Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Motivations to interact with brands on Facebook – Towards a typology of consumer–brand interactions

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Journal of Brand Management Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In recent years, Facebook and other social media have become key players in branding activities. However, empirical research on consumer–brand interactions on Facebook is still in its infancy. Therefore, the aim of this research is to provide additional insights to brand managers on how to adapt their approaches to increase consumers’ interactions with brands on Facebook. In this study, we apply the uses and gratification theory proposed by Katz to develop a new typology of consumers based on consumer motivations to interact with brands on Facebook, and explore the type and intensity of these interactions. We identify five main motivations that might influence consumers’ interactions with a brand on Facebook: (i) social influence, (ii) search for information, (iii) entertainment, (iv) trust and (v) reward. Building on these five motivations, a classification using clustering techniques reveals four different groups of consumers: (i) ‘brand detached’, (ii) ‘brand profiteers’, (iii) ‘brand companions’ and (iv) ‘brand reliants’. Our results provide valuable and applicable insights for social media marketing activities, which will assist brand managers to develop strategies for effectively reaching and influencing the most desirable groups of consumers.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Agarwal, R., Animesh, A. and Prasad, K. (2009) Social interactions and the ‘digital divide’: Explaining variations in internet use. Information Systems Research 20 (2): 277–294.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Azar, S. (2013) Exploring brand masculine patterns: Moving beyond monolithic masculinity. Journal of Product & Brand Management 22 (7): 502–512.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bagozzi, R. and Dholakia, U. (2006) Antecedents and purchase consequences of customer participation in small group brand communities. International Journal of Research in Marketing 23 (1): 45–61.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baird, C. and Parasnis, G. (2011) From social media to social customer relationship management. Strategy & Leadership 39 (5): 30–37.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baldus, B.J., Voorhees, C. and Calantone, R. (2015) Online brand community engagement: Scale development and validation. Journal of Business Research 68 (5): 978–985.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bergkvist, L. and Bech-Larsen, T. (2010) Two studies of consequences and actionable antecedents of brand love. Journal of Brand Management 17 (7): 504–518.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blanchard, A.L. and Markus, M.L. (2003) The experienced ‘sense’ of a virtual community: Characteristics and processes. Database for Advances in Information Systems 35 (1): 65–79.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boyd, D. (2008) Why youth love social network sites: The role of networked publics in teenage social life. In: D. Buckingham (ed.) Youth, Identity and Digital Media. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, pp. 119–142.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boyd, D. and Ellison, N. (2007) Social network sites: Definition, history and scholarship. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication 13 (1): 210–230.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Calvert, C. (2004) Voyeur Nation: Media, Privacy and Peering in Modern Culture. Cambridge, MA: Westview Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chang, S.-J., van, Witterloostuijn A. and Eden, L. (2010) From the editors: Common method variance in international business research. Journal of International Business Studies 41: 178–184.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Christodoulides, G. (2008) Conference commentary. Breaking free from industrial age paradigm of branding. Journal of Brand Management 15 (3): 291–293.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chu, S. and Kim, Y. (2011) Determinants of consumer engagement in electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) in social networking sites. International Journal of Advertising 30 (1): 47–75.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Conway, J. and Lance, C. (2010) What reviewers should expect from authors regarding common method bias in organizational research. Journal of Business Psychology 25 (3): 325–334.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cova, B. and Dalli, D. (2009) Working consumers: The next step in marketing theory? Marketing Theory 9 (3): 315–339.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Curran, J. and Lennon, R. (2011) Participating in the conversation: Exploring usage of social media networking sites. Academy of Marketing Studies Journal 15 (1): 21–39.

    Google Scholar 

  • Daugherty, T., Eastin, M. and Bright, L. (2008) Exploring consumer motivations for creating user-generated content. Journal of Interactive Advertising 8 (2): 16–25.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • De Bruyn, A. and Lilien, G.L. (2008) A multi-stage model of word of mouth influence through viral marketing. International Journal of Research in Marketing 25 (3): 151–163.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • de Vries, L., Gensler, S. and Leeflang, P. (2012) Popularity of brand posts on brand fan pages: An investigation of the effects of social media marketing. Journal of Interactive Marketing 26 (2): 83–91.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dholakia, U., Bagozzi, R. and Pearo, L. (2004) A social influence model of consumer participation in network- and small-group-based virtual communities. International Journal of Research in Marketing 21 (3): 241–263.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ding, L., Velicer, W.F. and Harlow, L.L. (1995) Effects of estimation methods, number indicators per factor, and improper solutions on structural equation modeling fit indices. Structural Equation Modeling 2 (2): 119–144.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Edelmann, N. (2013) Reviewing the definitions of ‘Lurkers’ and some implications for online research. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking 16 (9): 645–649.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Enginkaya, E. and Yilmaz, H. (2014) What drives consumers to interact with brands through social media? A motivation scale development study. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences 148: 219–226.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Formann, A.K. (1984) Die Latent-Class-Analyse: Einführung in die Theorie und Anwendung. Weinheim, Germany: Beltz.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fornell, C. and Larcker, D.F. (1981) Evaluating structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement errors. Journal of Marketing Research 18 (1): 39–50.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Foster, M., West, B. and Francescucci, A. (2011) Exploring social media user segmentation and online brand profiles. Journal of Brand Management 19 (1): 4–17.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Füller, J., Matzler, K. and Hoppe, M. (2008) Brand community members as a source of innovation. Journal of Product Innovation Management 25 (6): 608–619.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gallagher, K., Foster, K.D. and Parsons, J. (2001) The medium is not the message: Advertising effectiveness and content evaluation in print and on the web. Journal of Advertising Research 41 (4): 57–70.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gensler, S., Völckner, F., Liu-Thompkins, Y. and Wiertz, C. (2013) Managing brands in social media environment. Journal of Interactive Marketing 27 (4): 242–256.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gironda, J. and Korgaonkar, P. (2014) Understanding consumers’ social networking site usage. Journal of Marketing Management 30 (5–6): 571–605.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Godes, D. and Mayzlin, D. (2009) Firm-created word-of-mouth communication: Evidence from a field test. Marketing Science 28 (4): 721–739.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gummerus, J., Lilijander, V., Weman, E. and Philström, M. (2012) Customer engagement in a Facebook brand community. Management Research Review 35 (9): 857–877.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Habibi, M.R., Laroche, M. and Richard, M.-O. (2014) Brand communities based in social media: How unique are they? Evidence from two exemplary brand communities. International Journal of Information Management 34 (2): 123–132.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hair, J., Black, W., Babin, B. and Anderson, R. (2009) Multivariate Data Analysis, 7th edn. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Halaszovich, T. and Nel, J. (2015) Customer brand engagement and Facebook fan-page like intention. Proceedings of the 44thEMAC Conference, Leuven, Belgium.

  • Hennig-Thurau, T., Gwinner, K., Walsh, G. and Gremler, D. (2004) Electronic word-of-mouth via consumer-opinion platforms: What motivates consumers to articulate themselves on the Internet? Journal of Interactive Marketing 18 (1): 38–52.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hoelter, J.W. (1983) The analysis of covariance structures: Goodness-of-fit indices. Sociological Methods & Research 11 (3): 325–344.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hoffman, D. and Fodor, M. (2010) Can you measure the ROI of your social media marketing. MIT Sloan Management Review 52 (1): 55–61.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hollenbeck, C. and Kaikati, A. (2012) Consumers’ use of brands to reflect their actual and ideal selves on Facebook. International Journal of Research in Marketing 29 (4): 395–405.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hunt, D., Atkin, D. and Krishnam, A. (2012) The influence of computer-mediated communication apprehension on motives for Facebook use. Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media 56 (2): 187–202.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hutter, K., Hautz, J., Dennhardt, S. and Füller, J. (2013) The impact of user interactions in social media on brand awareness and purchase intention: The case of MINI on Facebook. Journal of Product & Brand Management 22 (5/6): 342–351.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • IP, R.K.F. and Wagner, C. (2008) Weblogging: A study of social computing and its impact on organizations. Decision Support Systems 45: 242–250.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jahn, B. and Kunz, W. (2012) How to transform consumers into fans of your brand. Journal of Service Management 23 (3): 344–361.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kaplan, A. and Haenlein, M. (2010) Users of the world, unite! The challenges and opportunities of social media. Business Horizons 53 (1): 59–68.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Katz, E. (1959) Mass communications research and the study of popular culture: An editorial note on a possible future for this journal. Studies in Public Communication 2: 1–6.

    Google Scholar 

  • Katz, E., Gurevitch, M. and Haas, H. (1973) On the use of the mass media for important things. American Sociological Review 38 (April): 164–181.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ketchen, D. and Shook, C. (1996) The application of cluster analysis in strategic management research: An analysis and critique. Strategic Management Journal 17 (6): 441–458.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ko, H., Cho, C. and Roberts, M. (2005) Internet uses and gratifications: A structural equation model of interactive advertising. Journal of Advertising 34 (2): 57–70.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Koh, J. and Kim, Y.-G. (2004) Knowledge sharing in virtual communities: An e-business perspective. Expert Systems with Applications 26 (2): 155–166.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kozinets, R., Valck, K., Wojnicki, A. and Wilner, S. (2010) Networked narratives: Understanding word-of-mouth marketing in online communities. Journal of Marketing 74 (2): 71–89.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lin, K.Y. and Lu, H.P. (2011) Why people use social networking sites: An empirical study integrating network externalities and motivation theory. Computers in Human Behavior 27 (3): 1152–1161.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lipsman, A., Mudd, G., Rich, M. and Bruich, S. (2012) The power of ‘like’: How brands reach (and influence) fans through social media marketing. Journal of Advertising Research 52 (1): 40–52.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Malhotra, A., Malhotra, C. and See, A. (2013) How to create brand engagement on Facebook. MIT Sloan Management Review 54 (2): 17–20.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mangold, W. and Faulds, D. (2009) Social media: The new hybrid element of the promotion mix. Business Horizons 52 (4): 357–365.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Martins, C.S. and Patrício, L. (2013) Understanding participation in company social networks. Journal of Service Management 24 (5): 567–587.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mathwick, C. (2002) Understanding the online consumer: A typology of online relational norms and behavior. Journal of Interactive Marketing 16 (1): 40–55.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McAlexander, J.H., Schouten, J.W. and Koenig, H. (2002) Building brand community. Journal of Marketing 66 (1): 38–54.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mooi, E. and Sarstedt, M. (2011) A Concise Guide to Market Research: The Process, Data, and Methods Using IBM SPSS Statistics. Berlin, Germany: Springer.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Muntinga, D., Moorman, M. and Smit, E. (2011) Introducing COBRAs: Exploring motivations for brand-related social media use. International Journal of Advertising 30 (1): 13–46.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Muñiz Jr. A.M. and O'Guinn, T.C. (2001) Brand community. Journal of Consumer Research 27 (4): 421–432.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nonnecke, B. and Preece, J. (2000) Persistence and lurkers: A pilot study. Proceedings of the 33rd Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences. Maui, Hawaii.

  • Park, N., Kee, K. and Valenzuela, S. (2009) Being immersed in social networking environment: Facebook groups, uses and gratifications, and social outcomes. Cyberpsychology & Behavior 12 (6): 729–733.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Patterson, A. (2011) Social-networkers of the world, unit and take over: A meta introspective perspective on the Facebook brand. Journal of Business Research 65 (4): 527–534.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pervin, L. (1989) Goal Concepts in Personality and Social Psychology. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

    Google Scholar 

  • Peters, K., Chen, Y., Kaplan, A.M., Ognibeni, B. and Pauwels, K. (2012) Social media metrics – A framework and guidelines for managing social media. Journal of Interactive Marketing 27 (4): 281–298.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Podsakoff, P.M., MacKenzie, S.B., Lee, J.-Y. and Podsakoff, N.P. (2003) Common method biases in behavioral research: A critical review of the literature and recommended remedies. Journal of Applied Psychology 8 (5): 879–903.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Público (2014) Aos dez anos de vida, Facebook chega a 77% dos cibernautas em Portugal, http://www.publico.pt/tecnologia/noticia/o-facebook-faz-dez-anos-e-ha-cada-vez-mais-pessoas-para-gostar-disso-1622108?page=-1, accessed 18 May 2015.

  • Público (2015) O campeonato do Facebook é a televisão, http://www.publico.pt/tecnologia/noticia/o-campeonato-do-facebook-e-o-da-televisao-1695750, accessed 18 May 2015.

  • Raykov, T. and Widaman, K.F. (1995) Issues in applied structural equation modelling research. Structural Equation Modeling 2 (4): 289–331.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ridings, C., Gefen, D. and Arinze, B. (2002) Some antecedents and effects of trust in virtual communities. Journal of Strategic Information Systems 11 (3–4): 271–295.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rohm, A., Kaltcheva, V. and Milne, G. (2013) A mixed-approach to examining brand-consumer interactions driven by social media. Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing 7 (4): 295–311.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schau, H. and Gilly, M. (2003) We are what we post? Self-presentation in a personal web space. Journal of Consumer Research 30 (3): 385–404.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schau, J.H., Muñiz, M.A. and Arnould, J.E. (2009) How brand community practices create value. Journal of Marketing 73 (5): 30–51.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schultz, D. and Peltier, J. (2013) Social media’s slippery slope: Challenges, opportunities and future research directions. Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing 7 (2): 86–99.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shang, R.A., Chen, Y.-C. and Liao, H.-J. (2006) The value of participation in virtual consumer communities on brand loyalty. Internet Research 16 (4): 479–492.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shao, G. (2009) Understanding the appeal of user-generated media: A uses and gratifications perspective. Internet Research 19 (1): 7–25.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sharma, S. (1996) Applied Multivariate Techniques. New York: John Wiley and Sons.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shu, W. and Chuang, Y.H. (2011) The perceived benefits of six-degree-separation social networks. Internet Research 21 (1): 26–45.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Singh, J. (1990) A typology of consumer dissatisfaction response styles. Journal of Retailing 66 (1): 57–99.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sun, N., Rau, P. P.-L. and Ma, L. (2014) Understanding lurkers in online communities: A literature review. Computers in Human Behavior 38: 110–117.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Swani, K., Milne, G. and Brown, B. (2013) Spreading the word through likes on Facebook: Evaluating the message strategy effectiveness of Fortune 500 companies. Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing 7 (4): 269–294.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Timm, N. (2002) Applied Multivariate Analysis. New York: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tsai, W.-H. S. and Men, L.R. (2013) Motivations and antecedents of consumer engagement with brand pages on social networking sites. Journal of Research in Interactive Advertising 13 (2): 76–87.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Utz, S. and Beukeboom, C. (2011) The role of social network sites in romantic relationships: Effects on jealousy and relationship happiness. Journal of Computer Mediated Communication 16 (4): 511–527.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wallace, E., Buil, I. and de Chernatony, L. (2012) Facebook ‘friendship’ and brand advocacy. Journal of Brand Management 20 (2): 128–146.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wallace, E., Buil, I. and de Chernatony, L. (2014) Consumer engagement with self-expressive brands: Brand love and WOM outcomes. Journal of Product & Brand Management 23 (1): 33–42.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang, S.S. and Stefanone, M.A. (2013) Showing off? Human mobility and the interplay of traits, self-disclosure and Facebook check-ins. Social Science Computer Review 36 (1): 437–457.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang, Y. and Fesenmaier, D. (2003) Assessing motivation of contribution in online communities: An empirical investigation of an online travel community. Electronic Markets 13 (1): 33–45.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Westbrook, R. and Oliver, R. (1991) The dimensionality of consumption emotion patterns and consumer satisfaction. Journal of Consumer Research 18 (1): 84–91.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yan, J. (2011) Social media in branding: Fulfilling a need. Journal of Brand Management 18 (9): 688–696.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zaglia, M.E. (2013) Brand communities embedded in social networks. Journal of Business Research 65 (7): 890–895.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, W. and Storck, J. (2001) Peripheral Members in Online Communities. Proceedings of the Seventh Americas Conference on Information Systems. Paper 117. Detroit, Michigan.

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors are pleased to acknowledge financial support from Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia and FEDER/COMPETE (grant  UID/ECO/04007/2013).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Católica Porto Business School and CEGE, Universidade Católica Portuguesa (Porto), Rua Diogo Botelho, 1327, Porto, 4169-005, Portugal

    Joana César Machado

Authors
  1. Salim L Azar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Joana César Machado
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Leonor Vacas-de-Carvalho
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Ana Mendes
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Joana César Machado.

Additional information

Salim L. Azar, Joana César Machado and Leonor Vacas-de-Carvalho contributed equally to the development of the research.

2PhD, is Assistant Professor at Católica Porto Business School, Portugal. She teaches brand management, communications and consumer behavior. Her research interests include brand identity, online branding and consumer behavior. She is a member of CEGE, the research center of Católica Porto Business School, and of the scientific committee of the Academy of Marketing’s Brand, Corporate Identity and Reputation Special Interest Group. Her previous work was published in Journal of Product and Brand Management and Journal of Brand Management. She is co-author of the book O Livro da Marca (The Brand Book), which is a book of reference on branding in Portugal.

4has a Master degree in Marketing from the School of Economics and Management from Universidade Católica Portuguesa (Porto), where she is developing her research. Her research interests include online branding and social media, as well as online consumer behavior. She is currently working as Product Marketing manager at ColorElephant, a successful Portuguese startup.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Azar, S., Machado, J., Vacas-de-Carvalho, L. et al. Motivations to interact with brands on Facebook – Towards a typology of consumer–brand interactions. J Brand Manag 23, 153–178 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1057/bm.2016.3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/bm.2016.3

Keywords

Search

Navigation