Generating Consumer Resonance for Purchase Intention on Social Network Sites

Abstract

Consumer resonance is powerful in affecting a user`s image of products and, as this resonance expands with iterative enforcement, the user`s buying intention can be strongly altered. In order to develop consumer resonance, product messages articulated on a social network site (SNS) must be designed with the proper content and delivered through the proper channels. Using uses and gratifications theory, this study built a model to explain user behavior of consumer resonance on SNSs in dimensions of content gratification, social-relation gratification, and self-presentation gratification to drive increased purchase intention. By presenting two selected product articulates on social websites, we collected 392 samples and used modeling with partial least square to analyze the usable data. Meanwhile, a two-step cluster analysis method was applied to partition the sample into two groups and develop managerial implications by comparing them. The study results show that utilitarian value, tie strength, normative influence, information influence, and self-presentation have significant effects on customer resonance, which in turn influences purchase intention for successful consumer-brand relationship. It is hoped that the research findings might enhance our understanding of user resonance behavior and provide insights into social participants` future purchase intentions.