Understanding the antecedents and outcomes of brand community-swinging in a poly-social-media context: a perspective of channel complementarity theory
Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics
ISSN: 1355-5855
Article publication date: 18 June 2021
Issue publication date: 14 February 2022
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the increasingly widespread phenomenon of brand community-swinging, which refers to a user's routine use of multiple brand communities of a brand across different social media. Drawing from channel complementarity theory, this study examines whether the complementarity of gratifications in four values (i.e. information value, entertainment value, social interaction value and self-presentation value) influences brand community-swinging and, in turn, cultivates brand loyalty.
Design/methodology/approach
A questionnaire was developed to collect relevant data from users of a well-known smartphone brand. The survey yielded a total of 351 useable responses, and a structural equation model approach was used to test the hypotheses.
Findings
The results indicate that three types of gratification complementarity (information value, social interaction value and self-presentation value) have a significantly positive impact on consumers' brand community-swinging, which further fosters brand loyalty.
Originality/value
Previous research predominantly focused on the motivations and outcomes of consumers' participation within a single-brand community, but little is known about the antecedents and outcomes of brand community-swinging in a poly-social-media context. This study contributes to the brand community literature by addressing this research gap.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors gratefully acknowledge financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) (No. 71802097, No. 71702097, No. 91746206 and No. 71602072). This project is also partially supported by Jinan University Management School Funding Program (No. GY21013), Institute for Enterprise Development, Jinan University, Guangdong Province (2020CP03 and 2021MYZD04), Philosophy and Social Sciences Planning Program of Guangzhou (No. 2021GZYB05) and Research Institute on Brand Innovation and Development of Guangzhou.
Citation
Liao, J., Chen, J. and Dong, X. (2022), "Understanding the antecedents and outcomes of brand community-swinging in a poly-social-media context: a perspective of channel complementarity theory", Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, Vol. 34 No. 3, pp. 506-523. https://doi.org/10.1108/APJML-11-2020-0820
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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