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Extended Abstract Form:
Plymouth Doctoral Colloquium
(oral and poster presentations)
Plymouth University
Sarhang Majid
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Abstract:
1. Problem statement/rationale, including reference to key literature:
This research examines how persuasive messages (i.e., source congruence, source attractiveness,
source credibility, interactivity effects, informativeness and argument quality) can influence social
media users’ attitude towards purchase intention through social media messages (SMMs). There is a
heightening literature on how social media marketing through social networking sites such as Facebook
can lead to spreading information, creating relations, content sharing, increased brand liking and brand
awareness and behavioural intention (Kim & Ko, 2012; Ashley and Tuten 2015; Chang et al., 2015;
Gunawan & Huarng, 2015).
While these activates can or have the potential to ultimately influence the receiver’s intention to
purchase the product/service (Beese, 2011; Patrick et al., 2010; Vision Critical 2013), rarely any
literature hitherto about the effects of the identified message source characteristics on the receivers
attitude to increase purchasing through SMMs. Since the social media marketing phenomenon is still in
a growing phase, this research aims to develop a foundation and or reconfirm based on the outlined
factors whether SMMs can lead to increasing purchase intention. The results can be generalised over
various interested groups/parties (i.e., NHS, Politicians, SME).
This study combines three models to predict consumer’s purchase intention through social media
messages (SMMs) including Brackette and Carr Model, elaboration likelihood model (ELM) and
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theory reasoned action (TRA).
This study investigates attitude toward advertising on the internet and tests the Ducoffe model with two
of the three perceptual antecedents (entertainment and informativeness). The Ducoffe model serves as
the base upon which the integrated model employed in this study is built. Brackkette and Carr added
Credibility as a fourth perceptual antecedent because of its prevalence as a construct within other
models (Eighmey, 1997; MacKenzie and Lutz, 1989; Shavitt, Lowrey, and Haefner, 1998). Ultimately
our study will use entertainment, informativeness and credibility of the Ducoffe theory to explain the
correlation between these message characteristics and attitude.
Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM)
One of the most widely recognized models used to describe how consumers respond to persuasive
message/advertising is the ELM (Petty et al., 1983; Petty & Cacioppo, 1986), which posits two routes
through which an advertisement can influence consumers: a high involvement (HI), central route and a
lower involvement (LI), peripheral route.
Central route
o Central route factors
1. Argument quality
2. Source congruence (HI).
Peripheral route
o Peripheral route factors
1. Source congruence (LI)
2. Source credibility
3. Source attractiveness
4. Interactivity
Theory Reasoned Action (TRA)
The Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) posits that intentions must precede consumer behaviour
(Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975). Intentions are in turn determined by consumer attitudes and social subjective
norms ((Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975).
The TRA is a general theory of human behavior that examines the relations among beliefs, attitudes,
intentions, and behaviors (Ajzen & Fishbein, 1980; Fishbein, 1967; Fishbein, 1980; Fishbein & Ajzen,
1975). In their theory, intention influences behavior. The factors contributing to intention include
attitude and subjective norms (Chatzidakis, Hibbert, & Smith, 2007; Fishbein, Middlestadt, &
Hitchcock, 1991).
Subjective norms (SN) are a function of the individual’s beliefs that referent others (influential
individuals or groups) think s/he should or should not engage in this given behavior coupled by the
individual‟s willingness or motivation to comply with these referent others (Gunawan and Huarng
2015).
Intention is the likelihood that a person will engage in a specific behavior. Intention is the best
predictor of behavior, and hence, to change a specific behavior, one must first change the intention to
perform that behavior. According to the TRA both attitude towards behavior (Ab) and subjective
norms (SN) impact the intention to perform the behavior. Behavior is the transition of intention into
overt action (Coleman et al., 2011).
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2. Research design and methods of data collection and analysis or method inquiry:
Research methods
The intended research will implement a quantitative survey over 400 consumers, which will be
distributed over university students. This study will initially undertake the survey in order to analyse
what impacts message characteristics in social media have on consumers purchase intention. The
survey will be analysed as a first platform of data gathering to facilitate further information which will
be used in questions in semi-structured interview. The survey questions will aim to decipher social
media user’s preferences and behaviour regarding identified independent variables within this paper.
The survey will inquire research participants to indicate the degree in which certain social media
message characteristics influence their purchase intention. The survey questions are in a Likert scale
form which range from one (1) to five (5), where 1 resembles fully disagree whilst 5 signifies fully
agree.
Qualitative research
The proposed research also tries to understand the subjective reasoning that the interview participants
hold about why certain social media message (SMM) characteristics are more effective. The proposed
research will be applying semi-structured interviews were the questions will be based on the
information derived from the surveys. Semi-structured interviewing is appropriate for the proposed
research as it proceeded by surveys which will be analysed and used as a foundation for establishing an
eager understanding of the research realm that leads to the development of important and purposeful
semi-structured questions.
3. Main findings:
4. Discussion of implications:
As more online users use more time browsing, social networks and media sites (SNMs) are becoming
key subject research realm for a growing number of interested parties including academics and
practitioners as well as individuals, organisations, governments, and future researchers. The findings of
this research can help marketers to underline the important social media characteristics in order to
increase the purchase intention. Also this concept is generalisable over other institutions such as
government.
5. List of key references/resources:
Ajzen, I. & Fishbein, M. (1980). Understanding Attitudes and Predicting Social Behavior. Englewood
Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Ashley, C., & Tuten, T. (2015). Creative Strategies in Social Media Marketing: An Exploratory Study
of Branded Social Content and Consumer Engagement. Psychology and Marketing, Vol. 32(1): 15–27.
BRACKETTE, L. K. & CARR, J. B. N., 2001. Cyberspace Advertising vs. Other Media: Consumer
vs.Mature Student Attitudes. Journal of Aduertising RESERRCH.
Beese, Jennifer (2011). Social networks influence 74% of consumers' buying decisions. (Accessed Sept
24, 2015), available at http://sproutsocial.com/insights/socialnetworks- influence-buying-decisions/
Chatzidakis, A., Hibbert, S., & Smith, A. (2007), Why People Don‟t Take their Concerns about Fair
Trade to the Supermarket: The Role of Neutralisation. Journal of Business Ethics,74 (1), 89-100
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Ducoffe, R. H., 1996. Advertising Value and Advertisng on the Web. Journal of Advertising Research,
35(5), pp. 21-35.
Eu.,HMl V, JOH\, "Profiling User Responses to Commercial Websites." journal of Advertising
Reticnrch 37, 3 (1997): 59-66.
Fishbein, M., Middlestadt, S. E., & Hitchcock, P. J. (1991). Using Information to Change Sexually
Transmitted Disease-Related Behaviors: An Analysis Based on the Theory of Reasoned Action. In
Wasserheit J. N., Aral S. O., Holmes K. K. and Hitchcock P. J., (Ed), Research Issues in Human
Behavior and Sexually Transmitted Diseases in the AIDS Era (pp.61-78). Washington, DC: American
Society for Microbiology.
Fishbein, M. & Ajzen, I. (1975). Belief, Attitude, Intention, and Behavior: An Introduction to Theory
and Research. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
Gunawan, D.D., & Huarng, K.-H., Viral effects of social network and media on consumers’ purchase
intention, Journal of Business Research (2015), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2015.06.004
Kim , A., & Ko, E. (2012). Do social media marketing activities enhance customer equity? An
empirical study of. Journal of Business Research, 1480–1486.
MACKFN/11:, Scan B., and KILHAKLI J. LL T/. "An Frnpirital Examination of the Structural
Antecedents ut" Attitude Toward the Ad in an Advertising Pretesting Context," journal of
Marketing 52, 2 (1989): 48-fi5.
Petty, R. E., D. W. Schumann, S. A. Richman, and A. J. Strathman. 1993. Positive mood and
persuasion: Different roles for affect under high- and low-elaboration conditions. Journal of Personality
and Social Psychology 64 (1): 5–20.
Petty, R. E., & Cacioppo, J. T. (1986). Communication andpersuasion: Central andperipheral routes
to attitude change. New York: Springer-Verlag.
Patrick, C., Blau, B., Foong, K., & Lee, C.J. (2010). User survey analysis: Trends in consumers’ use of
social media. Gartner, Inc. Dataquest Market Insights: Carrier Operations & Strategies Worldwide. ID
Number: G00213348
SHWITT, SHARON, PAMU A LOWRE" and James Haeener. "Public Attitudes toward Advertising:
More Favorable Than You Might Think." journal of Advertising Research 38, 4 (1998): 7-22.
Vision Critical, New data on how social media drives purchasing. (2013, Jube 26). Retrieved Sept 24,
2015, from Vision Critical: https://www.visioncritical.com/new-data-how-social-media-drivespurchasing/
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