Is the Size or the Valence of Proactive Engagement Associated with Purchase Intention? A Case Study of Branded Blogs of Starbucks

Abstract

This study investigates community and interactive features that can influence user engagement with branded social media sites. With an increasing number of organizations and brands involved in content marketing, it is becoming increasingly urgent for businesses to make strategic use of social media. In addition, the debate over “loss of control” calls for in-depth understanding of the dialogue between the brand and the public on branded social media sites. Given this background, a case study is employed to examine three branded blogs of Starbucks as Starbucks’ social media use is highly professional and advanced in comparison to most brands. The findings show that the socializing purpose of online communities is related to the affective and evaluative valence of proactive engagement. The use of conversation starters is significantly related to the size of proactive engagement. The use of hyperlinks is not associated with the evaluative valence of engagement. A significant positive relationship is revealed between the evaluative valence of proactive engagement and purchase intention. The findings suggest that the evaluative aspect of the emotional process links engagement with purchase intention, and brands should increase the sociability of their branded social media sites for brand lovers.