About the Project
Project Description: Apart from a developing literature on the content that consumers engage with on social media (e.g., Ashley and Tuten, 2015) and the consumer-specific drivers of engagement (e.g., Muntinga et al., 2011; Schivinski et al., 2016), the current body of knowledge of brand-specific drivers and outcomes of engagement remains limited if not completely absent. Online and social media consumer engagement has subsequently proven to be a fruitful research area (Smith et al., 2012; Maslowska et al., 2016). In the context of brand-related content, engagement remains a concept lacking of a clear delineation, which branches cognitive, emotional, and behavioural research streams (Hollebeek et al., 2014). This research project focuses on the behavioural research stream (Muntinga et al., 2011; Schivinski et al., 2016), more specifically it aims at understanding how social media brand related behavior can be predicted by means of brand perception factors, as well as its outcomes on relevant marketing variables (Schivinski and Dabrowski, 2014; 2015).
Method: To capture the antecedents and consequences of consumer’s engagement with brand related content on social media primary research should be conducted. Qualitative and quantitative research methods can be applied, however emphasis will be given to developing and testing new conceptual models (quantitative methods). Therefore, knowledge on research methods and statistics are desired. The PhD candidate will be required to undertake extensive literature review to uncover novelty and extract research questions, develop hypotheses, and operationalize the concepts in the study. Additionally, the PhD candidate is expected to design the research instruments (e.g., online survey), collect and manage data, conduct data analysis, and report the findings.
The PhD candidate will get support from supervisors with expertise in the domains of social media marketing, online branding and communication, research methods (both qualitative and quantitative), and statistics (multivariate methods). There is also a possibility to link the project with on-going projects led by academic staff at Nottingham Business School, other NTU schools (e.g., School of Social Sciences), as well as other institutions. Please indicate in the application what skills, knowledge, or resources you can contribute to this research project.