Determining the social media factors that influence brand equity: a case of mobile network operations in Zimbabwe

Abstract

The increased use of the internet in the past number of years has resulted in an increased global use of social media for business purposes and it is likely to continue increasing as the world continues to do business online. Businesses now have the opportunity to generate content related to their brands, products and services, share content, communicate and sell to customers through the social media platforms. The consumers also are generating a lot of online content about businesses, products and services and sharing the content through social media. The increased use of social media in business to promote brands has the potential to enhance the development of brand equity. With the increased use of social media in business in promoting and marketing brands, there was a need to determine the social media factors that influence brand equity, which was the primary purpose of this study. An empirical study was conducted, where the data were collected from Zimbabweans in Harare Province who met the requirements by means of a face-to-face self-administered questionnaire. A positivism research paradigm was used in the study. The study followed a quantitative approach in order to satisfy the research objectives of the study. A descriptive research design and survey research strategy were used in this study. Based on the research results, it was found that the mobile network consumers attach value to the mobile network operators’ businesses and their products and services to which they are exposed through the various social media tools. The study revealed that social media engagement, social media influence, social media trustworthiness, social media cost effectiveness, social media exposure, social media perceived usefulness, social media subjective norms and social media ease of use are the social media factors that primarily influence consumer-based brand equity in terms of brand awareness, brand loyalty, brand associations and perceived brand quality. The mobile network operators need to ensure that their social media platforms appeal to these needs of their customers and followers on social media to create value for their businesses, brands, and products. This is because the consumers tend to rely on the mobile network operators’ social media pages for information about the business, products and services, not only as shared by the mobile network operators, but also shared by other users of social media (the consumers)

ISIFINQO Selokhu kwanda ukusetshenziswa kwe-inthanethi, ukusetshenziswa komhlaba wonke kwezinkundla zokuxhumana ngezinhloso zebhizinisi kukhule kakhulu futhi kungenzeka kuqhubeke kwanda njengoba umhlaba uqhubeka nokwenza ibhizinisi ku-inthanethi. Amabhizinisi anethuba lokukhiqiza okuqukethwe okuhlobene nemikhiqizo yawo, imikhiqizo namasevisi, ukwabelana ngakho, inkulumo-mpendulwano futhi adayisele amakhasimende ngokusebenzisa inkundla yezokuxhumana.. Abathengi babuye futhi bakhiqize okuqukethwe okuningi ku-inthanethi mayelana namabhizinisi, imikhiqizo kanye nezinsizakalo futhi babelane ngokuqukethwe ngezinkundla zokuxhumana. Ukwanda kokusetshenziswa kwenkundla yezokuxhumana ebhizinisini ukukhuthaza imikhiqizo kunamandla okuthuthukisa ukulingana kwemikhiqizo. Ngokusetshenziswa okwengeziwe kwenkundla yezokuxhumana ebhizinisini ekukhangiseni nasekuthengiseni izinhlobo, kunesidingo sokunquma izici zenkundla yezokuxhumana ezithonya ukulingana komkhiqizo, okuyinhloso engqala yalolu cwaningo. Ukubuyekezwa kwemibhalo okubanzi nokujulile kuhlinzekwe ezinkundleni zokuxhumana kanye neqhaza layo ekukhuthazeni ukulingana komkhiqizo ebhizinisini. Imibhalo iphinde yafaka ukubaluleka kwezinto zokulingana komkhiqizo ekuthuthukisweni kokulingana komkhiqizo ebhizinisini. Ucwaningo olunobufakazi lwenziwa, lapho idatha yaqoqwa khona kubantu baseZimbabwe baseSifundazweni saseHarare abahlangabezana nezimfuneko ngohlu lwemibuzo oluzilawulele lona. Ucwaningo lulandele indlela yokulinganisa ukuze kwenelise izinhloso zocwaningo. Ngokusekelwe emiphumelweni yocwaningo, kutholwe ukuthi abasebenzisi benethiwekhi yeselula bazimatanisa nenani emabhizinisini abasebenzi benethiwekhi yeselula kanye nemikhiqizo namasevisi abo abachayeka kuwo ngamathuluzi ahlukahlukene wenkundla yezokuxhumana. Ucwaningo luveze ukuthi ukuzibandakanya ezinkundleni zokuxhumana, umthelela wenkundla yezokuxhumana, ukwethembeka kwenkundla yezokuxhumana, ukusebenza kahle kwezindleko zenkundla yezokuxhumana, ukuchayeka ezinkundleni zokuxhumana, izinkundla zokuxhumana zibonwa ziwusizo, izinkambiso zenkundla yezokuxhumana kanye nokusebenziseka kalula kwenkundla yezokuxhumana yizinto ezithinta abathengi. ukulingana komkhiqizo mayelana nokuqwashisa ngomkhiqizo, ukwethembeka komkhiqizo, izinhlangano zemikhiqizo kanye nekhwalithi yomkhiqizo ebonwayo. Opharetha benethiwekhi yamaselula kudingeka baqinisekise ukuthi izinkundla zabo zenkundla zokuxhumana zikhanga lezi zidingo zamakhasimende abo nabalandeli ezinkundleni zokuxhumana ukuze bakhe inani lamabhizinisi abo, kanye nemikhiqizo. Lokhu kungenxa yokuthi abathengi bavame ukuthembela emakhasini enkundla yezokuxhumana abasebenzi benethiwekhi yeselula ukuze bathole ulwazi olumayelana nebhizinisi, imikhiqizo namasevisi hhayi nje kuphela njengoba kwabelwana ngawo abasebenzi benethiwekhi yamaselula kodwa futhi kwabelwana ngawo abanye abasebenzisi bezinkundla zokuxhumana (abathengi).