THE INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON CUSTOMERS PERCEPTION OF FOODSERVICE ESTABLISHMENT’S BRAND IMAGE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35631/JTHEM.1145038Keywords:
Brand-Generated Content, Brand Image, Customer Perception, Influencer Endorsement, Social Media, User-Generated Content, Visual AppealAbstract
This study is conducted to study the influence of different social media attributes on customers’ perception on foodservice establishment brand image, specifically in Dungun, Terengganu. This study is underpinned by the integration of Keller’s Customer-Based Brand Equity Model and Information Integration Theory, which explain how customers evaluate and combine social media information cues and how these evaluations develop into brand associations that shape their perceptions of foodservice establishments’ brand image. As Dungun is a semi-urban district, the social media activity is often overlooked even though the transition from the traditional marketing method to digitalization is apparent. This research article focuses on four independent variables which include user-generated content (UGC), influencer endorsement, brand-generated content (BGC), as well as visual appeal. This study utilizes quantitative, and cross-sectional research design with the data collected through a structured and 5-likert-scale questionnaire. To ensure the credibility of the questions, a pilot study involving 30 respondents was conducted, with the result of Cronbach’s Alpha scores consistently from .806 to .893. G*Power was used to determine the sample size needed for this study, along with the utilization of SPSS version 29 for multiple regression analysis to identify which social media attributes are the most significantly impacts the brand image of a food service establishment. The findings are expected to give insights to ethical and effective digital marketing strategies for foodservice establishments operators in similar semi-urban districts.
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