Research proposal on brand loyalty

Running Head: THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON SMARTPHONE BRAND LOYALTY

THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON SMARTPHONE BRAND LOYALTY 2

The Impact of Social Media on Smartphone Brand Loyalty

A Communication Studies Research Proposal

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Abstract

Social media. Just 15 years ago, social media (SM) took the world by storm and it has changed lives in a million different ways. For example, in 2008 the United States first learned about a massive earthquake that hit mainland China by a tweet, minutes before the United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported the quake. Tweets, Facebook posts and Snapchat have become a daily way of checking in on news, family and trends. Social media has become a central source for entertainment globally, with meme sharing and gossip high on list. But how has social media impacted smartphone brand loyalty? Corporations have changed their marketing practices to be centered around the social communities for their brands. Brand identity lives in the minds and hearts of consumers. The way you feel about a product you buy, the trust you have in purchasing it, can be shifted in a minute based on a negative post on a popular SM channel. This research proposal presents a study model to qualitatively demonstrate findings about consumer loyalty for their smartphone choices, and how social media communities reinforce or shift consumer mindset about those smartphone brands. This study will look at two major brands of smart phone manufacturers: Apple and Samsung platforms.

Keywords: social media, corporate brands, brand loyalty, Apple, Samsung

Literature Review

There have been a variety of research studies published on the impact of social media on corporate brands. This category of research is growing, as social media channels increase in size and scope due primarily to user-generated content (UGC). User-generated content is one of the fastest growing sources of published content on the web. Consumers agree that UGC is more influential than corporate advertising when it comes to their brand selection, as consumers want to share their feedback about their choices, as well as read other consumers’ perspectives about their experiences (Morrison, 2016). User-generated content has affected all forms of discretionary budget in households, including vacation destinations. Tourism and place identity have been greatly impacted by social media, as travelers post vacation pictures with commentary about their experience on their own social channels, as well as travel sites (Skinner, 2018). This research proposal will focus on the brand loyalty of the two leading smartphone manufacturers, Apple and Samsung, with the goal of learning more about how social media influences consumer loyalty to Apple and Samsung platforms.

Habibi, Laroche and Richard (2014) researched the role of brand community in building trust on social media. Habibi et al argue that brand communities on social media are different than any other forms of brand relationships, and they must be studied separately. They look at how social media-based brand communities (SMBBCs) build brand trust (Habibi, Laroche, & Richard, 2014). This is a critical factor as to why people stay with a brand, and it is one that my research is designed to reveal as well.

Treadwell said it best in our textbook, “…qualitative researchers look to understand phenomena as seen through the eyes of their research participants (Treadwell, 2017, p. 197).” Quantitative and qualitative research both have their place in the world of communication studies. This study will work to uncover some of the specific thinking behind brand loyalty – most specifically related to the phenomenon of smartphone loyalty and the impact social media has on its brand loyalty.

Shi, Lin, Liu and Hui (2018) developed an empirical research study using structural equation modeling with survey data directly from smartphone users. These researchers specifically looked at cognitive lock-in and how it positively impacts consumer trust and commitment to a brand most specifically related to information and communication technology (ICT). Shi et al describe cognitive lock-in as one of the critical obstacles keeping consumers from switching to other brands of smartphones. Cognitive lock-in has been demonstrated quite vividly in smartphone brand loyalty (Shi, Lin, Liu, & Hui, 2018). If a person is loyal to Apple, they seem locked-in on their choice. Same with Samsung. My research is designed to confirm the idea of cognitive lock-in relative to smartphone brand loyalty.

Wang, Zhang, and Zhao (2017) analyzed how social media influences brand loyalty based on the customer value perspective. They hypothesize that social media customer value positively influences the enterprise brand loyalty – by both function and psychologically. They used regression analysis for their study which demonstrated quantitatively (48%) and significantly, that social media customer value had a positive effect on brand loyalty (Wang, Zhang, & Zhao, 2017). Apple users are so loyal, and they consider the company’s value proposition so high that it’s worth them spending several days in a line outside an Apple store to buy the latest iPhone. Why? This loyalty will be queried and coded in my research study.

Hewett, Rand, Rust and van Heerde (2016) demonstrate through their research that social media sites have formed an echoverse for brand communication, resonating out to complex feedback loops including corporate communications departments, news outlets and user-generated social media channels. Their research was specific to financial markets (Wells Fargo, Bank of America, etc.), but it certainly has application across all consumer brand selection. The researchers discuss online word of mouth (WoM) and how it has progressed from one-to-one communication (consumer and company representatives) to online communities like Twitter, Facebook and Snapchat which requires marketing professionals to rethink brand communications strategies. (Hewett, Rand, Rust, & Heerde, 2016). The echoverse for technology products is vast and ever-changing. People desire being connected to electronic devices that are often in the social sphere in a positive way. Both Apple and Samsung encourage engagement on their social media sites. This WoM communication will be addressed in a Likert scale model in my survey.

Vernuccio’s (2014) quantitative research study was broken out by four groups that were distinguished by varying levels of engagement and sentiment towards brand building within social media channels – most specifically the openness style of the brand’s online communications, as well as the interactivity demonstrated in their SM. This is critical for all corporate brands, including Apple and Samsung products.

Hung, Tseng, Ho, and Wu (2018) studied Apple smartphones and consumer selection. They discovered that innovation, external network providers and convergence were the strong influencers in brand decision for Apple products. They received 319 valid questionnaires from smartphone and non-smartphone users in Taiwan in response to their survey. I will be using a similar model when comparing Apple and Samsung user experiences in my study.

H1 Social media has the potential to build a brand’s online reputation; a good reputation leads to brand loyalty through consumer lock-in.

Method

(short lead-in paragraph identifying the method with a short explanation (4-5 sentences)

Participants

Mail survey to 800 Apple and Samsung Users (split)

Profession: Whatever

Gender M/F

Age Range: 20 – 40

Randomized

Procedures

Describe how you will collect data (survey) and what will the participants do (complete survey)

Sample questions – need to center these to answer the above hypothesis

Measures

One paragraph describing how each variable will be assessed or measured.

Each variable paragraph should show the name of the scale that will be used to measure the variable, the end points that will be used on the scale, and how the participant will provide responses. (describe response index) Example: Likert scale – strongly agree to strongly disagree

Determine the variables (maybe 3)

Each variable should have 1-2 sample questions.

An explanation of the types of questions you will ask – provide a detailed description of the questionnaire (Likert scale, etc). Provide justification for why the measure is appropriate.

Data Analysis:

For qualitative data -

Describe how I can measure (coding process) responses. 2-3 paragraphs (descriptive statistics and inferential statistics)

References

Habibi, Mohammad Reza. (2014). The roles of brand community and community engagement in building brand trust on social media. Computers in Human Behavior, 37, 152-162.

https://doi-org.libproxy.lib.csusb.edu/10.1016/j.chb.2014.04.016

He, Y., & Yan, Y. (2018). The Research of Brand Loyalty on the Perspective of Customer Value. Proceedings of the 2018 International Conference on Education Science and Social Development (ESSD 2018). doi:10.2991/essd-18.2018.59

(He & Yan, 2018)

Hewett, K., Rand, W., Rust, R. T., & van Heerde, H. J. (2016). Brand Buzz in the Echoverse. Journal of Marketing, 80(3), 1–24. https://doi-org.libproxy.lib.csusb.edu/10.1509/jm.15.0033

Hung, W., Tseng, C., Ho, C., & Wu, C. (2018). How Social Impact Affects Smartphone Brand Loyalty. Journal of Computer Information Systems, 1-11. doi:10.1080/08874417.2018.1529514

(Hung, Tseng, Ho, & Wu, 2018)

Morrison, K. (2016, May 17). Why Consumers Share User-Generated Content (Infographic). Retrieved June 10, 2019, from https://www.adweek.com/digital/why-consumers-share-user-generated-content-infographic/

Shi, X., Lin, Z., Liu, J., & Hui, Y. K. (2018). Consumer loyalty toward smartphone brands: The determining roles of deliberate inertia and cognitive lock-in. Information & Management, 55(7), 866-876. doi:10.1016/j.im.2018.03.013

Skinner, H. (2018). Who really creates the place brand? Considering the role of user-generated content in creating and communicating a place identity. Communication & Society, 31(4), 9–25. http://dadun.unav.edu/bitstream/10171/55734/1/A%20%282%29.pdf

Treadwell, D. F. (2017). Introducing communication research: Paths of inquiry. Los Angeles: Sage.

Vernuccio, M. (2014). Communicating Corporate Brands Through Social Media: An Exploratory Study. International Journal of Business Communication, 51(3), 211–233. https://doi-org.libproxy.lib.csusb.edu/10.1177/2329488414525400

Wang, X., Zhang, X., & Zhao, Y. (2017). Empirical Analysis of How Social Media Influences Brand Loyalty Based on Customer Value Perspective. Retrieved June 10, 2019, from https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/8f36/679dafd2fb5d25894de73bc3ce67dad54875.pdf