Social media and tourism : a wishful relationship

For decades hospitality firms were used to domain the communication process. Thematic social network sites such as TripAdvisor became very important tools for travelers when deciding which hotels to book, and what restaurants and tourist attractions to visit, been a visible part of tourism communication evolution. Evidence suggests that e-WOM serves as a primary information source when tourists choose destinations, hotels, and other experiences. The role and use of social media in tourists’ decision making has been widely discuss in tourism and hospitality research, especially in the research phase of the tourist’ travel planning process. With the wide adoption of social media the influence of customers’ word-of-mouth increased and influences not only the research phase, but the repetition and overall customers’ experiences. To answer these questions a model assessing e-wom was developed and data was gathering from TripAdvisor regarding customer’s opinion in restaurant experiences. The results found establish the bases for understanding tourists’ engagement level and profiles.N/

THE EFFECTS OF SOCIAL CAPITAL ON BRAND EVANGELISM IN ONLINE BRAND FAN PAGE: THE ROLE OF PASSIONATE BRAND LOVE

In recent years research studies have tackle the issue of brand fan economy and their behaviours, however little is known about brand evangelism. Given that many consumers are crazy in love with brand fan page on Facebook, understanding how fans behave in brand fan page is crucial in determining brand evangelism. Our main goal is to understand how different dimensions of social capitals in online fan page exert influence on brand love and how the underlying mechanism in turn facilitates consumers to develop brand evangelism. By using partial least square (PLS), the results show that the three dimensions of social capital impose differing effects in influencing the establishment of brand love and its consequent effect on brand evangelistic behaviours in SNS. It is found that relational capital in brand fan page serves as the most influential antecedent to drive brand love. The findings of this study have significant implications to both marketers and researchers

The effect of social media communication on consumer perceptions of brands

Researchers and brand managers have limited understanding of the effects social media communication has on how consumers perceive brands. We investigated 504 Facebook users in order to observe the impact of firm-created and user-generated social media communication on brand equity, brand attitude and purchase intention by using a standardized online survey throughout Poland. To test the conceptual model, we analyzed 60 brands across three different industries: non-alcoholic beverages, clothing and mobile network operators. When analyzing the data, we applied the structural equation modeling technique to both investigate the interplay of firm-created and user-generated social media communication and examine industry-specific differences. The results of the empirical studies showed that user-generated social media communication had a positive influence on both brand equity and brand attitude, whereas firm-created social media communication affected only brand attitude. Both brand equity and brand attitude were shown to have a positive influence on purchase intention. In addition, we assessed measurement invariance using a multi-group structural modeling equation. The findings revealed that the proposed measurement model was invariant across the researched industries. However, structural path differences were detected across the models

Social Media Strategic Plan For Under Armour

This thesis is a study of the effects of social media on an organization’s integrated marketing communications strategy in general and provides a proposal of how the sports apparel company Under Armour could use social media to enhance its promotional strategies. It is a discussion of the implications that social media has on consumer behavior with focus on how social media has changed the way today’s consumers interact with brands. This thesis provides an analysis of the growing importance of social media being implemented within a business. Benefits discussed include the appeal of social media over traditional media, increased customer satisfaction, increased loyalty, and brand awareness. A list of essential social media networking sites is discussed under the different platforms of networking, promoting and sharing, highlighting their importance to a business. Under Armour’s current social media presence is discussed and how social media has become a new component of the Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) mix. An illustration of how Homeland/Embassy strategy uses social media is provided as an example of how Under Armour could use social media in its IMC mix

Bringing Virtual Communities into a Marketing Strategy to Create Purchase Intentions in the Social Media Era

Introduction/main objectives: A virtual community is a new form of social interaction that provides an alternative way for connectivity and creativity. As the most favorite platform, social networking site is one of marketing objectives and strategies for global brands. The purpose of this study is to examine the antecedents (social eWOM, image, and trust) and consequences (purchase intention) of eWOM’s adoption. Background problem: Today, taking part in virtual communities is a must. People with the same interests share their experiences and become trustworthy referees for others. Understanding the effect virtual communities can have will help companies to expand their markets. Novelty: Social eWOM has a great impact, but no prior studies have examined the effect of social eWOM or a virtual community on image, trust, eWOM‘s adoption and purchase intentions, this study would be the first study that provides a comprehensive model using recent issues. Research methods: Purposive sampling was used to recruit 240 active participants in virtual communities in Indonesia. To collect the data, spreading questionnaire was conducted. SPSS and PLS 3 were used to analyze the data. Findings: The findings proved the relationship among social eWOM, image and trust. It also revealed that eWOM’s adoption affected purchase intentions. Surprisingly, image has no statistically significant effect on eWOM’s adoption. Conclusion: Well-managed social eWOM creates a better image, and increases trust, and eWOM’s adoption leads to an increase in the purchase intention. This study offers managerial insights to manage social eWOM from any virtual communities, to improve their image and trust. Finally, managers should maintain positive reviews, as this will also create an intention to purchase.

Advertising in Duopoly Market

The paper presents the dynamics of consumer preferences over two competing products acting in duopoly market. The model presented compared the majority and minority rules as well as the modified Snazjd model in the Von Neumann neighborhood. We showed how important advertising in marketing a product is. We show that advertising should also consider the social structure simultaneously with the content of the advertisement and the understanding to the advertised product. Some theoretical explorations are discussed regarding to size of the market, evaluation of effect of the advertising, the types of the advertised products, and the social structure of which the product is marketed. We also draw some illustrative models to be mproved as a further work

Ephilanthropy: the impact of the internet & online communities in achieving social change

While marketing in the nonprofit sector is a growing topic in today’s literature, research surrounding its effect on social change is still under development. More exploration to uncover the position of the Internet in the nonprofit marketing field will reveal its effectiveness for stimulating support and ongoing advocacy from its users. An important phenomenon for nonprofit organizations to uncover and embrace, social marketing will allow them to increase support in the online community. Focusing on animal advocacy and the virtual community of the ASPCA, this paper will help contribute to the understanding of user habits, motivations and behavioral intentions as they relate to philanthropy and promoting social capital on the Web. Through an analysis of the questionnaire provided, the study highlights both participation antecedents (involvement and received word of mouth) and participation consequences (word of mouth and donation behavior) as they relate to overall online participation. The study also looks at the level of satisfaction, as compared to user frequency and habits of the community. A methodology section is provided ¾ including fieldwork, and implications ¾ based on the results of the study