The Depth of Brand Engagement Funnel: Dimensionalizing Interaction in Social Media Brand Communities

Purpose: The principal purpose of this paper is to contribute to the augmenting literature on consumer/brand engagement (CBE) in social media brand communities (SMBCs) by offering the model of Depth of Brand Engagement Funnel (DOBEF). The model is intended to complement the multi-dimensional conceptualization of CBE in the extant consumer behavior literature, as well as to critically address some of its foundational tenets, by adopting a computer-mediated discourse analytic (CMDA) approach.Design/methodology/approach: The study employs a mixed methods research design whereby qualitative data are quantified with a view to enhancing the robustness of the interpretive procedure, in line with the CMDA research protocol. A netnographic approach is adopted in data collection, while data analysis/synthesis proceeds with the application of the laddering technique with the aid of the CAQDAS software atlas.ti. Findings: By shifting focus in identifying CBE levels in SMBCs from attitudinal/behavioral antecedents/outcomes towards the content of interaction, a nuanced perspective is offered as regards the depth of interaction, by addressing posted comments not only in terms of valencing, but also of valorization. Moreover, by conducting analyses on coded data alongside DOBEF’s strata, rather than treating consumer comments as raw data, we are capable of narrowing down the semantic focus of posted comments in a thread-specific fashion, thus meeting the narrow contextualization criterion that is lacking from various studies in the extant literature. Research limitations/implications: Although the primary data that are sourced from SMBCs posted comments have not been generated by following a laddering procedure, dimensionalizing them on laddering strata offers a unique window of opportunity for gauging diachronically and comparatively, on intra- and inter-brand levels, depth of engagement. This data collection limitation presents unique opportunities and challenges to SMBCs moderators in terms of enhancing depth of engagement with consumers, while minimizing the incidence of brand hatred. Practical implications: The managerial implications from the application of the DOBEF model are potentially far-reaching. Indicatively, the model’s application is likely to (i) minimize irrelevant and/or negative comments that infuse messiness in potentially informative brand community settings (ii) aid in setting actionable KPIs with regard to the intended interaction levels according to the propounded model’s stratum, as well as conversion rates (iii) monitor comments in SMBC settings in a meaningful manner, rather than by drawing on an abstract typology (i.e. public sentiment analyses). Originality/value: This is a salient step towards both disambiguating the meaning of engagement and rendering it operationally concrete and relevant in SMBC interaction settings. If integrated in research frameworks that examine antecedents and outcomes from participation in SMBCs, it may yield valuable feedback for brand managerial decision-making on a day-to-day basis. Paper type: Research paper