The influence of marketer and user-generated communication on brand preference

Abstract

Social media channels have evolved into a powerful platform for brands and consumers to communicate with each other, with today’s consumers increasingly relying on the information obtained through social media to guide their opinions and preferences. This paper examines the relationship between social media communication and different aspects of smartphone brands. The study uses structural equation modelling to interrogate data collected from 651 heavy or medium users of social media. The findings reveal that user-generated content has a strong influence on brand image, attitude toward the brand and brand preference, while marketer-created content has a significant but relatively smaller effect on attitude toward the brand and brand preference. The mediation role of attitude toward the brand is found to be significant in the development of brand preference. These findings will help marketers improve their social media communication by focusing on unbiased information. At the same time, this will help them understand the increasing importance of user-generated communication over marketer-created communucation.