F Ceruti

Affecting brand loyalty intention: The effects of UGC and shopping searches via Facebook

ABSTRACT Despite the fact that social networking sites (SNSs) provide new opportunities for firms and brands, there is still a little understanding of how user-generated contents (UGC) and shopping-related research via Facebook (FB) affects brand loyalty intention in the luxury fashion context. The present work develops a conceptual model to empirically analyze how brand loyalty intention is affected by customers’ trust in a brand’s FB page, by their willingness to utilize brand’s FB page for shopping-related searches, and by three different types of UGC: peer recommendations, informational support and emotional support. In order to fulfill this aim, the study examines 277 Millennials and the Victoria’s Secret FB page. Structural equation model results reveal that online shopping-related searches, peer recommendations and social support have significant positive effects on customers’ trust. Moreover, the research points out a significant positive effect between customers’ trust and their brand loyalty intention, supporting marketers to better understand the role played by trusted UGC. The research provides interesting insights, for both academic and practitioners, because it contributes to the existing body of knowledge in the field of brand and social media marketing. Moreover, UGC, especially informational support, could enable firms to influence consumers’ behavior positively and to transform their brands’ FB pages into trusted ones.

Social vs traditional media communication: brand origin associations strike a chord

Purpose The purpose of this study is to develop an analytical comparison between the impact of social media communication (both user-generated and firm-created) and the effects of traditional media communication. In particular, the components of customer-based brand equity and any difference in the effects according to brand origin associations are investigated. The target group consisted of fans and followers of beer brands on social media. Design/methodology/approach In all, 192 questionnaires were collected a survey link that was posted on beer brand pages that operate in the Italian market. Structural equation modeling was developed to investigate the impact of social and traditional media communication on brand equity and a multi-group analysis to examine the differences according to the brand names’ origin associations. Findings Results show that fans and followers cannot be considered as a collective unit. Additionally, consumers make a clear distinction between firm-created/user-generated social media and traditional media communication. Specifically, they distinguish how the effects of the two media outlets differ in relation to the brand origin associations. International brands should concentrate on both firm-created and user-generated communication, whereas national (Italian) brands should foster their firm-created communications. In both cases, however, traditional media communication loses its effectiveness on the brand equity components. Originality/value Contrary to existing literature, this project compares the effect of 2.0 and traditional media on various social media platforms, pointing out two different models according to the brands’ origin associations. This study develops interesting insights both for international companies with huge brand portfolios and for national firms in a complex market like those for beer.

Original or counterfeit luxury fashion brands? The effect of social media on purchase intention

Abstract Italy is the country most affected by the counterfeit phenomenon in Europe. In the field of luxury fashion brands, the relationship between social media marketing (SMM) and consumers’ intention to purchase counterfeit products is still little analyzed. The aim of this pioneering work is to investigate the net impact of SMM communication, user-generated content (UGC), and firm-created content (FCC), on overall brand equity (OBE) and on intention to buy original and counterfeit luxury fashion brands. Findings based on 198 Italian undergraduate students indicate a positive effect of UGC on both OBE and purchase intention of counterfeit products, while purchase intention of original luxury fashion brands is positively affected by OBE and FCC. The last relationship is confirmed when UGC register a low appreciation by users. This study is significant for both academics and practitioners, extending the scope of antecedents influencing the purchase intention of both original and counterfeit luxury fashion products. Findings reveal the fundamental role of UGC as a tool that firms have to manage and monitor due to their moderating effect in the relationship between FCC and intention to buy original luxury fashion brands. This study contributes to providing implications for developing social media brand communications strategies.

What communication for the mining industry? Some critical considerations in the Italian context

The aim of this article is to analyze the approach to corporate communication in Italian mining industry, where product differentiation arises largely from the aspects of the relationship between manufacturer and customer and where the strong environmental impact of mining activities makes communication with the diverse stakeholders crucial. The paper presents the results of a CAWI questionnaire distributed to 658 enterprises, with a redemption rate of 12.2%. Data were processed with univariate and multivariate statistical techniques (PCA). The results show that the approach of mining enterprises to communication is still traditional and that although a specific area of communication is well established (product communication), there is still much to be done on corporate communication as well as on audiences that are not only business customers (citizens, institutions, administrators, associations).

Towards social commerce: assessing the effect on firm performances

The aim of the research is to empirically analyze social commerce features and their impact on financial performance. Social commerce is an ongoing phenomenon defined as a new form of e-commerce mediated by Web 2.0 technologies and infrastructures and, especially, by social media. This paper tries to contribute to the extant literature by developing a conceptual model useful to understand if and how system quality, usability, information quality, service quality, playfulness and Web 2.0 features, namely social commerce principles, affect firm financial performance. Data collected from 192 European firms were analyzed applying multiple regression analysis (OLS). Findings reveal that system quality, information quality, playfulness, and Web 2.0 features significantly affect financial performance. The research provides interesting theoretical and practical contributions that are discussed to highlight the crucial role of Web 2.0 technologies and infrastructures and to remark the essentiality of system and information quality in boosting firms’ performances. Moreover, empirical results show that playfulness requires to be adequately designed and managed in order to effectively engage customers and provide a concrete support in enhancing firms’ financial performance in the social commerce era.

E-commerce or s-commerce? A managerial perspective on website design features

E-commerce has rapidly evolved in the last decade. Using Web 2.0 and online social media, many e-tailers are transforming the ways in which they are building relationships with customers. In this environment, social commerce has the potential to significantly enhance the firm competitive advantage by having a positive impact especially on customer relationships and on revenue growth. With the emerging popularity and rapid growth of social commerce, our research aims to exploring, from a managerial perspective, the emerging strategies of stailers compared to e-tailers in Italy, pointing out their key design features and their different approaches in this changing environment. The study was carried out through in-depth interviews with digital and e-commerce managers. The results show that in Italy s-commerce is not so widespread. Furthermore, the few s-tailers are trying to interact and assist consumers in their buying behavior through social activities and the so called Web 2.0 applications.