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The influence of social media communication on consumer’s attitudes and behavioral intentions concerning brand-sponsored events

Event Management, 2019

Bruno Schivinski, Daniela Langaro, Christina Shaw

Event Management, volume 23, issue 6, pages 835–853, 2019

  • 307 UK social media users
  • Online survey
  • Structural equation modelling
  • Mediation analysis
  • 83 brands
  • United Kingdom
Read the article
Keywords
  • social media
  • event marketing
  • brand attitude
  • event attitude
  • event participation
  • brand-sponsored events
  • firm-created content
  • user-generated content
  • social media brand-related communication
  • event attendance intention
  • sponsorship
  • secondary brand associations
  • attitude–behavior relationship
  • theory of reasoned action
  • Schivinski & Dabrowski social media communication scale
  • online survey
  • confirmatory factor analysis
  • structural equation modelling (SEM)
  • bootstrapped indirect effects
  • Mplus
  • United Kingdom

Social media content about a brand makes people more willing to go to the events that brand sponsors, mainly through how they feel about the event. In a survey of 307 British social media users, firm-created and user-generated content improved brand attitude, user-generated content also improved event attitude, and event attitude drove intentions to participate.

Key findings

  1. Both types of social media content improve brand attitude. Positive evaluations of firm-created (β = 0.32) and user-generated (β = 0.30) social media brand-related content predicted a more positive brand attitude (Schivinski, Langaro & Shaw, 2019).
  2. Only user-generated content directly improves event attitude. User-generated content predicted attitude towards brand-sponsored events (β = 0.24), while firm-created content did not (β = 0.12, p = .12) (Schivinski, Langaro & Shaw, 2019).
  3. Event attitude, not brand attitude, drives intention to attend. Event attitude predicted intention to participate in a brand-sponsored event (β = 0.34); brand attitude shaped event attitude (β = 0.33) but had no direct effect on intention (β = 0.03) (Schivinski, Langaro & Shaw, 2019).
  4. Social media content reaches intentions through a chain of attitudes. Both content types increased intention to participate through brand attitude and then event attitude (indirect β = 0.03 each), with total effects of 0.09 for firm-created and 0.13 for user-generated content (Schivinski, Langaro & Shaw, 2019).

At a glance

Design
Online survey (Qualtrics) distributed through social media; each respondent named a brand they follow on social media, whose page met screening criteria
Participants
307 valid cases from 421 responses of British social media users aged 18 and over (58.4% women); 83 brands such as Adidas, O2, Tag Heuer and Virgin
Measures
Firm-created and user-generated social media content (four items each, Schivinski & Dabrowski); brand and event attitude (three items each); intention to participate (three items, Lee et al., 2012); 7-point scales
Analysis
Confirmatory factor analysis, structural equation modelling (MLR) and bootstrapped mediation analysis (5,000 draws) in Mplus 7.2
Model fit
MLR χ²(111) = 181.38, CFI = 0.97, TLI = 0.96, RMSEA = 0.04

Figure 1. Conceptual model of social media brand-related content, attitudes and intentional behaviour

H1aH1bH2aH2bH3H4H5Firm-createdcontentUser-generatedcontentBrand attitudeEvent attitudeIntention toparticipate
Redrawn from Figure 1 of the article. The model shows the direct effects (H1–H5) only; the mediation hypotheses (H6–H10) are tested through these paths.

Figure 2. Standardised direct estimates for the conceptual model

H1a: 0.32 (3.73)H1b: 0.30 (4.04)H2a: 0.12 (n.s.)H2b: 0.24 (2.62)H3: 0.33 (4.59)H4: 0.03 (n.s.)H5: 0.34 (4.29)0.55 (5.27)Firm-createdcontentUser-generatedcontentBrand attitudeEvent attitudeIntention toparticipateStandardised coefficients with t values in parentheses (Figure 2 and Table 2 of the article); grey dashed paths not significant; n = 307.
Redrawn from Figure 2 of the article, with t values in parentheses. The two non-significant paths, which the article’s figure leaves out, are added as grey dashed lines with their Table 2 values; n = 307.

Direct effects in the structural model

Effects on brand attitudeFCC0.32UGC0.30Effects on event attitudeBrand attitude0.33UGC0.24FCC0.12 (n.s.)Effects on intention to participateEvent attitude0.34Brand attitude0.03 (n.s.)
Standardised coefficients from Table 2 of the article (n = 307). FCC = firm-created content; UGC = user-generated content.

Tables

Table 1. Reliability and validity scores of the conceptual model

Construct CR FD AVE 1 2 3 4 5
1. Firm-created social media communication 0.89 0.95 0.67 0.81
2. User-generated social media communication 0.87 0.94 0.63 0.55 0.79
3. Brand attitude 0.90 0.95 0.75 0.49 0.48 0.86
4. Event attitude 0.91 0.96 0.78 0.42 0.47 0.51 0.88
5. Intention to participate 0.85 0.95 0.66 0.12 0.20 0.21 0.36 0.81

Square roots of the average variance extracted on the diagonal (in italics). CR = composite reliability; FD = factor determinacy; AVE = average variance extracted. MLR χ²(109) = 180.24, CFI = 0.97, TLI = 0.96, RMSEA = 0.04 (90% CI: 0.03–0.05); n = 307.

Table 2. Standardized structural coefficients of the conceptual model

Hypothesis β 95% CI t p Acceptance/rejection
Direct effects
H1a. FCC → Brand attitude 0.32 3.73 0.001 Accepted
H1b. UGC → Brand attitude 0.30 4.04 0.001 Accepted
H2a. FCC → Event attitude 0.12 1.52 0.12 Rejected
H2b. UGC → Event attitude 0.24 2.62 0.01 Accepted
H3. Brand attitude → Event attitude 0.33 4.59 0.001 Accepted
H4. Brand attitude → Intention to participate 0.03 0.48 0.62 Rejected
H5. Event attitude → Intention to participate 0.34 4.29 0.001 Accepted
Indirect effects (specific indirect β)
H6a. FCC → Brand attitude → Intention to participate 0.01 [−0.03, 0.05] 0.43 0.66 Rejected
H6b. FCC → Event attitude → Intention to participate 0.03 [−0.01, 0.08] 1.28 0.19 Rejected
H7a. UGC → Brand attitude → Intention to participate 0.01 [−0.03, 0.05] 0.41 0.67 Rejected
H7b. UGC → Event attitude → Intention to participate 0.08 [0.02, 0.13] 2.25 0.02 Accepted
H8a. FCC → Brand attitude → Event attitude 0.12 [0.04, 0.19] 2.77 0.001 Accepted
H8b. UGC → Brand attitude → Event attitude 0.11 [0.02, 0.20] 2.21 0.02 Accepted
H9a. FCC → Brand attitude → Event attitude → Intention to participate 0.03 [0.01, 0.06] 2.24 0.02 Accepted
H9b. UGC → Brand attitude → Event attitude → Intention to participate 0.03 [0.01, 0.05] 1.81 0.06 Accepted
H10. Brand attitude → Event attitude → Intention to participate 0.12 [0.04, 0.20] 2.68 0.001 Accepted
Total effects
FCC → Intention to participate 0.09 [0.03, 0.15] 2.58 0.01
UGC → Intention to participate 0.13 [0.07, 0.18] 3.79 0.001

FCC = firm-created social media brand-related communication; UGC = user-generated social media brand-related communication. SEM model: MLR χ²(111) = 181.38, CFI = 0.97, TLI = 0.96, RMSEA = 0.04 (90% CI: 0.03–0.05); n = 307. Mediational model: ML χ²(111) = 248.30, CFI = 0.96, TLI = 0.95, RMSEA = 0.06 (90% CI: 0.05–0.07); 5,000 bootstrap draws. Decisions and p-values as printed.

Table A. Descriptive statistics for the constructs and measurements
Construct and item Loading t Mean SD Skewness Kurtosis R²
Firm-created social media content (Schivinski & Dabrowski, 2015)
I am satisfied with the company’s social media communications for [Brand X] 0.84 28.15 5.43 1.40 −1.18 1.17 0.70
The level of the company’s social media communication for [Brand X] meets my expectations 0.87 34.86 5.47 1.41 −1.22 1.21 0.76
The company’s social media communications for [Brand X] are very attractive 0.79 27.37 5.55 1.47 −1.10 0.81 0.62
The company’s social media communications for [Brand X] perform well, when compared with the social media communications of other brands 0.79 25.22 5.22 1.49 −0.92 0.53 0.63
User-generated social media content (Schivinski & Dabrowski, 2015)
I am satisfied with the content generated on social media sites by other users about [Brand X] 0.88 46.44 5.16 1.31 −0.64 0.30 0.78
The level of the content generated on social media sites by other users about [Brand X] meets my expectations 0.79 22.63 5.18 1.27 −0.69 0.59 0.63
The content generated by other users about [Brand X] is very attractive 0.79 32.56 5.05 1.33 −0.46 −0.03 0.63
The content generated on social media sites by others users about [Brand X] performs well, when compared with other brands 0.73 15.10 5.19 1.33 −0.63 0.16 0.53
Brand attitude (G. Low & Lamb Jr., 2000; Villarejo-Ramos & Sánchez-Franco, 2005)
I have a pleasant idea of [Brand X] 0.85 31.03 6.09 1.15 −1.58 2.69 0.73
[Brand X] has a good reputation 0.86 31.07 6.12 1.34 −1.92 3.56 0.74
I associate positive characteristics with [Brand X] 0.90 40.24 5.99 1.35 −1.68 2.68 0.82
Event attitude (G. Low & Lamb Jr., 2000; Villarejo-Ramos & Sánchez-Franco, 2005)
I have a pleasant idea of an event that is sponsored by [Brand X] 0.82 28.58 5.14 1.59 −0.612 −0.19 0.68
An event sponsored by [Brand X] has a good reputation 0.93 51.50 5.33 1.49 −0.682 −0.07 0.86
I associate positive characteristics towards an event that is sponsored by [Brand X] 0.90 41.85 5.50 1.50 −0.91 0.43 0.81
Intention to participate (Lee et al., 2012)
I will frequently attend events sponsored by [Brand X] I learn about on social media in the future 0.60 13.91 4.06 1.74 −0.31 −0.83 0.36
I am most likely to go to an event sponsored by [Brand X] after seeing events listed on social media 0.89 36.00 4.25 1.65 −0.40 −0.54 0.79
The social media event listing will solidify my decision to attend an event with [Brand X] 0.91 31.66 4.24 1.69 −0.41 −0.51 0.83

Standardised factor loadings; items rated from 1 = strongly disagree to 7 = strongly agree. Values as printed.

The question

Brands spend more and more on sponsored events and promote them on social media, and social media communication was thought to influence people’s decision to attend events. This had not been tested. We asked whether firm-created and user-generated social media brand-related content shape consumers’ attitudes towards the brand and the event, and through them their intention to participate in brand-sponsored events.

Implications

Practical implications

Social media communication is a positive driver of attendance at brand-sponsored events. Brands need to create satisfying content and also encourage users, including influencers people identify with, to generate their own, and should promote events with consistent messages before, during and after the event that present the brand as an enabler of enjoyable, social experiences.

Theoretical implications

The study extends research on social media brand communication from purchase-related outcomes to a non-transactional behaviour, event participation, and shows that event attitude is the key mediator between social media content and attendance intentions, with stronger effects for user-generated content.

Limitations and future research

  • Results were not separated by social media platform or type of brand.
  • Event attitude was measured in general terms, not for specific event types such as music or sport.
  • Other constructs from the theory of reasoned action and its extensions were not included.

Questions this paper answers

Does social media make people more likely to attend brand-sponsored events?

Yes, indirectly. In 307 British social media users, positive evaluations of firm-created and user-generated brand content raised intention to participate in brand-sponsored events through brand and event attitudes (total effects β = 0.09 and 0.13) (Schivinski, Langaro & Shaw, 2019).

Is user-generated content more effective than firm-created content for events?

In this study, yes: only user-generated content directly improved attitude towards the event (β = 0.24), and it had the larger total effect on intention to attend (Schivinski, Langaro & Shaw, 2019).

Does liking a brand make people attend its events?

Not directly. Brand attitude improved event attitude (β = 0.33), and event attitude drove intention to attend (β = 0.34), but brand attitude had no direct effect on intention (Schivinski, Langaro & Shaw, 2019).

Key concepts

Firm-created social media content
Brand-related content that the company itself posts on social media, such as posts on its brand page.
User-generated social media content
Brand-related content that consumers create and share on social media, independently of the company.
Brand-sponsored event
An event, such as a concert or sports event, that a brand organises or sponsors to engage consumers.
Event attitude
A consumer’s overall evaluation of events sponsored by a brand.

Open science and materials

Study materials

Scale items
All 17 items with standardised loadings, t-values, means, standard deviations, skewness, kurtosis and R² are in Table A below.

How to cite

Schivinski, B., Langaro, D., & Shaw, C. (2019). The influence of social media communication on consumer’s attitudes and behavioral intentions concerning brand-sponsored events. Event Management, 23(6), 835–853. https://doi.org/10.3727/152599518X15403853721268

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