Engaging customers through user-and company-generated content on CSR

• Published in: Spanish Journal of Marketing - ESIC 2019-12, Vol.23 (3), p.339-372
• Main Authors: Badenes-Rocha, Alberto, Ruiz-Mafé, Carla, Bigné, Enrique
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Behavior; Business communications; Consumers; csr communication; customer engagement; Customer services; firm-generated content; Hotels & motels; Marketing; message source; Monetary incentives; Social networks; Social responsibility; Society; twitter; User generated content
• ISSN: 2444-9709; 2444-9695; 2444-9709
• DOI: 10.1108/SJME-09-2018-0043

Purpose This study aims to analyze the role of corporate social responsibility (CSR) customer perceptions, customer–company identification and customer trust on customer engagement (CE), paying special attention to the moderating effects of two types of social media communication, firm-generated content and user-generated content. Design/methodology/approach The study uses a mixed-methods’ approach. First, a single-factor experiment using Twitter posts as stimuli with 227 hotel guests. The structural model was analyzed using SmartPLS 3.2.7. Second, structured in-depth interviews were undertaken with three hotel industry experts to complement the conclusions of the quantitative study. Findings The results show that when a customer trusts a hotel and identifies with its corporate values, CSR tweets generate CE toward the hotel. CSR communications made by customers reinforce the impact of CSR tweets on customer trust more than CSR tweets posted by hotels. Hotel industry experts give insights to explain these results in different types of hotels. Practical implications CSR communications made through Twitter affect customers’ perceptions of a hotel’s CSR activities and customer trust in hotels, especially if they originate from a source external to the company. This result can be of use for hotel managers who have not previously given importance to active CSR communications or the interactivity of social media. Originality/value The authors show the moderating effect of user-generated content in the relationship between CSR customer perceptions and customer trust, thus contributing to the research into the effectiveness of social media. They use a mixed-methods’ approach to increase the validity of the results. Propósito Este estudio analiza el papel de las percepciones de RSC, la identificación cliente-empresa (CCI) y la confianza en el engagement del cliente (CE), prestando especial atención al efecto moderador de dos tipos de comunicación en redes sociales: Contenido Generado por la Empresa (FGC) y Contenido Generado por el Usuario (UGC). Diseño/metodología/enfoque Se emplean métodos mixtos: un experimento de un factor usando publicaciones de Twitter como estímulo con 227 huéspedes del hotel, cuyo modelo estructural se analizó con SmartPLS 3.2.7., y 3 entrevistas en profundidad con expertos de la industria hotelera. Hallazgos Los resultados muestran que, cuando un cliente confía en el hotel y se identifica con sus valores corporativos, los tweets de RSC gen