The power of engagement: Understanding active social media engagement and the impact on sales in the hospitality industry

2021 ◽  
Vol 46 ◽  
pp. 83-95
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Yost ◽  
Tingting Zhang ◽  
Ruoxi Qi
2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (12) ◽  
pp. 2675-2695 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ceridwyn King ◽  
Hyemi Lee

Purpose Adopting a social capital theoretical (SCT) lens, this study aims to propose a conceptual framework of effective internal communication (IC) for the hospitality industry. The study explores how to enhance current practices and the suitability of social media as an augmentation to traditional IC channels. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative research methodology, consisting of 20 semi-structured interviews with hospitality employees, was adopted. Following a “reduction” and “interpretation” process, 16 themes related to effective IC were identified which informed a conceptual framework. Findings Characteristics of effective IC were identified in addition to IC benefits at both employee and organizational levels. Considering the limitations of current practices, the applicability of social media was explored. Requirements of effective IC suggest that new channels (e.g. social media) should be adopted to build social capital. Research limitations/implications The study informs SCT from a meso-level (process) perspective. The articulation of an IC framework informs how social capital can be built through effective IC, providing a foundation for further empirical examination as to the impact of various channels on the IC process. Adoption of a case study design suggests that results and implications can only be generalized to similar environments. Practical implications The study details the characteristics of effective IC and its subsequent benefits, highlighting how social media can augment current IC practices in a hospitality organization. Originality/value Being a 24/7 labor-intensive operation makes employee communication to ensure service excellence challenging in the hospitality industry. Through the application of SCT and the exploration of social media in a workplace setting to enhance IC, significant theoretical and practical insights are realized.


2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 212-227 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nels Popp ◽  
Chad McEvoy ◽  
Nicholas Watanabe

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between growth in social media engagement, as defined by annual percentage increase in Facebook Likes and Twitter Followers, of US college athletics departments and outcome metrics of attendance and ticket revenue. Design/methodology/approach Regression models were developed to determine the amount of variance in dependent variables (attendance and ticket revenue) could be explained by several independent variables, including team success, team history, conference affiliation, Facebook Likes, and Twitter Followers. Four years of data were collected for each variable. Findings The regression models predicted between 53 and 88 percent of the variance among dependent variables. Social media measures, however, were not statistically significant predictors of attendance or ticket revenue. Research limitations/implications The number of Facebook Likes and Twitter Followers were used as a proxy measure of social media engagement. While growth in Likes and Followers are a popular and convenient gauge of social media engagement, they represent a single measure of a multi-faceted construct. Also, data were limited to public university athletics departments, which are required to disclose annual ticket revenue. Findings may not be generalizable to other sport organizations. Practical implications The findings suggest growing social media interactions may not necessarily achieve marketing objectives related to increasing attendance or ticket revenue. Originality/value While numerous studies have examined the impact of social media on sport organizations, no prior studies have attempted to draw empirical connections between social media marketing efforts and revenue measures within sport organizations. This study represents the first to begin to examine this relationship.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nada Marzouk

On a high level, this research project explores the impact of the Virtual Fitting Room (“VFR”) technology on e-commerce. More specifically, this project is concerned with exploring the impact of the VFR technology in relation to online fashion sales. The central question this project has considered is: Does a virtual fitting room lead to an increase in 1) social media engagement and 2) product sales? VFR technology provides end users with an understanding of how a piece of clothing fits. This project oversaw the implementation of a series of interventions to measure the value of VFR. To test the premise of this research, six Egyptian fashion designers with an ineffective online presence were assigned to an e-commerce platform with VFR technology. To measure the impact of VFR, the researcher targeted three key audiences: 1) designers who only use social media, 2) designers who use social media and have a website, and 3) designers who use social media and have an e-commerce store with VFR. A benchmark for each of social media engagement, sales, and returns were provided by each designer. Results demonstrated that the presence of VFR significantly increased curiosity, customer loyalty, and engagement, while reducing uncertainty about sizing. However, the data collected was not sufficient to prove a direct correlation between the conversion rate and sales


2021 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann Pegoraro ◽  
Heather Kennedy ◽  
Nola Agha ◽  
Nicholas Brown ◽  
David Berri

While there has been research into what teams, leagues, and athletes post on social media and the impact of post content on social media engagement, there is limited understanding and empirical research on the impact of broadcasting media on social sport consumption. There are an increasing number of new media through which sport leagues can distribute their content to fans. This research examines the impact of different broadcast platforms on game day engagement with WNBA team Twitter accounts. Using data for the 2016–2018 seasons, results indicate athlete/team quality and performance were positively associated with post engagement, underscoring the importance of the core sport product and potentially indicating that the WNBA is developing a star-driven culture similar to the NBA. In addition, broadcasting on League Pass or local TV (for home teams) and Twitter were associated with lower post engagement suggesting we have more to learn about maximizing online engagement.


2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 95-108
Author(s):  
Wen-Jung Chang ◽  
Jerome M. Katrichis

Purpose of the study: Increases in global travel have led to the internationalization of the hospitality industry. Though a number of applications of social media have been examined in the hospitality industry, few of them integrate key dimensions of fan pages into a measurement model in the same time, including interactivity (INT), engagement (ENG), trust (TRT), friendship (FRP), word-of-mouth (WOM) and purchase intention (PI). Methodology: Based on 408 valid fans from Facebook fan pages of 24 International hotels in Taiwan, the empirical results show that ENG, FRP, TRT, and WOM all act as partial mediators in their impact on post-purchase behaviors. Based on Taiwanese International hotels, this study attempts to explore why these owners want more than just a friend. Main findings: The empirical results show that ENG, FRP, TRT, and WOM all act as partial mediators in their impact on post-purchase behaviors. The study demonstrates the mechanisms behind utilizing social media to build solid long term potentially profitable relationships with hotel clientele. Originality/value: We propose and empirically investigate an integrated theoretical framework to more fully capture and describe the consumer’s behavior in the brand community. Our model of the social media process is informed by an “S-O-R” view from consumer behavior, where INT and ENG help create the situation which acts as a stimulus for FRP and TRT which in turn influence BL, WOM, and further PIs. Here, we see the pull force (website INT) as an influence on the brand-consumer relationship (i.e., FRP) through a push force (fan’s ENG). Together and along with the brand content they combine to create the consumer stimulus.


2019 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-89 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine A. Foss

Even though viewers understand that a television show is fictional, they can still mourn the demise of their favorite characters. This fictional grief became apparent with the on-screen death of the character Jack in the program This Is Us. The current study analyzed the death narrative and perceived responsibility in first and second seasons of This Is Us, paired with the online responses posted to social media and the short promotional video between the show and Crock-Pot. Findings suggest that fans experienced and expressed parasocial grief for Jack’s death on social media, attributing blame to the Crock-Pot brand. In turn, the company’s tweets and replies acknowledged and participated in the fans’ mourning rituals while reassuring the brand’s safety, ultimately aiding the brand’s public recovery. From fans’ displaced blame to the later partnership between the show and brand, labeled “#CrockPotIsInnocent,” this case demonstrates the impact of fictional media, social media engagement for parasocial grief, and a successful real-life brand recovery for a fictional crisis.


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