The Effect of the Lifestyles of Social Networking Service Users on Luxury Brand Loyalty

Abstract

Currently, various luxury brand players are beginning to develop their own effective ways of communicating with and introducing their values to customers. Because of its effectiveness, i.e., providing easier access for keeping up with the constantly changing personal needs of customers as well as better economic feasibility in customer relationship management or maximizing customer satisfaction and brand loyalty, social networking services (SNSs) have become the most prominent communication medium for luxury fashion companies. This study focuses on the marketing application potential of SNSs by analyzing their influence on brand loyalty. The field research targeted subjects in their 20s and 30s who have experience with both luxury brands and SNSs. The 331 responses were analyzed by descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis, reliability analysis, cluster analysis, one-way ANOVA and multiple regression analysis.

The results are as follows:

First, an SNS could be summarized as having 4 characteristics: interaction, word of mouth, entertainment, and customization. Excluding the entertainment factor, the degree of influence SNS characteristics could exert on brand loyalty could be listed as interaction, WOM, and customization.

Second, dividing SNS users into lifestyle groups, our research also examined whether the user's lifestyle affects the degree of SNS influence on brand loyalty. These user groups were the active leisure-oriented group, the ego-expression group, the fashion leader group, and the early adopter group. The active leisure-oriented group had a high proportion of young, high-income earners. Additionally, this group's members tended to use SNSs to check others' information and participate in communities for socialization. The ego-expression group had a higher proportion of females, and its members enjoy updating their pictures and sending personal messages. In addition, they showed a relative openness to disclose private information. The fashion leader group included a high proportion of females in their middle to late 20s and 30s. They possessed self-oriented and appearance-oriented values and stressed privacy. The early adopter group had a balanced ratio of sex and age. They had no aversion to digital equipment and thus actively used SNSs.

Third, there were significant differences by user lifestyle in the relationship between SNS characteristics and brand loyalty. Specifically, the active leisure-oriented cluster perceived all SNS characteristics as highly important. The fashion leaders related reliability highly, which seems to result from their tendency to protect their privacy. In addition, all lifestyle groups, excluding the ego-expression group, showed that SNS characteristics had significant effects on brand loyalty.

This study analyzed the characteristics of SNSs that act not only as communication tools among humans but also as new spotlighted promotion channels and determined which SNS characteristics influence luxury brand loyalty; therefore, this work also provided basic information for companies when planning social media marketing strategies. In addition, the present study is significant in analyzing SNS users' lifestyle groups to predict consumer behavior toward luxury brands' SNSs and in providing essential data to establish basic target marketing strategies by consumer segmentation.

摘要

目前各大奢侈品品牌运营商都开始发展不同的方式来与消费 者沟通, 将他们的价值介绍给消费者, 从而了解消费者的需 求, 扩大他们的满意度, 并增强品牌忠誠度, 而社会网络服务 被认为是最重要的方式之ᅳ。本文分析了社会网络服务 (SNSs) 对于品牌忠誠度的影响, 特別是针对奢侈品品牌而言。研究 对 象主要 是20岁 到30岁 的 消 费 者, 他们 既有 奢侈 品 的 购 买 经验 也有SNSs的使用经验。 331名被访问者参与了调查。数据通过 描述性分析、探索性因子分析、聚类分析等来验任假设。

分析结果如下：

首先, SNS可以被总结成为以下4个特质 ： 交互, 口碑, 媒 乐, 定制。除了媒乐, 交互、口碑、定制都能够ᅳ定程度的影 响SNS特性, 从而影响品牌忠誠度.

第二, 我们试图把消费者分成不同的种类, 从而验正生活方 式对于品牌忠诚度有 直接的影响。社会网络服务用户 可以被 分成四类: 休闲导向组, 自我表达组, 时尚领导组, 和부期购 买组。休闲导向组大部分的人收入较高但年龄较轻。他们使用 SNS 来关注他人的信息并加社区。自我表达组则主要是女 性, 他们喜欢更新自 已的照片 并发送信息。另外他们对于隐私 信 息具有相 对较高 的开放性. 时 尚领 导組则 主要是接近30岁 和30岁以上的女性, 他们对于自我和外在价值比较在意。早期购 买组在年龄和性別上的组成则基本平衡。他们对于数字产品并 不规避。

第드, 生活方式 间SNS特质和品牌忠誠的 失系差异较为 明 显。特別的是, 休闲导向组对于所有的SNS特项都要求较高. 而时尚领导组则 比较重视可信度, 这可能因为他们 更愿意保存 隐私。而 自 我表现组的品牌忠诚度受到SNS特质 的影响非常明曰.

本研究分析了 SNS 的特征，并发现SNS不叙应该仅是沟通的 工具而应该是新的使公众注意的提升途径, 并断定 SNS 特性影 响者侈品品牌忠诚. 所以本研究也为企业制定社会网络媒体战 略提供了짧助. 另外, 本研究有效的分析了SNS使用者的生活 方式, 预測关注奢侈品SNS的消费者行为. 从而帮助企在进 行消 費者细分时提供有力 支持„

Keywords:

• Social networking service
• Luxury brand
• Brand loyalty
• SNS user lifestyles
• SNS characteristics

夫鍾히:

• 社会网络服务
• 奢侈品品牌
• 品牌忠誠度
• SNS使用 者生活方式
• SNS特性