern context, marking it as the inaugural study conducted within KRI’s retail industry.