The effects of regulatory fit on customer brand engagement: an experimental study of service brand activities in social media

ABSTRACT

When utilising social media to establish customer–brand relationships beyond exchange, service brands must understand which activities stimulate customer brand engagement (CBE) and brand preference. Founded in ideas from regulatory engagement theory, this study examines regulatory fit as a key driver of CBE and brand value experience. Regulatory fit theory assumes that promotion orientation, focusing on attaining a desired end state, fits with eager and active customer strategies while prevention orientation, focusing on avoiding an undesired end state, fits with vigilant and watchful customer strategies. This experimental study of a Nordic insurance firm’s Facebook brand activities (n = 429) identified positive regulatory fit, non-fit and simple effects on psychologically anchored (emotional, cognitive and intentional) and behavioural (‘likes’, comments) CBE dimensions. Consistent with regulatory fit theory, the study found that a prevention-oriented brand activity best evoked positive cognitive CBE among customers applying vigilant strategies. Opposing existing theory, promotion-oriented brand activity best evoked positive emotional CBE regardless of customer strategy and a prevention-oriented brand activity best evoked positive intentional CBE among those applying eager strategies, The findings contribute to a better understanding the multidimensionality of CBE and the role of fit in regulatory engagement theory. The findings are also of direct relevance to how service firms should engage their customers, and show that service providers can benefit from the use of prevention-oriented activities in social media if such activities are in accordance with their brand values.

KEYWORDS:

• Customer brand engagement
• brand value experience
• regulatory fit theory
• regulatory engagement theory
• field experiment

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. Intentional CBE is a psychological dimension considered as individual’s intention to behave. As intention to behave is a state it is considered as a prerequisite for CBE behaviour.

2. As motivational orientation is not a traditional trait, an individual’s orientation may be determined by a task or situation, and some individuals are more likely than others to be motivated by a particular orientation.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Birgit Andrine Apenes Solem

Birgit Andrine Apenes Solem is an assistant professor in Marketing at University College of Southeast Norway. Her doctoral thesis is conducted at the Center for Service Innovation (csi.nhh.no) at Norwegian School of Economics (NHH). The research topics are related to service brands’ activities, customer brand engagement and brand experiences, particularly in interactive (social media) contexts.

Per Egil Pedersen

Per Egil Pedersen is a professor in Service Innovation at University College of Southeast Norway and Adjunct Professor at Norwegian School of Economics (NHH). His main publications are in the areas of consumer behaviour and business models in online and mobile services, and in service innovation. In 2012, Pedersen established the Center for Service Innovation (CSI) at NHH. His ongoing research projects focus on innovation in service systems.