The influence of social media communication on brand equity: The evidence for environmentally friendly products

Abstract

© 2017, ALÖKI Kft., Budapest, Hungary. The paper examines the influences of different forms of brand communication through social media on elements of brand equity in the case of environmentally friendly products. The research was conducted from April to June, 2016 in Serbia, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina and included 778 respondents in the main research. The results show that firm-created social media communication and personal involvement inventory have a positive influence, while user-generated social media communication negatively influences the elements of brand equity. Also, brand awareness and associations, perceived quality and behavioural loyalty are under the strongest positive influence of firm-created social media communication, while word of mouth and commitment are under the strongest positive influence of personal involvement inventory. There are no significant differences of such influences between food and fashion brands. Not only that the paper examines influence of social media communication on brand equity for environmentally friendly products for the first time, but it also uses an innovative model which includes all possible aspects of social media communication and treats loyalty, as element of brand equity, as a multidimensional construct. Recommendations given within this paper can be relevant not only for marketers of environmentally friendly products but also for potential social promotion of green consumption.