Brand Fan Pages Research Articles

The effect of interactivity of brands’ marketing activities on Facebook fan pages on continuous participation intentions: An S–O-R framework study

Social media platforms have become crucial in helping brands build their marketing activities. We investigate the effect of interactivity of brands' marketing activities on Facebook fan pages on continuous participation (i.e., commenting and sharing) intentions. The S–O-R (stimulus-organism-response) framework is used to examine consumers' psychological states (perceived brand fan page experience and attachment) and subsequent behavioral responses (continuous participation intentions) after being stimulated (social media marketing activity interactivity). Using an online questionnaire, this study surveyed the top 15 brands' Facebook fan page users worldwide. We obtained 216 valid responses and used partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to analyze the data. Results show that the more interactive a brand's marketing activities are on its Facebook fan page, the higher the perceived experience. In addition, perceived experience positively affects brand fan page attachment. Perceived experience and brand fan page attachment positively affect continuous participation intentions. Perceived experience partially mediated the relationship between interactivity and continuous participation intentions. Brand fan page attachment also partially mediated the relationship between perceived experience and continuous participation intentions.

The Role of Content Strategy in Social Media on Brand Post’s Popularity: A Case of Higher Education Institutions in Turkey

Abstract The highly competitive higher education market has turned to branding as a solution for dealing with today’s global challenges. One important tool of a sustainable brand strategy involves forming brand fan pages and attracting followers on social networking web sites. Implementing effective content strategy on brands’ fan pages can help to form and foster relationships with the target group. Thus the aim of this study is to understand the role that content strategy in social networking web sites plays in determining the popularity of brand posts’ created by leading higher education institutions in Turkey. Results indicate that the top ten higher education institutions in Turkey most commonly made posts representing the Text + image + link content type. The majority of posts to community members were created by the institutions themselves, involved university news and were primarily made on weekdays between noon and 18:00. Additionally, MANOVA analyses were conducted to investigate the role of various elements of content strategy on brand posts’ popularity. Results indicate that content type, content agility, content context, posting type, and posting day significantly impact the number of likes, shares and comments, which are indicators of brand posts’ popularity.

Communication Strategies Used in Corporate Facebook Pages and Motivations of Consumers for Following These Pages

Abstract The new communication tool of our current era is certainly Facebook because it is the most commonly used social network application in the world. Therefore, consumers perceive businesses which are not a member of Facebook as a business which cannot keep up with the new era and thus they want their favourite brands to be on Facebook. However, for businesses to be on Facebook is not just about opening a profile page. Businesses need to create a brand community that they get into interaction with their stakeholders in order to gain dynamism and mobility to their Facebook brand fan pages. Therefore, businesses need a variety of effective corporate communication strategies that they can apply on their Facebook pages. The corporate communication strategy that a business employs on Facebook should be compatible with the goals and purposes that a business wants to reach. A business which use a certain corporate communication strategy on Facebook will determine the contents that it will share on Facebook in line with this strategy and will create the desired perception on its target audience. On the other hand, a business which doesn’t apply a particular corporate communication strategy on Facebook probably doesn’t know which goals that it wants to reach. Therefore, businesses which share random contents on their Facebook pages try to continue their Facebook pages by trial and error. However, because of this situation, they cannot get the desired effectiveness, appeal and efficiency from their Facebook pages in the long term. Furthermore, stakeholders need some level of motivation in order to follow businesses on Facebook. If a business knows what the motives of usage are, it can shape its Facebook messages in the right direction. This way, more followers will gather around the brand community of the business on Facebook.

Examining ePWOM-purchase intention link in Facebook brand fan pages: Trust beliefs, value co-creation and brand image as mediators

This study integrates the theory of reasoned action, value co-creation theory and attribution theory to investigate electronic positive word-of-mouth (ePWOM) and consumer's purchase intention link in the presence of trust beliefs, value co-creation, and brand image as mediators in the context of brand fan pages of smartphones on the social networking site, Facebook. Results indicate a positive association between ePWOM and consumer's purchase intention with trust beliefs, value co-creation, hedonic brand image and functional brand image partially mediating this relationship. Furthermore, the results supported the serial mediation model where ePWOM influenced purchase intentions through trust beliefs and value co-creation in a sequential manner.

Mediating role of hedonic and utilitarian brand attitude between eWOM and purchase intentions: a context of brand fan pages in Facebook

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to adopt stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) theory to reveal the impact of electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) on buying intentions of young consumers in the presence of hedonic brand attitude (HBA) and utilitarian brand attitude (UBA) as mediators, among smartphone customers in the context of brand fan pages in Facebook.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses a single cross-sectional design to survey a sample of 326 young online customers present in leading smartphone brand fan pages on Facebook in India. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data and replies were recorded on a Likert scale (five-point). The data was subjected to structural equation modelling for model and hypotheses testing.FindingseWOM has a significantly positive influence on the buying intentions of the young. Both HBA and UBA partially mediate the influence of eWOM on buying intentions.Research limitations/implicationsThe study examines only the personal-oriented functions of attitude and does not investigate the role of social dimensions of attitudes. Its scope is confined to smartphones in the consumer electronics segment and only Facebook among social networking sites.Practical implicationsA theoretical contribution to eWOM literature is made by studying it under the lens of S-O-R theory and functional theory of attitudes. Measurement of two different dimensions of attitude, i.e. hedonic and utilitarian, may facilitate managers to comprehend the source of variance in consumers’ decision-making behaviour in the online context.Originality/valueThe only study to explore brand attitude as a mediator in its multi-dimensional form, in the context of social eWOM.

Brand loyalty in online brand communities in Malaysia: A Uses and Gratifications perspective

This study examines the online communities’ gratifications of social media usage and to understand how their perceived values within an online brand page environment can affect brand loyalty. In addition to the content-oriented and relationship-oriented aspects of uses and gratifications of online brand communities, this study also includes economic value to the existing model considering online promotions and rewards may encourage consumer brand engagement and subsequently lead to brand loyalty. The data collected via snowball sampling method consisted of the responses of 150 respondents who are in one or more online brand communities of different brands in Malaysia. The result shows that functional value and hedonic value are the most important motivators to drive brand loyalty in online brand communities. The result implies that the brand loyalty in online brand communities in Malaysia depends on the functionality and pleasant sensations experienced from the brand fan page. The result suggests that brand page should deliver informative, rich and customised information contents to fulfil the satisfaction of online communities. This study provides insight on social media users’ perceived values that drive their satisfaction and loyalty towards the brand via the fan page, which in turn helps brand marketing practitioners in Malaysia to understand on how these perceived values may influence the brand loyalty of online communities, particularly from the perspective of the Uses and Gratifications theory.

Self-construal on brand fan pages: the mediating effect of para-social interaction and consumer engagement on brand loyalty

Social media is a powerful tool for brands to entice and retain customers. However, research on how para-social interaction (PSI) through social media leads to brand loyalty is lacking. To bridge this gap, this study examines the sequential mediating roles of PSI and consumer engagement as well as the moderating effect of self-construal in building brand loyalty on Facebook brand fan pages. Using 497 responses from survey participants, we find that consumers with high interdependent self-construal, regardless of their levels of perceived interactivity and openness, have high PSI, consumer engagement, and brand loyalty. Moreover, the positive effects of interdependent self-construal on brand loyalty are mediated sequentially by PSI and consumer engagement. However, for those with high independent self-construal, both high perceived interactivity and high openness have positive effects on para-social interaction, consumer engagement, and brand loyalty. Moreover, the positive effects of perceived interactivity and openness on brand loyalty confirm the sequential mediating roles of PSI and consumer engagement. These findings would help brands streamline their operations to optimize brand loyalty.

Engagement and reactions of brand posts on brand fan pages in Facebook: an investigation of brand posts' characteristics

Engagement and reactions of brand posts on brand fan pages in Facebook: an investigation of brand posts' characteristics

Engagement and reactions of brand posts on brand fan pages in Facebook: an investigation of brand posts' characteristics

Social networking sites (SNSs) are considered to be an essential channel of marketing communication with consumers and stakeholders alike. In this paper, the factors that increase the engagement of...

The missing link in the promotion of customer engagement: the roles of brand fan page attractiveness and agility

PurposeThe purpose of this study is threefold, which is as follows: investigate the mediating effect of brand fan page attractiveness on the relationship between user gratifications and customer engagement with brand fan pages, determine whether fan page agility moderates this effect and examine the influence of fan page engagement on customers' share of wallet and resistance to negative brand information.Design/methodology/approachBy using an online questionnaire, 614 valid responses were obtained from the followers of multiple Facebook brand fan pages. Partial least squares-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was used to analyse the data.FindingsThe results indicate that fan page attractiveness mediates the relationship between user gratifications and fan page engagement. However, this relationship is moderated by fan page agility. Fan page engagement increases customers' share of wallet and resistance to negative brand information. This finding suggests that creating fan page content and interactions that are attractive to customers is not sufficient for promoting engagement; brand fan pages must also be agile to customers' changing needs and competitors' moves.Originality/valueBy proposing and testing a novel moderated mediation effect, this study enriches the uses and gratifications theory (UGT) and provides new insights into the underlying mechanisms and boundary factors driving fan page engagement. In addition, this study contributes to the customer engagement literature by introducing share of wallet and resistance to negative brand information as outcome variables.

The Role of Demographic Factors in Consumer Perception of Value from Brand Communication on Facebook

With a growing interest in social media, social networks have been discussed largely in brand management and marketing communications literature. Specifically, Facebook, as the leading brand in social networks, is increasingly popular both for users and companies. However, it is not entirely clear what differences occur among Facebook users regarding their attitudes toward brand profiles. The goal of the research is to identify which demographic factors are related to the functional and hedonistic attitude towards the brand fan page and the overall social value of the page on Facebook. A quantitative survey was conducted on a representative sample of 454 users. The concepts of functional, hedonic and social value were measured using Likert-type questions (four for each of these concepts). Using cluster analysis, homogeneous groups were identified in the data set, resulting in two main segments for the functional and hedonic concept and three for social value. Subsequently, these groups were compared with selected demographic characteristics using Chi-square statistics.Implications for Central European audience: Results of the analysis showed that there is no evidence that gender or age relates to any attitudinal measures towards brand pages on Facebook. The paper ends with a conclusion about the usability of the results for further research and business practice.

Investigating consumers’ online social shopping intention: An information processing perspective

Online social media is transforming the way customers communicate and exchange product information with others. Consumers increasingly rely on the opinions and recommendations from social media members when making purchasing decisions. However, information received from social media may have different meanings and social implications for consumers. Based on the theory of informational social influence and heuristic-systematic model (HSM), we develop a model to understand the relative importance of informational social influence, normative social influence, and perceived information quality on the consumer’s social shopping intention under different levels of product involvement. The results of the structural equation modeling (SEM) using a sample of 503 consumers in the Facebook brand fan pages indicate that social influences have a greater impact on the consumer’s social shopping intention than perceived information quality. Three social interactional factors (perceived similarity, familiarity, and expertise) have a positive effect on social shopping intention via the mediation of informational, normative social influence and perceive information quality. The multiple-group analysis suggests that high product-involved consumers are motivated to exert more cognitive effort to evaluate the product information. In contrast, low product-involved consumers are more susceptible to informational social influence. We draw on these findings to offer implications for researchers and practitioners.

ENGAGING CUSTOMERS ON FACEBOOK COFFEE SHOPS' BRAND-FAN PAGES

Social media's importance is increasing rapidly in the business world as in the lives of individuals (Bitiktas et al., 2020). Thus, customer engagement (CE) in co-creating customer experience and value is receiving increasing attention from business practitioners and academics alike (Brodie, 2011). The study aims to examine content strategy on coffee shops' Facebook brand-fan pages in terms of differences in the length of the text part of the posted content and its impact on customer engagement. Using the Fanpage karma web application, we collected a total number of 1254 of 10 coffee shops' brand-fan pages posts published on Facebook during the year 2019. We found that there is a statistically significant difference between text length according to post type (status, photo, video, link) (p=0.0007), and also customer engagement differs depending on post type (p=0.0009). Surprisingly we also revealed that in text length, there is a statistically significant difference only between photo and status types of posts (p-Value=0.0009) and in customer engagement (CE), only between the photo and video types of posts (p-Value=0.0044). Results of linear regression also were not able to support hypothesis, that the shortest length of the text leads to higher customer engagement (CE). The study extends the research on customer engagement (CE) and expands the knowledge about the Facebook content strategy of coffee companies. Finally, it offers recommendations for future research in the examined area.

Exploring the drivers of brand fan page follower discontinuance intention: an adaptation of the Furneaux and Wade's framework

PurposeMany companies have now built brand fan pages (BFPs) on social media platforms to connect with their existing and potential customers. Nevertheless, the inability to retain existing followers would severely threaten the survival of BFPs and the effectiveness of a company's social media strategies. Drawing upon Furneaux and Wade's discontinuance framework, our study develops a research model to understand the BFP user's intention to discontinue following a BFP.Design/methodology/approachAn empirical study was conducted through an online survey of Chinese social media users. The proposed model was tested by analyzing the collected data using the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) approach.FindingsThe results reveal that dissatisfaction with information quality, unfollowing costs, trust and alternative attractiveness affect the individual's intention to unfollow a BFP. Notably, unfollowing costs is the most powerful factor to predict followers' propensity to discontinue.Originality/valueOur study contributes to the understanding of the discontinuance of information systems. Theoretical implications for future social commerce research as well as practical suggestions for BFP operators are also discussed.

An Empirical Study of Brand Fan Page Engagement Behaviors

Nowadays, numerous companies present themselves on social networking sites (SNSs) by establishing brand communities to maintain continuous interaction with existing and potential customers to influence their brand choices, promote the products and services, and cultivate brand loyalty. However, the research into online brand communities is mainly centered on that utilizing the platforms of websites instead of using social media platforms. Thus, it calls for more studies to investigate consumer brand fan page engagement behavior to increase their fan base and further induce a fan’s purchase behavior. By adopting the perspectives of co-production and social identity theory, this study endeavors to investigate the impact of customer perceived value derived from engaging in brand fan pages on their identification with and stickiness to an online brand community in the SNS-based context. The target population of this study is consumers who have ever participated in an online brand community. Data was collected through a web-based survey. After deleting 36 incomplete responses, 524 usable responses remained for further analysis, with an effective sample rate of 93.57%. The results revealed that utilitarian value, hedonic value, and monetary value separately exerted a significantly positive effect on community identification. Utilitarian value and hedonic value also had significantly positive effects on community stickiness. Moreover, community identification was positively related to community stickiness. Community identification was found to have significantly positive influences on both word-of-mouth and repurchase intention. Furthermore, community stickiness exerted a significantly positive effect on word-of-mouth and repurchase intention. This study confirms the importance of perceived value on enhancing consumers’ identification with and their stickiness to online brand communities. Therefore, businesses should provide consumers with the value they desired to cultivate customer loyalty to their brand fan pages.

Formation path of customer engagement in virtual brand community based on back propagation neural network algorithm

The formation path of customer engagement in a virtual brand community (VBC) with customer engagement, which explores the customers' non-transactional behaviours, has become increasingly popular in the marketing field. In this study, we introduced an approach that integrates structural equation modelling and back propagation artificial neural network to identify the motivating factors (e.g., interactivity, information quality, and convenience) that influence the perceived information and social values of a VBC and customer engagement. The results show that when perceived value plays a mediating role in the influence of interactivity and information quality on customer engagement, interactivity is associated positively with customer engagement in the VBC. This study aims to provide meaningful insights into companies' utilisation of brand fan pages.

Formation path of customer engagement in virtual brand community based on back propagation neural network algorithm

The formation path of customer engagement in a virtual brand community (VBC) with customer engagement, which explores the customers' non-transactional behaviours, has become increasingly popular in the marketing field. In this study, we introduced an approach that integrates structural equation modelling and back propagation artificial neural network to identify the motivating factors (e.g., interactivity, information quality, and convenience) that influence the perceived information and social values of a VBC and customer engagement. The results show that when perceived value plays a mediating role in the influence of interactivity and information quality on customer engagement, interactivity is associated positively with customer engagement in the VBC. This study aims to provide meaningful insights into companies' utilisation of brand fan pages.

How to Make Loyal Fans in Virtual Communities: Evidence from the Facebook Fan Pages of Smartphones

This study targeted community members who have purchased smartphone and have joined the official brand fan pages of the smartphone brands for at least six months. A total of 681 valid samples were collected. Structural equation modeling was employed to conduct path analyses, and the results show that the 7 hypothetical paths proposed in this study are supported by the theoretical model, which exhibited desirable goodness of fit. In the mediation effect, brand passions partially mediate exogenous factors and brand loyalty. This study is aimed at increasing understanding of how a firm that possesses a cluster of fans who actively protect its brand maintain a strong brand relationship with its brand fans through brand community.

Examining eWOM Credibility - Consumer Purchase Intention Relationship in Facebook: A Mediation Analysis

The objective of the current study was to examine the influence of electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) credibility on consumers' purchase intention with trust in seller and brand image as mediators. The proposed model was tested in the context of brand fan pages of Amazon on Facebook. The data were obtained from 393 customers present on Facebook fan pages of Amazon. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM), which indicated a positive relationship between eWOM and purchase intentions. Both trust in seller and brand image partially mediated this relationship. While the study contributes to the theories of eWOM, trust, and consumer behaviour, its findings have significant implications for managers of e-commerce websites who may seek empirical evidence while developing new methods of disseminating product information through SNSs.

Antecedents and consequences of attitude contagion processes: the example of apparel brand fan pages

Purpose This study aims to investigate the social, utilitarian and hedonic benefits associated with a brand behavioral performance from an attitude contagion theory perspective. An integrated empirical model was constructed to identify the antecedents and consequences of consumer attitude contagion. Design/methodology/approach Data were obtained from 609 members of Facebook apparel brand fan pages using purposive sampling. Structural equation modeling was used to validate the proposed theoretical model. Findings Social, utilitarian and hedonic benefits could be used to explain the effects of attitude contagion on various relationships. Attitude contagion factors partially mediate exogenous factors and the behavior of brand fans. Regarding the attitude contagion effect, perceived community attitude and attitude toward fans’ sponsored recommendation posts have stronger explanatory powers for attitude toward products than for attitude toward brands. Specifically, attitude toward brands can indirectly influence members’ purchase intention through brand recall. The proposed model exhibited desirable goodness-of-fit. Practical implications The findings can give brand community managers insight into the development of consumer attitude contagion and assist companies to improve their community management. Originality/value This study contributes to multiple perspectives in the literature regarding social, utilitarian and hedonic benefits and adopted an extension viewpoint to explain that the formation of consumer attitude is a complex process.