The impact of brand communication on brand equity through Facebook

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to fill the gap in the discussion of the ways in which firm-created and user-generated social media brand communication impacts consumer-based brand equity metrics through Facebook. Design/methodology/approach: We evaluated 302 data sets that were generated through a standardized online-survey to investigate the impact of firm-created and user-generated social media brand communication on brand awareness/associations, perceived quality, and brand loyalty across 60 brands within three different industries: non-alcoholic beverages, clothing, and mobile network providers. We applied structural equation modeling techniques (SEM) to investigate the effects of social media brand communication on consumers’ perception of brand equity metrics, as well as in an examination of industry-specific differences. Findings: The results of our empirical studies showed that both firm-created and user-generated social media brand communication influence brand awareness/associations; whereas, user-generated social media brand communication had a positive impact on brand loyalty and perceived brand quality. Additionally, there are significant differences between the industries being investigated. Originality/value: This article is pioneering in that it exposes the effects of two different types of social media brand communication (i.e., firm-created and user-generated social media communication) on consumer-based brand equity metrics, a topic of relevance for both marketers and scholars in the era of social media. Additionally, it differentiates the effects of social media brand communication across industries, which indicate that practitioners should implement social media strategies according to industry specifics to lever consumer-based brand equity metrics

A scale to measure consumer’s engagement with social media brand-related content

The purpose of this study is to fill the gap in the literature concerning to the measurement of consumer’s engagement with social media brand-related content (hereafter, CESBC). We introduce empirical evidence for the development and measurement of CESBC scale. The scale is based on the consumer's online brand-related framework and comprises three dimensions: consumption, contribution, and creation. We used qualitative techniques to prepare an initial list of items and tested and validated the CESBC scale with confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Results (n = 2252) confirmed the three-factor structure of the CESBC and indicated its good psychometric properties

Negative Refraction in Ferromagnet/Superconductor Superlattices

Negative refraction, which reverses many fundamental aspects of classical optics, can be obtained in systems with negative magnetic permeability and negative dielectric permittivity. This Letter documents an experimental realization of negative refraction at millimeter waves, finite magnetic fields and cryogenic temperatures utilizing a multilayer stack of ferromagnetic and superconducting thin films. In the present case the superconducting YBa_2Cu_3O_7 layers provide negative permittivity while negative permeability is achieved via ferromagnetic (La:Sr)MnO_3 layers for frequencies and magnetic fields close to the ferromagnetic resonance. In these superlattices the refractive index can be switched between positive and negative regions using external magnetic field as tuning parameter.Comment: 4 Pages, 3 Figures, Phys. Rev. Lett., accepte

Structural and physical properties of SrMn1−xRuxO3SrMn_{1-x}Ru_xO_3 perovskites

We combine the results of magnetic and transport measurements with neutron diffraction data to construct the structural and magnetic phase diagram of the entire family of SrMn$_{1-x}$Ru$_{x}$O$_3$ ($0 \leqslant x \leqslant 1$) perovskites. We have found antiferromagnetic ordering of the C type for lightly Ru-substituted materials ($0.06 \leqslant x \leqslant 0.5$) in a similar manner to $R_{y}$Sr$_{1-y}$MnO$_3$ ($R$=La, Pr), due to the generation of Mn$^{3+}$ in both families of manganite perovskites by either $B$-site substitution of Ru$^{5+}$ for Mn$^{4+}$ or $A$-site substitution of $R^{3+}$ for Sr$^{2+}$. This similarity is driven by the same ratio of $d^4$ / $d^3$ ions in both classes of materials for equivalent substitution level. In both cases, a tetragonal lattice distortion is observed, which for some compositions ($0.06 \leqslant x \leqslant 0.2$) is coupled to a C-type AF transition and results in a first order magnetic and resistive transition. Heavily substituted SrMn$_{1-x}$Ru$_{x}$O$_3$ materials are ferromagnetic due to dominating exchange interactions between the Ru$^{4+}$ ions. Intermediate substitution ($0.6 \leqslant x \leqslant 0.7$) leads to a spin-glass behavior instead of a quantum critical point reported previously in single crystals, due to enhanced disorder.Comment: 9 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in Physical Review