Who says what?: exploring the impacts of content type and blog type on brand credibility, brand similarity and eWOM intention

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to conduct an exploratory study to discover if presenting consumers with a certain content type (i.e. product-focused content with informational appeal, institution-focused content with emotional appeal, experience-focused content with emotional appeal,) and blog type (i.e. a corporate, sponsored or a personal blog) persuade consumers to form perceptions of credibility and similarity toward the fashion brand, which leads them to further engage with the brand through Electronic Word of Mouth (eWOM).Design/methodology/approachThis study employs a 3(content type: product-focused, institution-focused, experience-focused) x 3(blog type: corporate, sponsored and personal) between-subjects design. Mock fashion blogs and content were developed in order to provide a realistic blogging experience for the participants. With 511 usable data collected, ANOVA was employed to test the relationships.FindingsFindings reveal that content type, specifically product-focused content and experiential content, is an important consideration for illustrating similarities between the brand and consumers compared to institutional content. Product-focused content is found to be effective in encouraging consumer eWOM for the brand as well. Further, the interaction effect of blog type and content type was significant in establishing brand credibility. However, blog type did not influence any of the dependent variable.Originality/valueThis study brings meaningful suggestions to fashion brands on effective blog campaign, which eventually provide insights on how brands can influence female consumers to shape positive evaluation toward the brand.

Engaging consumers with sustainable fashion on Instagram

“…Followers were highly engaged with Fashion and Lifestyle themed posts from all groups. While extant research was not found that explored such themes, these findings align with those of Kim et al . (2020), who found that content types and brand intentions impacted follower e-WOM intentions.…”

“…Align platform structure with consumer mentality Followers were highly engaged with Fashion and Lifestyle themed posts from all groups. While extant research was not found that explored such themes, these findings align with those of Kim et al (2020), who found that content types and brand intentions impacted follower e-WOM intentions. These findings consistently portray brand communication strategies impacting follower engagement.…”

Mindful consumption of second-hand clothing: the role of eWOM, attitude and consumer engagement

“…The revolution in technology and the advent of Web 2.0 have facilitated the emergence of WOM online or eWOM. This new type of communication has become an essential vehicle for consumers to share their experiences, ideas, thoughts and opinions owing to its greater accessibility, speed and reach (Chatterjee, 2001;Kim et al, 2020;Mayzlin, 2006). EWOM refers to "any positive or negative statement made by potential, actual, or former customers about the product or company which is made available to a multitude of people and institutions via the Internet" (Hennig-Thurau et al, 2004, p. 39).…”

Impacts of brand familiarity and brand responses on perceived brand credibility, similarity, and blog recommendation intention: a study of corporate blogs

“…As a result, about 86% of retail companies are known to produce blog content and more than half of the companies consider blogs as one of the primary forms of media in their marketing strategies (Hubspot, 2020). Corporate blogs, in particular, is known as an effective business tool for promoting corporate relationships and professional image (Huang et al , 2010), providing information for products or services for potential consumer purchase decisions (Jill, 2019; Pihl, 2014; Kim et al , 2020), and sharing announcements about the brand (Ahuja and Medury, 2010; Halvorsen et al , 2013).…”

“…Previous studies in corporate blog marketing have examined blog content, blog type, source of blog communication and type of audiences on customer loyalty (i.e. Chu and Kamal, 2008; Fu and Chen, 2012; Kim et al , 2020). However, there is a lack of study concerning how blogs are managed by brands for customer engagement and brand credibility.…”