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The Role of Social Media for Luxury Brands—Motives for Consumer Engagement and Opportunities for Business

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Identitätsbasierte Luxusmarkenführung

Abstract

Social Media is omnipresent. Many luxury brands today operate brand pages (i.e., fan pages, video channels) on Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube. However, empirical research on brand pages is still in its infancy. Therefore, this study discuss the potential of social media for luxury brands and shows the effect of brand pages on loyalty and what motivates users to participate.

We start with a research overview referring luxury brands and discuss the central concepts of social media. In the next step we analyze the adequacy of social media for luxury brands. After this theoretical discussion we test a general framework based on the use and gratification theory, customer engagement literature, and the involvement theory. We can show a significant influence from usage intensity and engagement on the brand page on customer loyalty. Furthermore, we identify different values such as functional and hedonic content as drivers of usage and engagement.

The results are interesting for theory and practice. They confirm the positive effect of integration and engagement in general and show that brand pages are more than just a tool to connect brand fans. They are also an instrument for gaining new fans of luxury brands.

Zusammenfassung

Das Thema Social Media ist momentan allgegenwärtig. Viele Luxusmarken betreiben Social Media Markenseiten (z. B. Marken Fanpages, Videokanäle) auf Facebook, Twitter oder YouTube. Trotzdem gibt es bisher kaum Erkenntnisse zur Bedeutung von Social Media Markenseiten. Um diese Lücke für Luxusmarken zu schließen, diskutiert dieser Artikel das Potential von Social Media für Luxusmarken und zeigt Nutzungsmotive auf sowie einen Effekt von Nutzung und Engagement auf die Loyalität.

Wir beginnen mit einem Forschungsüberblick zu Luxusmarken. Im Anschluss diskutieren wir die zentralen Konzepte von Social Media. Danach analysieren wir die Eignung von Social Media für Luxusmarken. Nach dieser theoretischen Diskussion testen wir ein allgemeines Modell, basierend auf dem Uses und Gratifications-Ansatz, Literatur zu Kunden-Engagement und der Involvement Theorie. Als Ergebnis können wir einen signifikanten Effekt von der Nutzungsintensität und einem Engagement auf der Social Media Markenseite auf die Loyalität zeigen. Weiter können wir unterschiedliche Motive wie funktionale und unterhaltende Inhalte als Treiber von Nutzung und Engagement nachweisen.

Die Ergebnisse sind sowohl für die Theorie als auch die Praxis interessant. Sie bestätigen einen positiven Effekt einer Integration und eines Engagements von Kunden und zeigen, dass Social Media Markenseiten nicht nur eine Plattform für bestehende Markenfans sind, sondern auch ein Instrument, um neue Fans von Luxusmarken zu gewinnen.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Inst. f. Marketing, Universität München, Ludwigstr. 28/RG IV, 80539, München, Deutschland

    Benedikt Jahn & Univ.-Prof. Dr. Anton Meyer

  2. College of Management, UMass Boston, Morrissey Blvd., 0125, Boston, MA, USA

    Prof. Dr. Werner Kunz

Authors
  1. Benedikt Jahn
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  2. Prof. Dr. Werner Kunz
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  3. Univ.-Prof. Dr. Anton Meyer
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Correspondence to Benedikt Jahn .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Lst. f. innov. Markenmanagement, WiWi Gebäude, Raum 226, Universität Bremen, Hochschulring 4, Bremen, 28359, Germany

    Christoph Burmann

  2. Duale Hochschule Baden-Württemberg (DHBW, Coblitzallee 1-9, Mannheim, 68167, Germany

    Verena König

  3. Kaistraße 13, Düsseldorf, 40221, Germany

    Jörg Meurer

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Jahn, B., Kunz, W., Meyer, A. (2012). The Role of Social Media for Luxury Brands—Motives for Consumer Engagement and Opportunities for Business. In: Burmann, C., König, V., Meurer, J. (eds) Identitätsbasierte Luxusmarkenführung. Springer Gabler, Wiesbaden. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-8349-4060-5_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-8349-4060-5_14

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