Title: The role of customer brand engagement in social media: conceptualisation, measurement, antecedents and outcomes

Authors: Birgit Andrine Apenes Solem; Per Egil Pedersen

Addresses: Center for Service Innovation, Norwegian School of Economics, University College of Southeast Norway, Department of Business and Management, Campus Vestfold, PO Box 4, 3199 Borre, Norway ' Center for Service Innovation, Norwegian School of Economics, Buskerud and Vestfold University College, Department of Business and Management, Campus Vestfold, PO Box 4, 3199 Borre, Norway

Abstract: Customer Brand Engagement (CBE) is an important, timely concept, particularly for service brands using interactive social media channels. This research involved elucidation of the main characteristics of CBE, development and evaluation of a social media adapted CBE measurement scale and hypothesis testing to position CBE in social media among other relationship concepts. We identified CBE as a unique concept using a repertory grid, adapted a three-dimensional organisational behaviour scale and validated the scale using questionnaire and panel data. The scale is reliable for the measurement of CBE in interactive social media contexts, incorporating physical, emotional and cognitive psychological engagement states, as demonstrated with exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. We found significant effects of customer participation and brand involvement on CBE, and of CBE on brand loyalty through brand experience and satisfaction. This paper demonstrates the complexity (multidimensionality) of CBE and shows how it can be measured appropriately in interactive contexts.

Keywords: customer brand engagement; social media; Facebook brand page; repertory grid; organisational behaviour; psychological engagement states; emotion; cognition; customer participation; brand involvement; brand loyalty; brand experience; customer satisfaction.

DOI: 10.1504/IJIMA.2016.081344

International Journal of Internet Marketing and Advertising, 2016 Vol.10 No.4, pp.223 - 254

Received: 21 Sep 2015
Accepted: 24 May 2016

Published online: 05 Jan 2017 *

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