The role of customer engagement in cultivating relationships with automotive Facebook brand pages

Abstract

Purpose

The study aims to provide a theoretical framework of how information, entertainment and social interaction value associated with automotive Facebook brand pages (FBPs) in Sri Lanka influence customer engagement behaviors (CEBs), and further, how CEB is likely to result in FBP-specific relationship outcomes.

Design/methodology/approach

A printed questionnaire was used to collect the data from a convenience sample of 374 undergraduate Facebook users in Sri Lanka, and data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) with AMOS 21.0.

Findings

The findings highlighted that information, entertainment and social interaction value positively influenced CEBs in automotive FBPs in Sri Lanka. Moreover, results showed that CEB had a positive influence on FBP trust, FBP commitment and FBP loyalty. Additionally, information value was found to positively influence FBP loyalty, while social interaction value had a positive influence on FBP trust and FBP commitment.

Originality/value

The study proposes a framework for relationship building in automotive FBPs by integrating values that drive CEBs and the FBP-specific relationship outcomes of CEBs. As such, the novelty of this paper is that it focuses on building customer relationships with the FBP, instead of the brand in the context of automotive FBPs in a developing country, Sri Lanka. Further, this study proposes some additional linkages between the constructs apart from testing the antecedents and FBP-specific relationship outcomes of CEBs.

Peer review

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/OIR-11-2019-0352

Citation

de Silva, T.M. (2021), "The role of customer engagement in cultivating relationships with automotive Facebook brand pages", Online Information Review, Vol. 45 No. 7, pp. 1362-1380. https://doi.org/10.1108/OIR-11-2019-0352