Developing UGC social brand engagement model: Insights from diverse consumers

Abstract

Understanding the social influence of user‐generated content (UGC) to create social brand engagement (SBE) through social media has become a topic of major interest for both academics and marketers since the birth of online social networking. This study explores the social interaction of social media users (SMUs) involving brand‐related UGC, and the outcomes of this study show how SMUs' social interaction through UGC generates SBE in a fashion retail context. There is inadequate understanding regarding what the social motivational contexts of social actors are; these social motivational contexts can play a role in the social generation, exchange, and consumption of fashion brand‐related UGC. The present study intends to develop a UGC SBE model using the diverse insights of the customers of fashion brands. The present study opted for a social constructionist epistemological position using a qualitative research method. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted in the UK with 32 customers of fashion brands. Findings highlighted that social responsibility, sharing experience, staying connected and updated, and reward sharing are the major motivational factors that lead to the generation, exchange, and consumption of UGC that would create SBE. Also, the findings revealed the SMUs, as social actors, who played a significant role in generating SBE through their social interaction with UGC in everyday life: frequent SMUs, celebrities, opinion leaders, and product users. Most importantly, it was found that expert opinion influence as identification and crowd opinion were recognised as internalisation social influencing factors that generate SBE. This study proposes a holistic conceptualisation in a “UGC SBE model” by considering: (a) the identification and (b) the internalisation types of social influence of UGC with respect to fashion brand engagement.

Understanding the social consumer fashion brand engagement journey: insights about reputed fashion brands

“…These dimensions have been adopted by marketing researchers to argue for the existence of relationships between brands and consumers. Prior research argued that the social exchange of brand-related information through SMPs increased social motivation for brand engagement and brand purchases (Osei-Frimpong and McLean 2018 ; Osei-Frimpong et al 2019 ; Naeem and Ozuem 2020 ); however, these studies did not reveal the factors that can convert social engagement into purchase decisions and consumer brand engagement. Therefore, this study applied Sternberg’s triangular theory of love to fashion brands from a social perspective to understand SCFBE in the context of SMPs.…”

“…The concept of brand passion is found in research on the psychological perspective of interpersonal relationships (Albert et al 2008 ; Carroll and Ahuvia 2006). People engage in interpersonal relationships through social media for some common cause or intentions, such as getting information on fashion brands (Naeem and Ozuem 2020 ). Sternberg’s triangular theory of love highlighted that interpersonal relationships or love are established on the basis of three components: passion, intimacy, and decision/commitment.…”

“…Researchers argued that most brand-related literature focused on consumer brand engagement (Osei-Frimpong and McLean 2018 ; Osei-Frimpong et al 2019 ); however, there is little understanding of how people become socially engaged with, and influenced by, fashion brands. There are various social actors on SMPs who can encourage social fashion engagement, such as celebrities, brand-sponsored advertisements, and recommendations from brand users (Naeem and Ozuem 2020 ; Simon and Tossan 2018 ; Martínez-López et al 2020 ), but not all sources are relevant and credible. There is evidence that some people do not perceive celebrities and brand-sponsored advertisements as credible or relevant (Arnold 2017 ; Retail Wire 2019 ; Naeem and Ozuem 2020 ); therefore, they usually have little impact on purchase decisions.…”

“…There are various social actors on SMPs who can encourage social fashion engagement, such as celebrities, brand-sponsored advertisements, and recommendations from brand users (Naeem and Ozuem 2020 ; Simon and Tossan 2018 ; Martínez-López et al 2020 ), but not all sources are relevant and credible. There is evidence that some people do not perceive celebrities and brand-sponsored advertisements as credible or relevant (Arnold 2017 ; Retail Wire 2019 ; Naeem and Ozuem 2020 ); therefore, they usually have little impact on purchase decisions. The present study identifies a range of factors that can enhance SCFBE through SMPs.…”

“…Consumers looking to buy fashion brands often follow fashion experts on social media and take their advice on buying fashion products (Swimberghe et al 2014 ; Schivinski and Dabrowski 2016 ). However, recent studies revealed that people only accept recommendations and influence from socially credible and relevant sources (Naeem 2020 ; Simon and Tossan 2018 ; Martínez-López et al 2020 ), such as well-known friends and family members, rather than celebrities and fashion experts (Naeem and Ozuem 2020 ; Simon and Tossan 2018 ; Martínez-López et al 2020 ).…”