The effects of regulatory fit on customer brand engagement: an experimental study of service brand activities in social media

ABSTRACT When utilising social media to establish customer–brand relationships beyond exchange, service brands must understand which activities stimulate customer brand engagement (CBE) and brand preference. Founded in ideas from regulatory engagement theory, this study examines regulatory fit as a key driver of CBE and brand value experience. Regulatory fit theory assumes that promotion orientation, focusing on attaining a desired end state, fits with eager and active customer strategies while prevention orientation, focusing on avoiding an undesired end state, fits with vigilant and watchful customer strategies. This experimental study of a Nordic insurance firm’s Facebook brand activities (n = 429) identified positive regulatory fit, non-fit and simple effects on psychologically anchored (emotional, cognitive and intentional) and behavioural (‘likes’, comments) CBE dimensions. Consistent with regulatory fit theory, the study found that a prevention-oriented brand activity best evoked positive cognitive CBE among customers applying vigilant strategies. Opposing existing theory, promotion-oriented brand activity best evoked positive emotional CBE regardless of customer strategy and a prevention-oriented brand activity best evoked positive intentional CBE among those applying eager strategies, The findings contribute to a better understanding the multidimensionality of CBE and the role of fit in regulatory engagement theory. The findings are also of direct relevance to how service firms should engage their customers, and show that service providers can benefit from the use of prevention-oriented activities in social media if such activities are in accordance with their brand values.

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