THE MEDIATING ROLE OF BRAND INVOLVEMENT IN THE SOCIAL MEDIA USE-MARKETING COMMUNICATION EFFECTIVENESS RELATIONSHIP: A CASE OF SELECTED ENTERTAINMENT SMES IN UGANDA

Abstract

Brand involvement seems to be meaningful in explaining consumer decisions, despite the limited knowledge regarding the interface between social media use and brand involvement in explaining marketing communication effectiveness. It is highly likely that brand involvement plays a mediational role in the relationship between social media use and marketing communication effectiveness. To establish this, the study examined the mediating effect of brand involvement on the relationship between social media use and marketing communication effectiveness using structural equation modelling. The entertainment industry in Uganda was used as the case study. Two hypotheses were tested using a structural model because the sample size was large enough to support the stability of parameter estimates and results and the findings reveal that social media use significantly influences marketing communications effectiveness and that brand involvement is a significant mediator in this relationship. The conclusion is that relevant product information will be more effective when targeted to customers who are highly involved in the brand. The recommendation is that firms should invest in posting good and relevant product information and constantly update it on social media tools. They should also employ more selective targeting but combine this with strategies to increase brand involvement in customers.