Influence of social media on restaurant consumers: A case study of Crab island restaurant

ABSTRACT

This research verifies the influence of presence on social media on the brand equity and image of companies and the purchase intention of restaurant consumers who are active on social media. The restaurant studied was Crab Island Restaurant, in Brazil. We identified positive and significant relationships between the construct presence on social media and perceived image, purchase intention, and brand equity as well as an indirect effect of media on purchase intention, mediated by perceived image. Only the direct relationship between brand value and purchase intention and the indirect relationship between presence on social media and purchase intention, mediated by brand equity, were not supported. For the restaurant under study, we concluded that it benefits from investing in social media as a promotion channel and maintaining its relationship and communication with its customers. Data analysis from 190 respondents was performed through structural equation modeling by means of PLS (partial least squares).

KEYWORDS:

• Social media
• purchase intention
• perceived image
• brand equity
• restaurants

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico [304209/2018-0];Fundação Estadual de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Espírito Santo [84513772 (599/2018)];Fundação Estadual de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Espírito Santo [85395650 (228/2019)];Fundação Estadual de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Espírito Santo [2017/1];IFTS - Instituto Fucape de Tecnologias Sociais [2018-2021];NECE-FCT [UID/GES/04630/2019].