Defense Date
Fall 8-12-2017
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Marketing
Department
Business Administration
Committee Chair/First Advisor
Dr. Joe Hair
Committee Member or Co-Chair
Dr. Joanna Philllips-Melancon
Reader
Dr. Brian Rutherford
Abstract
Social network sites are transforming the way companies, both big and small, communicate and market to consumers. Many businesses recognize the need for incorporating a social networking strategy as part of their overall marketing efforts. This strategy involves the use of social network sites as a means of promoting and communicating about a focal brand to consumers, attracting and building relationships with consumers, and increasing sales. However, an effective social network strategy is much more complex than simply having a Facebook page to which companies occasionally post. The effectiveness of marketing on social network sites depends at least in part on the marketing activities a firm chooses to utilize as well as tangible and intangible value these activities provide consumers. The effectiveness of social network site strategies can be measured in terms of online consumer brand engagement – or how many users are paying attention to and interacting with an organization’s brand content on social network sites. The purpose of this dissertation is to 1) create a classification of social network site marketing activities and 2) empirically test the role of perceived instrumental, experiential, and social value as drivers of online consumer brand engagement with company-generated marketing activities.