Communication and Conversation: An Empirical Study on the Influencing Factors of Brand Information Value on Social Media

Zhijie Zhao; Hong Lan; Boyang Men; Jiaying Wang; Yanrong Zhang; Hongqi Xia; Han Wu

doi:10.5755/j01.ee.37.1.34922

Authors

Zhijie Zhao School of Computer and Information Engineering, Harbin University of Commerce; Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Electronic Commerce and Information Processing, China
Hong Lan School of Computer and Information Engineering, Harbin University of Commerce; Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Electronic Commerce and Information Processing, China
Boyang Men School of Economics, Harbin University of Commerce, China
Jiaying Wang Postdoctoral research workstation of Northeast Asia Service Outsourcing Research Center, Harbin University of Commerce, China
Yanrong Zhang School of Computer and Information Engineering, Harbin University of Commerce; Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Electronic Commerce and Information Processing, China
Hongqi Xia School of Computer and Information Engineering, Harbin University of Commerce; Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Electronic Commerce and Information Processing, China
Han Wu School of Computer and Information Engineering, Harbin University of Commerce; Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Electronic Commerce and Information Processing, China

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5755/j01.ee.37.1.34922

Keywords:

Social Media, Brand Account, Brand Information Value, 5W communication model, Conversation Principle

Abstract

This study explores the impact of content topic, media form, and conversation principle on brand information value (emotion, reputation, and relationship value). Data were collected from 14 brands through a web crawler and processed with coding and sentiment analysis. Empirical results from non-parametric tests and multiple linear regression (MLR) show that content containing community-building topics greatly influences brand information value. Compared to content that merely provides an information-providing topic, content with an action-encouraging topic has a greater effect on brand information value. There were significant differences in reputation value among the three communication modalities, but no notable variances in relationship value. The high modality was stronger for emotion value than the moderate or low modalities. For conversation features, post frequency, readability, relevance, and brand response positively influence brand information value. This study utilizes the 5W communication model as its foundational framework, extends the conversation principle to this model, and enriches content marketing theories by taking a more comprehensive brand perspective. Additionally, this study finds the relationship between the driving factors and brand information value by leveraging big data from online platforms, offering insights and a research foundation for future studies on online brand value.

Author Biographies

Zhijie Zhao, School of Computer and Information Engineering, Harbin University of Commerce; Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Electronic Commerce and Information Processing, China

Zhijie Zhao is a Professor with the School of Computer and Information Engineering, Harbin University of Commerce, China. His research interests include consumer behavior and intelligent information processing.
Hong Lan, School of Computer and Information Engineering, Harbin University of Commerce; Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Electronic Commerce and Information Processing, China

Hong Lan is a Ph.D. candidate in the E-commerce program at the School of Computer and Information Engineering, Harbin University of Commerce, China. Her research focuses on social media brand marketing and consumer behavior.
Boyang Men, School of Economics, Harbin University of Commerce, China

Boyang Men is a Lecturer with the School of Economics, Harbin University of Commerce, China. His research interests include intellectual property and technological innovation.
Jiaying Wang, Postdoctoral research workstation of Northeast Asia Service Outsourcing Research Center, Harbin University of Commerce, China

Jiaying Wang is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the Northeast Asia Service Outsourcing Research Center, Harbin University of Commerce, China. His research interests include consumer behavior and electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM).
Yanrong Zhang, School of Computer and Information Engineering, Harbin University of Commerce; Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Electronic Commerce and Information Processing, China

Yanrong Zhang is a Professor with the School of Computer and Information Engineering, Harbin University of Commerce, China. Her research interests include intelligent information processing and consumer behavior.
Hongqi Xia, School of Computer and Information Engineering, Harbin University of Commerce; Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Electronic Commerce and Information Processing, China

Hongqi Xia is a Ph.D. candidate at the School of Computer and Information Engineering, Harbin University of Commerce, China. His research interests include brand marketing and brand consistency.
Han Wu, School of Computer and Information Engineering, Harbin University of Commerce; Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Electronic Commerce and Information Processing, China

Han Wu is a Ph.D. candidate at the School of Computer and Information Engineering, Harbin University of Commerce, China. His research interests include brand alliance and brand consistency.