The Effect of Social Word-of-Mouth on Brand Switch Intention: From Cognitive Learning Perspective

Previous literature has examined the effect of WOM on innovation adoption or sale dynamics of a single product/brand, but few have explored its effect under a competitive market where consumers can switch their brand in response to WOM from social media friends. Drawing on cognitive learning theory, this study focuses on social media users’ brand switch decision and explores how external and internal influencing factors (social WOM of rival brand vs. satisfaction of adopted brand) combine to shape switch decision

Exploring the influence of social media on future intentions of charity sport participants.

Charity sport participation has gained increasing popularity, with over 11.6 million individuals participating and organizations raising more than $1.7 billion annually through charity sport participation events (Run Walk Ride Foundation, 2012). An increased number of alternatives created a competitive environment among charitable organizations to recruit and retain charity sport participants (Gladden, Mahony, & Apostolopoulou, 2004). The use of social media provides an opportunity for organizations to efficiently and effectively raise awareness about a cause (Waters, Burnett, Lamm, & Lucas, 2009) and build relationships with participants and alumni (Waters & Jamal, 2011), potentially creating a competitive advantage. The purpose of this study was to determine how charity sport organizations could leverage social media to enhance recruitment, retention, and future support of their organization. This study examined charity sport motives (i.e., cause, philanthropy, social, health and fitness, and sport), social media intensity of usage (i.e., high, moderate, and low), and social media consumption motivations to gain insights about maximizing future intentions (i.e., future participation intention, future support of the organization, and participants’ willingness to refer). Multiple quantitative analyses were used to examine these relationships. Data were collected from an international sample of Team in Training participants and alumni, a charity sport subset of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Results yielded cause, philanthropy, social, and health and fitness-related motives as significant predictors of future intentions. Five primary motivations for social media consumption were identified (i.e., community, information, social interaction, pass time, and entertainment) and four typologies of social media users (i.e., avid, purposive, leisurely, and minimalist users) were created based on social media consumption motivations and social media intensity of usage. Further analysis revealed differences in social media typologies based on charity sport motivations and their influence on future intentions. Results of this study confirm the primary motivations of charity sport participation as well as provide an established set of social media consumption motivations in a charity sport context. In addition, the development of social media typologies provides organizations with a more holistic view of the social media consumption habits of their users as well as differences in charity sport motives and future intentions for each typology. Results demonstrate the need for sport managers to embrace social media (e.g., Bernoff & Li, 2008; Kaplan & Haenlein, 2010) and engage users (e.g., King, 2013; Williams & Chin, 2010) in order to build lasting relationships with participants and facilitate offline behaviors (Valenzuela et al., 2009). In addition, results yield evidence of the need for differentiated marketing and communication strategies to effectively meet the needs of users

Conceptualizing the Electronic Word-of-Mouth Process: What We Know and Need to Know About eWOM Creation, Exposure, and Evaluation

Electronic word of mouth (eWOM) is a prevalent consumer practice that has undeniable effects on the company bottom line, yet it remains an over-labeled and under-theorized concept. Thus, marketers could benefit from a practical, science-based roadmap to maximize its business value. Building on the consumer motivation–opportunity–ability framework, this study conceptualizes three distinct stages in the eWOM process: eWOM creation, eWOM exposure, and eWOM evaluation. For each stage, we adopt a dual lens—from the perspective of the consumer (who sends and receives eWOM) and that of the marketer (who amplifies and manages eWOM for business results)—to synthesize key research insights and propose a research agenda based on a multidisciplinary systematic review of 1050 academic publications on eWOM published between 1996 and 2019. We conclude with a discussion of the future of eWOM research and practice

The effect of Facebook in-application advertisements on purchase intent: a case of retail shopping in South Africa

A research report submitted to the faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Management in strategy marketing Johannesburg, 2018Social media has transformed how people communicate with each other and has carved alternative ways for businesses to engage and interact with customers by sending them targeted campaigns and promotions using various social media platforms. Social media has made information accessible to consumers which assists them to make well informed decisions when making a purchase. The focus of the study is to establish the effectiveness of in-application advertisement on Facebook on purchase intent - a case study on retail in South Africa. The analysis is based on the black baby boomer cohort, an under studied segment of the population, in South Africa. The findings of the study reveal the growing adaptation and use of Facebook by baby boomers in South Africa, as they use and rely on this platform to remain connected with family, friends and peers and to be able to source information on products and services based on peers via word of mouth. This study relies on quantitative analysis of the results obtained through an online survey. A total of 603 respondents engaged with the survey, which was placed on Facebook, and 235 of the successfully completed questionnaires were by baby boomers in South Africa. The study testes five hypotheses using Structural Equation Modelling and SPSS. The study revealed that the hypotheses that tested in-application advertisement on Facebook and its effectiveness does show a strong relationship with performance expectancy by baby boomers. Effort and social influence had a weak relationship to any of the variables, however this changed when new mediator variables, clicking on and advertisements and word of mouth, are introduced. The study contributes to the literature and theoretical knowledge on the positive effectiveness of Facebook and online banner advertisement towards purchase intent, and the effectiveness and impact of word of mouth both online and offline, in South Africa. The findings may be applied and expanded to other African regions.MT 201

Social Media Networking Strategies for the Yale New Haven Center for Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Response (YNH-CEPDR)/ Yale New Haven Health System Center for Healthcare Solutions (YNHHS-CHS)

This paper investigates the uses and gratification of social media for both personal and organizational usage among employees at the Yale New Haven Center for Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Response/Center for Healthcare Solutions in New Haven, Connecticut. The purpose of this thesis is to assess and evaluate the relationship between YNH-CEPDR/CHS\u27 usage of social media tools and the organization\u27s employees\u27 personal attitudes, beliefs and usage of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Employees of CEPDR/CHS were surveyed regarding the function of social media for emergency management communication and the promotion of products and services. Results suggest that while employees generally agree that social media is a valuable tool for both personal use and professional purposes, there is no current social media strategy being employed by the organization. Future research should investigate and measure the effects of specific social media strategies employed by emergency preparedness and disaster response organizations

“WHAT’S HAPPENING” @TWITTER: A USES AND GRATIFICATIONS APPROACH

The uses and gratifications approach places power in the hands of the audience and is a helpful perspective when trying to understand media usage, exposure, and effects. However, while the uses and gratifications approach has been applied regularly to traditional media, research explaining why people use new social media networks as well as the gratifications they obtain from them is scarce at best. This thesis provides a comprehensive overview of the uses and gratifications approach as well as the current literature about social media networks. An argument is built within the thesis to study Twitter as one social media network through the uses and gratifications theoretical lens. Research questions are provided and a survey of 216 college undergraduates was conducted. Results show that people use a variety of Twitter functions, that the gratifications sought from Twitter are not the gratifications obtained from Twitter, and that people are careful about the types of information they share on the social media network. Additionally, results suggest that Twitter users obtain more gratifications from the passive functions of Twitter rather the active functions in terms of relational maintenance and entertainment. Limitations of the study and suggestions for future directions are also provided

E-waste-word of mouth (EW-WOM) generation: a fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fs/QCA)

Purpose This study aims to examine the asymmetrical relationships among information-sharing desire, moral attitudes, lack of concern, relative advantage, market maven tendency and complexity as the antecedents of E-waste-word of mouth (EW-WOM) generation. Design/methodology/approach To obtain a holistic view and the interrelationships between conditions, the configural analysis was conducted to assess the asymmetrical relationships using fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fs/QCA). In addition, construct validity, reliability and symmetrical relationships between antecedent conditions (i.e. exogenous constructs) and outcome conditions (i.e. endogenous constructs) are examined using variance-based structural equation modeling (VB-SEM) technique. Findings Results imply that market maven tendency accounts for 86.8% of the sum of the memberships in EW-WOM generation. In total, 11 configurations show sufficiency in constructing EW-WOM generation. The configuration of relativeadvanta*moralattitudes*marketmaventend shows the highest consistency value (0.939684) in producing EW-WOM generation (outcome condition). The ∼relativeadvanta *moralattitudes*complexity*∼lackfconcern with raw coverage of 0.626757 and consistency value of 0.864088 show the most sufficient configuration path in producing the outcome. Originality/value Product review and recommendation are easily shared in various communication formats and consumers are prone to disseminate information and their experiences with other market segments. However, the role and phenomena of such viral communication in preventing environmental issues caused by electronic and electrical devices (i.e. E-waste) are not well understood. This study is among a few attempts at understanding consumer's decision-making process to engage in E-waste activities such as the reduction of garbage, recycling, compositing and the reuse of electronic or electrical devices

Over-the-Top (OTT) Networks\u27 Influence on Shared Cultural Memory

The digital landscape underwent a profound transformation in the Over-The-Top (OTT) network era, significantly altering media consumption. This study delved into the intricate and multifaceted impact of OTT networks on society, communication theory, and socio-cultural traditions, specifically emphasizing their influence on shared cultural memory. The research was rooted in a robust methodology that combined a Qualtrics online survey disseminated across various social media platforms and in-depth interviews with 25 carefully selected participants. This rigorous approach aimed to shed light on the profound influence of OTT networks on shared cultural memory while investigating how these platforms shaped perceptions, beliefs, attitudes, and values. The findings revealed the ascendant role of OTT networks in shaping shared cultural memory, exerting their influence on individual and collective memories, and fundamentally altering conventional paradigms of media communication. Within this landscape, the pivotal significance of content quality, viewer preferences, and the overarching theme of accessibility emerged as driving forces behind the widespread adoption of OTT services. This study shed light on how OTT networks revolutionized contemporary media consumption, impacted communication theory, and reshaped socio-cultural traditions. It underscored the need for ongoing research to fully grasp the profound implications of this digital revolution in a rapidly evolving technological landscape. OTT networks have revolutionized media consumption and played a pivotal role in shaping society\u27s collective memory in the digital era

Beyond mobile advertising : an empirical investigation of customer engagement and empowerment with mobile marketing communication campaigns

The importance of customer engagement to sustain and foster business growth in an interactive environment has been recognised in the practitioner literature. It has also been observed that engaged customers become empowered in a given marketing communication environment. Yet, there has been very little, if any, academic enquiry examining these concepts within the mobile commutations context. This is surprising given that we are live in an increasingly mobile technology dominated world. Thus, the aim of this research is to examine customer engagement behaviour and its relationship to customer empowerment in the context of mobile communication. A conceptual model is built on the foundations of the technology acceptance model (TAM). This model seeks to explain the level of engagement and empowerment of customers in mobile marketing campaigns with subjective norms, information seeking, perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness as antecedents. The inquiry extends to examining the impact of moderating factors that influence customer engagement and empowerment along with behavioural intention as a consequence.Following Churchill (1979), a scale to measure engagement was developed. Given the positivist foundations of this study, an online questionnaire was used to collect data. Respondents were recruited from several popular electronic forums in Saudi Arabia. Following data collection, covariance based Structural Equation Modelling was employed in the analysis.The study makes a contribution both on a theoretical level and at a practical level. On a theoretical level, a new scale is developed to measure customer engagement. This will provide a basic understanding of customer behaviour in mobile marketing communication. The relationship between customer engagement and customer empowerment was significant. Subjective norms and information seeking were significant to customer empowerment, while only subjective norms were significant to customer engagement. Perceived usefulness was significant to customer engagement and customer empowerment, while perceived ease of use was insignificant to both of them. In addition, behavioural intention was significant to customer empowerment. On a practical level, the developed scale will help to improve customers’ relationships with businesses; as marketers are now able to enhance engagement by providing an outlet for social interaction, for example. Furthermore, a better understanding of customers’ behaviour will help marketing professionals to better segment and target the appropriate customers to enhance their loyalty