Social Media Consumption Research Articles

Digital Marketing of Commercial Complementary Foods in Australia: An Analysis of Brand Messaging.

The digital marketing of commercial complementary foods (CCF) is an emerging area of concern in Australia. Although research into traditional methods has identified a range of problems, the marketing and messaging strategies employed within digital spaces have gone largely unscrutinized. This study sought to examine the methods used by CCF manufacturers to promote Australian baby foods and brands in a digital space. A multiple step approach was used to assess the CCF brands available in major Australian retailers, the social media platforms they used, and to thematically analyze the text and visual messages contained in posts published over a three-month period. Of the 15 brands identified, 12 had a digital presence, and all of these used Facebook. Four themes emerged from an analysis of 216 Facebook posts; (1) general product attributes, (2) socially desirable attributes (which included messaging related to taste (41%), self-feeding (29%) and fun (19%)), (3) concern-based attributes (including organic status (40%), age targets (39%) and additive-/allergen-free status (18%)) and (4) health-focused attributes (which included messaging related to healthy/nutritious ingredients (45%), and child development/growth (15%). Messages contained in Facebook posts were mostly positive brand/product aspects (Themes 1 and 2) or parental concern-based aspects (Theme 3 and 4). These themes match previous analyses of marketing content in traditional media and should be closely monitored due to the personalized nature of consumer social media interactions.

Social media use for supporting mental health (SMILE)

PurposeThe SMILE study (social media as informal support for people with mental illness: an exploratory study) aimed to explore how people with mental health issues use and value social media as a support mechanism.Design/methodology/approachA systematic search of Facebook and Twitter identified groups and pages relating to mental health issues. In total, 203 users over the age of 18 were recruited via Facebook and Twitter. Any user who considered themselves to experience mental health problems could opt to participate and no exclusion criteria were applied. A mixed-methods online survey retrieved demographic and qualitative data by asking users to describe their personal experiences when using social media for mental health support.FindingsUsers perceive Facebook and Twitter as useful online resources to gain informational and emotional support and to share experiences. The benefits were; ease of access, anonymity and personal control over engagement levels. Users had subjective experiences of engagement, however, overall these were deemed positive. Using Facebook and Twitter for mental health provided users with a sense of connectedness and reduced feelings of isolation.Originality/valueThe qualitative methodology allowed participants to share their experiences and views, with positive implications for services. Social media was discussed as a prospective tool for raising awareness and reducing stigma. The study highlights the scope for mental health service providers to tap into the social media consumer market and provide quality online support provision.

Cultural Insights Into Social Dating Ad Humor Styles

The objective of this study is to compare Hispanic and Caucasian Generation Y women's social dating ad humor styles using theoretical paradigms related to cultural norms, gender role, and education. Content analysis is performed on 400 dating ads collected in an interactive digital dating app. The results show that young Hispanic and Caucasian women share the same frequency and some similar patterns in the use of humor in social dating. In spite of the non-significant results on cultural differences, education significantly influences dating ad humor styles of young women, as those with less education tend to use negative ad humor styles more often, and those with more education use a greater amount of positive humor. The findings offer insights into how humor is used by diverse consumers in social media and C2C advertising.

Anxiety, gender, and social media consumption predict COVID-19 emotional distress

Fear and anxiety about COVID-19 have swept across the globe. Understanding the factors that contribute to increased emotional distress regarding the pandemic is paramount—especially as experts warn about rising cases. Despite large amounts of data, it remains unclear which variables are essential for predicting who will be most affected by the distress of future waves. We collected cross-sectional data on a multitude of socio-psychological variables from a sample of 948 United States participants during the early stages of the pandemic. Using a cross-validated hybrid stepwise procedure, we developed a descriptive model of COVID-19 emotional distress. Results reveal that trait anxiety, gender, and social (but not government) media consumption were the strongest predictors of increasing emotional distress. In contrast, commonly associated variables, such as age and political ideology, exhibited much less unique explanatory power. Together, these results can help public health officials identify which populations will be especially vulnerable to experiencing COVID-19-related emotional distress.

Social good or self‐interest: Incentivizing consumer social media engagement behaviour for health messages

AbstractThis study investigates the impact of incentive type and ad appeal on consumers' social media engagement in health‐related ads. The aim is to determine whether self‐oriented incentives versus other‐oriented social incentives encourage (crowd in) or discourage (crowd out) consumers to engage in health‐related ads on social media. Four experimental studies examine the level of social media consumer engagement under three different incentive conditions for two types of ad appeals and two different health issues. Findings show among incentives, the social good incentive has a significantly greater impact on social media consumer engagement for alcohol ads, with the social good incentive triggering people's intrinsic motivations and encouraging social media engagement. For smoking ads, the social good incentive again promotes engagement, although not significant, This study finds that overall people are significantly more likely to engage in emotional health‐related ads on social media compared to rational ads. This study also sheds light on the moderating role of gender on social media engagement for health campaigns. Finally, this study provides insights on the interaction effect of ad appeal and incentives in generating social media engagement.

Unveiling drivers and brand relationship implications of consumer engagement with social media brand posts

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to identify the customer perceptions of social media brand post characteristics that drive consumer engagement with the brand post. Furthermore, this study identifies the customer-brand relationship outcomes resulting from the behavioural engagement on social media.Design/methodology/approachAn online survey of 407 social media users was undertaken. Structural equation modelling was used to test all hypotheses.FindingsThe results indicated that consumers respond positively to interactive and/or novel posts. Furthermore, consumer engagement with brand posts positively influenced all customer-brand relationship facets including brand love and customer-brand identification.Originality/valueThis study contributes to closing the empirical gap in social media consumer engagement research by providing support for consumer perception of brand post’s characteristics as a significant factor triggering consumer engagement with the brand post. This study also provides evidence that consumer engagement with brand posts leads to customer-brand relationships.

Machine learning-based mathematical modelling for prediction of social media consumer behavior using big data analytics

Social media is popular in our society right now. People are using social media platforms to purchase various products. We collected the data from various social media platforms. We analyzed the data for prediction of the consumer behavior on the social media platform. We considered the consumer data from Facebook, Twitter, Linked In and YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest, etc. There are diverse and high-speed, high volume data which are coming from social media platform, so we used predictive big data analytics. In this paper, we have used the concept of big data technology to process data and analyze it to predict consumer behavior on social media. We have analyzed consumer behavior on social media platforms based on some parameters and criteria. We analyzed the consumer perception, attitude towards the social media platform. To get good quality of result, we pre-process data using various data pre-processing to detect outlier, noises, error, and duplicate record. We developed mathematical modeling using machine learning to predict consumer behavior on the social media platform. This model is a predictive model for predicting consumer behavior on the social media platform. 80% of data are used for training purposes and 20% for testing.

Gauging of Social Media Usage and Its Impact on Social Media Consumers: A Survey Study with Reference to Pandemic Disease Covid-19 in India

Background: Information and news reports on coronavirus disease (COVID-19) were published in the first few months of 2020. Quickly published and shared on social media and social networking sites. There is limited evidence, however, as to whether and how social media has been used and impact on social media consumers.Aim: This study aims to assess the usage of social media and its impact on social media consumers during pandemic disease covid-19 in India.Methods: An online questionnaire was prepared and conducted to study in India with a total of 210 social media consumers. This study used a Quantitative data analysis method. As a result, data were analysed using Microsoft Office Excel.Results: Participants showed that Social media play an important role to deal with the pandemic disease. Whatsapp and Instagram were the most used social media platform for getting and sharing information about covid-19. We found a weak statistical correlation between social media impact on frequently usage of social media during covid-19 (R=0.215825619). Social media had equally impacted on gender group during the Covid-19 situation in India.Conclusions: During Covid-19 Pandemic, people are using social media platforms to get and share information about Covid-19. Social media has no negative impact on social media consumers. Social media has an important role to deal with Pandemic disease conditions in India.

“Should I Post or Ghost?”: Examining how privacy concerns impact social media engagement in US consumers

AbstractPrivacy concerns and social media usage continue to increase in parallel for many online consumers. While researchers have suggested the negative impact of privacy concerns on social media engagement, it is also observable that privacy concerns do not prevent users from disclosing their personal information online while using social media, in other words a privacy paradox exists. Noting this interesting discrepancy, our research investigates various factors influencing the relationship between privacy concerns and social media engagement. Privacy related factors are examined along with social media constructs as potential moderators that would explain why privacy concerns do/do not affect social media engagement. To explore these relationships, an online survey was conducted with a total of 760 US social media consumers. Results determined that privacy concerns negatively influenced social media engagement to the extent that users have privacy protection behaviors, social media trust, and social media fatigue. Interestingly, when users have high trust on social media platforms, social media engagement is more likely to increase despite privacy concerns. To increase engagement from consumers on these platforms, brands should look to establish transparent interactions with consumers that ensure data privacy and limit data surveillance.

The Use of Web-Based Social Networks: Trends, Antecedents, and Consequences

Online Social Networks (OSNs) have redefined interpersonal relationships and added a new dimension to communication patterns. According to latest reports, there has been a steep rise in the number of active social media users around the globe. The present paper is a review of research evidence on the antecedent factors leading to such usage and its consequences thereof. Unique features of the virtual environment trigger certain personality traits which are reported to be major predictors of social networking behaviour. Studies on the impact of social media on consumers have unearthed both positive and negative consequences. Research findings, for example, reveal that social media consumption has a therapeutic effect in terms of fulfilment of certain needs and an increase in self-esteem; whereas activation of a narcissistic state and lowered self-control have an adverse effect on psychological well-being and behaviour. The paper summarizes the workplace implications of web-based social networking and also briefly discusses the recent and emerging trends in digital behaviours with particular reference to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Role of Social Media in Promoting Feministic Consciousness

This study measures the role of social media in promoting feministic consciousness among females of Multan. Feminism and the awareness for the rights of women in Pakistan have been shaping themselves for a long. The link between the campaigns of women and the state of Pakistan has undertaken many shifts from mutual accommodation and necessary philosophical arguments out openly and dispute, which is followed by contribution and co-optation. It is a quantitative study in which the researcher will utilize survey methodology in order to gather information from the participants regarding the role of social media in promoting feministic consciousness. The study comprises 300 female participants who were inquired about usage pattern and consumption of social media and awareness of feminism. SPSS software was used for the analysis. The result of this study shows that the feminist understanding has the least relationship with social media, and the females who are aware regarding feministic consciousness have better uplift in their social status.

UNDERSTANDING IMPACT OF MEDIA ENGAGEMENT ON ADVERTISING ACCEPTANCE AND VALUE WITHIN MOBILE SOCIAL NETWORK IN INDIAN MILLENNIALS

Social Networking sites have changed the face of advertising and media consumption massively. Even within them, Mobile Social Network or MSN’s are the latest mode of Social Media consumption that is taking over the social media sites. This study takes a conceptual model developed earlier by Linwan Wu, 2016 and applies it to the millennial populace of India. The target group was selected because they are among the highest users of MSNs in the world. The model aims to check the antecedents of MSN engagement and test the relationship between MSN engagement and advertising effectiveness. The relevant data was collected using an online survey and the results showed a significant difference from the prior study. Though Utilitarian motivation still shows a significant effect on Media Engagement, the other antecedents seemed to have stopped having an effect altogether. Additionaly, the study also shows that in the target group, the engagement with media has no effect in advertising acceptance nor on the value gained from advertising. However, perceived value of advertisement and its acceptance still hold a close relation which presents an opportunity for future researches into the reason, ie, what other factors affect engagement, acceptance and ultimately, the perceived value of ads on mobile social networks.

Media usage predicts intention to be vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 in the US and the UK

There is existing evidence of a relationship between media use and vaccine hesitancy. Four online questionnaires were completed by general population samples from the US and the UK in June 2020 (N = 1198, N = 3890, N = 1663, N = 2237). After controls, all four studies found a positive association between intention to be vaccinated and usage of broadcast and print media. The three studies which operationalised media usage in terms of frequency found no effect for social media. However, the study which operationalised media use in terms of informational reliance found a negative effect for social media.Youth, low household income, female gender, below degree-level of education, and membership of other than white ethnic groups were each also found to be associated with lower intentions to be vaccinated in at least two of the four studies. In all four studies, intention to be vaccinated was positively associated with having voted either for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 US presidential elections or for Labour Party candidates in the 2019 UK general election. Neither of the UK studies found an association with having voted for Conservative Party candidates, but both US studies found a negative association between intention to be vaccinated and having voted for Donald Trump.The consistent finding of greater intention to be vaccinated among users of legacy media but not among users of social media suggests that social media do not currently provide an adequate replacement for legacy media, at least in terms of public health communication. The finding of a negative association with social media in the study which measured informational reliance rather than frequency is consistent with the view that uncritical consumption of social media may be acting to promote vaccine hesitancy.

EDUKASI PENCEGAHAN COVID-19 DALAM MEDIA SOSIAL: GAMBARAN KONTEN VIDEO TIKTOK

In the midst of the global pandemic of the corona virus (covid-19), social media consumption has increased significantly, one of which is the use of the Tiktok application. Tik Tok has partnered with a number of international organizations to share health information, this can be an opportunity for TikTok to be used as an educational medium with creative content. In this qualitative descriptive study, sampling was carried out using consecutive sampling, namely sampling by determining certain criteria to determine the research sample, there were 5 Tik Tok accounts that were used as research samples, namely @tanyadokter, @unicefindonesia, @alodokter, @halodocID and @dijkp in total. 55 videos. This research was studied using the theory of the SMCR communication model by Berlo, namely the process of delivering a message from source to receiver. The results showed that the types of messages uploaded by these accounts were mostly educational message types, namely as much as 29%. The most responses received by the @alodokter account were 144323 from the total likes, comments and shares campaigning for good and correct hand washing. From the results of the analysis of the video content of Tik Tok, it turns out that the use of the caption, hashtag, music / audio and filter effects features is very influential in increasing the number of responses. Using the Tik Tok application provides excellent new benefits, where users are provided with videos that match their preferences and needs accurately because the Tik Tok account that has been researched has collaborated with the World Health Organization and the Indonesian Ministry of Health so that the information provided has been preserved.

Is fear of missing out (FOMO) a cultural construct? Investigating FOMO from a marketing perspective

Fear of missing out (FOMO) is an ongoing phenomenon. It is particularly important in the field of marketing as it is linked to impulsive shopping behaviour and other consequences that can affect the brand–consumer relationship. Existing literature suggests that FOMO is influenced by social media consumption, the level of collectivism versus individualism, and a sense of belonging. The present study deepens understanding of FOMO by examining its associations with social media consumption both in English and in consumers’ ethnic languages, collectivism versus individualism, and ethnic identity. The data were obtained via an online survey of 3,286 respondents of different ethnicities (non-Hispanic white, Hispanic, African American, Asian American). The results show that while consumption of English-language social media is not significantly related to FOMO, the consumption of social media in other languages appears to be a significant predictor of FOMO. The study also finds that collectivism and ethnic identity appear to have a strong correlation with FOMO and can be used as predictors of FOMO. These findings support the idea that FOMO is highly cultural. The paper goes on to discuss how these conclusions contribute to the literature, along with the managerial implications of the findings.

Influence and Relationship between Branded Content and the Social Media Consumer Interactions of the Luxury Fashion Brand Manolo Blahnik

Social networks are particularly significant in marketing and advertising because they provide platforms that offer interactive network channels to develop consumer brands. Among the most useful platforms of this type for capturing leads for businesses of the business to customer are Facebook®. In this sense, this research aims to analyze the degree of influence and relationship between Branded Content and the social media consumer interactions of the luxury fashion firm Manolo Blahnik in the mentioned network. This analysis allows us to see what type of content is more effective in social networks. To do this, an exploratory study was implemented with a review of the literature, followed by a correlation study, with hypothesis set to be contrasted through ANOVA analysis with SPSS software. The conclusion is that social networks facilitate interaction between brands and their followers, allowing the content and messages disseminated to achieve greater impact and commitment to the public and, therefore, increase the engagement between the brand and followers.

The dual concept of consumer value in social media brand community: A trust transfer perspective

Companies are increasingly relying on social media brand communities to interact with consumers and achieve business values. Thus, it is essential to understand how companies can extract value from consumers in social media brand communities. We develop a model clarifying the dual concept of consumer value and illustrating how consumer-perceived value can be transformed into consumer-generated value from a trust transfer perspective. Specifically, we identify three types of consumer-perceived value: utilitarian, hedonic, and social. We capture consumer-generated value in terms of purchase intention and social media word of mouth. Using a two-wave survey, our results strongly support the research model. Specifically, the three types of consumer-perceived values positively affect consumer trust in social media brand communities, which in turn leads to trust in brand and in social media and, thereafter, consumers’ subsequent social media word of mouth and purchase intentions. Our study makes several contributions to the strategic information systems literature concerning leveraging social media brand communities into business strategies. Theoretically, our study expands the understanding of the dual concept of consumer value in social media brand communities through the trust transfer theory. Practically, our study delivers insights for companies into how social media brand communities can be used as a strategic tool for achieving business values.

Media of Contempt: Social Media Consumption Predicts Normative Acceptance of Anti-Muslim Hate Speech and Islamoprejudice

The new era of information technology brings new opportunities but also poses new threats. In our paper, we examine whether a shift from traditional print and broadcasting to new online media results in the increased normalization of hate speech towards minorities, and whether this change can subsequently increase prejudice towards minorities. Our research uses data from a representative two-wave longitudinal survey of Polish adults. In wave 1 (N = 1060), data on respondents’ primary sources of information about the world (TV, newspapers, radio, online, social media, blogs) was collected. Wave 2 (N = 628), conducted six months later, included measures of perceived normativity of anti-Muslim hate speech and Islamophobia. We found that respondents who were frequent social media users expressed higher levels of Islamoprejudice and perceived higher normativity of anti-Muslim hate speech than the respondents who got their news from traditional mass media. We also found that an increase in perceived normativity of anti-Muslim hate speech can act as one of the mechanisms through which use of social media is linked to higher Islamoprejudice.

The Production and Consumption of Social Media

The Production and Consumption of Social Media

Serial Forms: The Unfinished Project of Modernity, 1815–1848 by Clare Pettitt

Reviewed by: Serial Forms: The Unfinished Project of Modernity, 1815–1848 by Clare Pettitt Pete Orford (bio) Clare Pettitt. Serial Forms: The Unfinished Project of Modernity, 1815–1848. Oxford UP, 2020. Pp. xviii + 348. £65.00. ISBN 978-0-19-883042-9 (hb). The temptation when reviewing a book for Dickens Quarterly is to focus solely on the parts of the book that mention Dickens. But what Clare Pettitt's work on serialization offers is a much wider context, and a good thing, too. Frequently, as Dickens scholars, we celebrate the importance of serialization to his works, and the frequency with which we do so often leads to the implicit inference that Dickens is as central to serialization as serialization was to him; what Pettitt's book offers is a broader view of serialization that explores a much larger trend across several authors and generations. "At its most basic, seriality is about the relationship of the part to the whole and the relationship of the singular to the plural," Pettitt tells us; "seriality has therefore emerged as an important term for political theories of citizenship in the nineteenth century and since" (201). The book is the first of three planned monographs, aiming to examine serialization from 1818 through to 1918. While Pettitt acknowledges her book is "deliberately Eurocentric and metropolitan" her subsequent books will aim to expand to "Continental Europe and then to the technologically networked empire towards the end of the century" (22). In doing so, Pettitt is keen to explore serialization in its broadest sense, not limited to literature [End Page 209] but also in its wider social functions. In the introduction, for example, she points towards serialization as "a dangerously … flexible form," which "can be emancipatory, but it can also be regulatory and repressive" (6), pointing to its darkest form in the numbering of prisoners at concentration camps, which forcefully highlights how far serialization can differ from the cheery numbers of Pickwick. Though I've noted the broader range of this book beyond Dickens, that is not to say that Dickens does not make regular appearances. Sketches by Boz is his most referenced work in Pettitt's book, first alluded to frequently in the opening chapter, "Yesterday's News," in which the veracious devouring of the news by nineteenth-century readers as described is akin to modern day consumption of social media. A particularly illuminating chapter called "Scott Unbound" follows, in which Walter Scott – frequently upheld as the antithesis to serialization and the penny dreadfuls – is explored as a fragmented author through his various ballads and poems, subsequently collected. Pettitt uses the disparate nature of Scott's poetry and the illusion of cohesion in its bound form to segue into discussing "the importance of the scrapbook and the album in understanding nineteenth-century print culture" (83). The next chapter, "Live Byron," considers how Don Juan and Childe Harold intersect with contemporary news, and aims "to think about forms of performance that made innovative claims to 'liveness'" (109). This is then followed by a fascinating chapter, "Vesuvius on the Strand," which looks at how Pompeii and its neighboring volcano featured prominently in English print in the 1820s to become a familiar and omnipresent sight: "It must have been difficult to ignore the insistent process of Mount Vesuvius in London from the 1820s onwards. The volcano would pop up all over the place and erupt, often several times a day, in multimedia shows, spectacles, and plays across the city" (148). In this chapter and others, Pettitt argues persuasively for the background noise of print that has so often been ignored in our championing of Victorian novels, showing how something apparently distant such as Vesuvius can become a firm presence in nineteenth-century England through the repeated minor (and major) references occurring in the peripheral vision of the reader. This is something that needs further exploration in Dickens's work as we pay more attention to the paratexts around his monthly and weekly instalments, to better understand the wider context his readers were experiencing as they navigated through his stories via several pages of advertisements, competing serialized fiction and shorter articles. The next chapter devotes itself more fully to Dickens...