The role of social platforms in establishing brand awareness for B2C e-commerce: empirical study

Abstract

Social media are computer-mediated technologies that facilitate and create an online environment. Hence, firms can use such media as an effective marketing and advertising tool to reach different categories of customers locally and globally and create brand awareness. Little evidence is available of how social media tools influence the creation of brand awareness among consumers. Also, not all companies are successful in this endeavour. Therefore, more research is essential in this domain. In response, this paper offers a good opportunity to seek and study the key factors that might participate in establishing such behaviour and proposes a model for such phenomena. Results of the study showed that e-WOM, user-generated-content, and product quality have a positive significant impact on customer's establishment of brand awareness. The results contribute to understanding of the value-enhancing potential of social media campaigns and demonstrate how the perception of brands is influenced through this new communication channel.