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Facebook, self‐disclosure, and brand‐mediated intimacy: Identifying value creating behaviors
Author(s) -
Hassan Mahmud,
Mydock Suni,
Pervan Simon J.,
Kortt Michael
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
journal of consumer behaviour
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.811
H-Index - 43
eISSN - 1479-1838
pISSN - 1472-0817
DOI - 10.1002/cb.1586
Subject(s) - context (archaeology) , value (mathematics) , social media , brand management , psychology , advertising , business , sociology , computer science , world wide web , paleontology , machine learning , biology
Value creating behaviors (VCBs) have not been extensively investigated within the context of social networking sites; this study highlights the importance of self‐disclosure leading to brand‐mediated intimacy as an explanation for VCBs within brand pages of social networking sites. A netnographic approach is undertaken, and the data include naturalistic observations of four Facebook brand communities. The results introduce four new VCBs and confirm that all 14 VCBs listed in previous research are practised within Facebook brand communities. This study also provides evidence of factual and emotional brand disclosures, and responses, suggesting consumer peers may be achieving a level of brand‐mediated intimacy through their exchanges. Harnessing the need for intimacy may represent an important strategic advantage to brands. It also has implications for public policy makers wishing to further understand consumer health and well‐being. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.