Consumers’ technology-facilitated brand engagement and wellbeing: Positivist TAM/PERMA- vs. Consumer Culture Theory perspectives

Linda D. Hollebeek and Russell Belk

International Journal of Research in Marketing, 2021, vol. 38, issue 2, 387-401

Abstract: In recent years, growing attention has been devoted to consumer engagement with brands through emerging technological (e.g., social media/artificial intelligence-based) platforms. However, despite important advances, much remains unknown regarding the effect of consumers’ technology-facilitated brand engagement (CTFBE) on their wellbeing, thus posing an important research gap. To explore this gap, we first define CTFBE as a consumer’s boundedly volitional resource investment in technology-mediated brand interactions. We next outline two approaches to CTFBE and its effect on wellbeing. First, adopting a positivist approach, we propose a framework that incorporates the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM)-informed CTFBE antecedents of consumer-perceived technology usefulness and -ease-of-use, in addition to goal salience and network position. In turn, we contend that CTFBE affects the PERMA-based consumer wellbeing facets of Positive Emotions, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishments. Second, in adopting Consumer Culture Theory (CCT), we address CTFBE-related wellbeing from sociological, anthropological, and cultural perspectives. We outline CCT’s importance for CTFBE1Even though CCT research does not endorse the engagement construct and instead investigates other related processes, for the sake of exposition in this paper we use the term engagement and its related acronym of CTFBE (i.e., consumers’ technology-facilitated brand engagement) in our CCT-informed discussions.1 in the following areas: (i) brand/consumption communities, (ii) consumption myths, rituals, and practices, and (iii) consumption and identity issues. Finally, we introduce the papers contained in this Section and offer an agenda for further research.

Keywords: Consumer engagement; Brands; Technology; Wellbeing; Consumer Culture Theory (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167811621000148
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ijrema:v:38:y:2021:i:2:p:387-401

DOI: 10.1016/j.ijresmar.2021.03.001

Access Statistics for this article

International Journal of Research in Marketing is currently edited by Roland Rust

More articles in International Journal of Research in Marketing from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().