Consumer engagement; social media; brand community
Abstract :
[en] Purpose – This paper aims to delineate the meaning, conceptual boundaries and dimensions of consumer engagement within the context of online
brand communities both in term of the engagement with the brand and the other members of the online brand communities. It also explores the
relationships of consumer engagement with other concepts, suggesting antecedents of engagement.
Design/methodology/approach – Data are collected through semi-structured interviews with 21 international online brand community members,
covering a variety of brand categories and social media platforms.
Findings – This paper suggests that individuals are engaging in online communities in social network platforms both with other individuals and
with brands. The study also identifies three key engagement dimensions (cognition, affect and behaviours). Their meaning and sub-dimensions are
investigated. The paper further suggests key drivers, one outcome and objects of consumer engagement in online brand communities. These findings
are integrated in a conceptual framework.
Research limitations/implications – Further research should aim at comparing consumer engagement on different social media and across brand
categories, as this study takes a holistic approach and does not focus on any particular category of brands or social media. Consumers’ views should
also be evaluated against and compared with marketing managers’ understanding of consumer engagement.
Originality/value – This paper contributes to the fast-growing and fragmented consumer engagement literature by refining the understanding of
its dimensions and situating it in a network of conceptual relationships. It focusses on online brand communities in rich social media contexts to
tap into the core social and interactive characteristics of engagement.
Disciplines :
Marketing
Author, co-author :
Dessart, Laurence ; Université de Liège - ULiège > HEC Liège : UER > Marketing et intelligence stratégique
Veloutsou, Cleopatra
Morgan-Thomas, Anna
Language :
English
Title :
Consumer engagement in online brand communities: A social media perspective
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