Social media brand communication’s influence on brand equity in the fashion industry: The effect of youths’ hedonic expectations.

Abstract

Purpose

This study sought to analyze online content's effect on fashion brands for Generation Z consumers. Hedonic expectations (HE) were added to the model to provide a deeper understanding. Design/methodology/approach

A total of 203 valid questionnaires were collected from Generation Z respondents. The data analysis used partial least squares-structural equation modeling to clarify the relationships in the proposed model. Findings

While increased brand awareness (BAW) is created through firm-created content and user-generated content, brand loyalty (BL) and perceived quality (PQ) are mainly influenced by company-generated content. In addition, Generation Z's HE associated with brands are crucial to these consumers' BAW and PQ. Practical implications

Fashion brands are trying to reach Generation Z but are having difficulty engaging these individuals and determining how to reach this target and which online content to develop. The results provide insights into ways to overcome these challenges. Depending on brands' objectives, different strategies need to be used. For more BL, direct-to-consumer communication should be emphasized, while for BAW, the best strategy is to combine airing branding videos that communicate emotions and surpass expectations with organic posts. Originality/value

The findings update researchers' understanding of brand equity to incorporate current online communication scenarios including diverse content's effects on this equity's different components. HE are shown to be a key factor affecting brand equity.