The Moderating Effect of Internet Meme on The Brand

Image
Hsuju Teng
Department of International Trade, Chihlee University of Technology, Taipei, Taiwan
Chi-Feng Lo
Department of Marketing and Logistics Management,
Chihlee University of Technology, Taipei, Taiwan, and Hsin-Hui Lee
Department of Health Diet and Industry Management,
Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung City, Taiwan

Abstract:
This study aims to investigate the effects of Internet memes on brand image. Design, technique, and
approach - The components and dimensions of Internet memes were initially improved using the
Delphi method, and a scale for measuring Internet memes was created. Second, the authors gathered
information from 206 reliable Internet users using a questionnaire.
Findings - The authors put forth four important traits of Internet memes: humour, a high level of
positive emotional intensity, brand relationships and prestige, and a high level of spread ability to
compel users to recreate, share, and spread memes. The findings of the study show that Internet
memes have a beneficial impact on brand image. Only brand image, engagement, and humour
enhanced brand image; contrary to this, not all meme elements were connected to it.
Originality and worth - This study changes the present paradigm of brand-generated and customer-
passive to user-generated and customer-active for academics studying internet marketing
communication research. It also touches on the significance of Internet memes' widespread influence
on brand image. More specifically, this study uses both the mind-infection and symbolic value
perspectives to emphasise the essential symbolic values that Internet memes must possess in order to
affect consumers' behaviour in response to perceived brand image. In order to address the lack of
agreement and tangible scales surrounding meme transmission characteristics and expanding into
online marketing communication techniques, this study redefines the dimensions and metrics of
Internet memes.
Keywords Symbolic value, Mind infection, Propagation characteristics, Online marketing
communication Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Internet memes have evolved into a vital and creative form of online communication with the rise in
Internet usage. (Wei et al., 2012; Dubey et al., 2018; Zannettou et al., 2018). Text, images, and videos
are widely distributed online as memes, which are used by online users to spread awareness of
transmitted information through humorous and ironic texts (Miltner, 2018). In addition, they are
capable of transmitting information within a very short period of time (Wei et al., 2012; Dubey et al.,
2018; Zannettou et al., 2018). As a result, academics have started to pay more attention to how
internet propagation affects the spread of knowledge (Brubaker et al., 2018). Additionally, it is being
more and more included into commercial communication methods (Chen, 2012). Consumers learn
about new products and information first through brand image, according to marketing
communication literature (Rogers, 1995; Gkerik et al., 2018. Online information propagation can be
speedier and more widespread than brand image transmission since online settings do not have
geographic limits and consumers can readily communicate with one another. In spite of the literature's
admission that some effective interactive communication channels exist, such as two-way dialogue
and online brand communities (Rowley, 2009), most of the strategies are brand-generated and
customer-passive. In contrast to traditional online marketing channels, Internet memes are created and
shared by users. Memes are one example of a user-generated and customer-active communication
channel, yet existing scholarship generally ignores their effect on brand image. According to Brubaker
et al. (2018), an overview of most related literature examines the link among memes and online
engagement. A macro-level distribution of political issues is discussed in this study, but the micro-
level impact on consumers is not discussed. Additionally, despite existing literature that explores
meme there is no stated scale for the propagation features (Brubaker et al., 2018; Shifman, 2014). by
which these characteristics can be measured or fixed. Lastly, most of these antecedents (Chinomona,
2016; Krishnamurthy and Kumar, 2018; Saksjärvi and Samiee, 2011) are psychological in nature. The
problem is that these researches lack a thorough knowledge of how Internet memes and other external
social cues affect brand image (Groonroos, 1997). How do Internet memes affect culture? The key to
linking Internet memes with brand images is what is the crucial vision? We don't know the answers to
these questions and need to conduct further research. Therefore, the goal of this research is to discover
how Internet memes impact brand awareness.
According to some research, consumers unintentionally "infect" others with memes, which over time
have a "pandemic impact," causing a "social contagion."
Benaim[] (2018) asserts that the symbolic nature of memes on the internet encourages people to
disseminate them. This study combines these two viewpoints and suggests that for Internet memes to
infect consumers' minds, they must be constructed in terms of their symbolic significance. We think
that advertisers utilising memes will be able to offer more thorough online communication marketing
tactics that affect customers' behaviour through brand image if the study gap on the potential mind-
infecting effect of Internet memes' symbolic value on brand image is addressed.
This study makes a number of important contributions. The present paradigm of brand-generated and
customer-passive to user-generated and customer-active may change as a result of this study,
according to researchers in online marketing communication. Additionally, it also discusses the
significance of the meme epidemic impact on brand image as well as the limitations of brand image
studies that generally focuses on customers' internal psychological imitations without taking into
account the external social clues. This study also reveals the critical symbolic values needed for
memes to infect customers' brains and then affect their behaviour depending on a brand's image by
utilising both the mind septicity and symbolic value perspectives. To address a lack of standards
regarding scale and propagation traits, this work redefines the magnitudes and metrics of memes.

Speculative context and formulation of hypotheses Internet pranks and brand image
A brand's message needs to be extensively disseminated and properly understood by customers for a
marketing communications plan to be successful. To put it another way, memes are made to draw in
customers (Pan, 2020; Li et al., 2020; Zhang and Lin, 2015). As a result, brand awareness is the first
action a consumer takes when accepting innovative goods and services (Gokerik et al., 2018). Image
of a company.
Originally described as a brand's perceived symbolism in a product (Sommers, 1963), today's
definition of 'brand associations' refers more to a consumer's recollection of a particular brand (Aaker,
1991). This research describes brand image as a synergistic and symbolic meaning that is deciphered
by According to Bivainiene and Sliburyte (2008) and Hauge, brand image is a synergistic and
symbolic meaning that customers decipher (2015).
Brand image is influenced by elements such as brand identity (Saaksjarvi and Samiee, 2011), word-
of-mouth (Krishnamurthy and Kumar, 2018; Reza Jalilvand and Samiei, 2012), and brand
communication (Chinomona, 2016). However, internal psychological judgments of customers are the
main variables influencing brand image. The current study makes the argument that customer
perceptions are arbitrary. External social influences must also be taken into account. Therefore,
relying just on psychological explanations to explain brand image is insufficient to comprehend how
the external social environment affects brand image. Identification of environmental elements from
the outside that could affect brand image is also necessary (Gokerik et al., 2018).
Internet memes serve as an external environmental constituent that enables the spread of ideas. The
traits of intertextuality, remix, and humour also contribute to the increased user-made and consumer-
originated nature of the conveyed messages (Brubaker et al., 2018). This increases the effectiveness of
internet marketing communication techniques. Furthermore, researchers have just recently begun to
consider Internet memes as a cutting-edge form of commercial communication (Brubaker et al., 2018;
Shifman, 2014). Memes were originally introduced by Dawkins in 1976. An idea, behaviour, or style
that is spread from person to person is referred to as a meme. By copying (imitation), varying, and
being selected, memes develop (Dawkins, 1976). Online information dissemination may be faster and
more widespread than conventional methods since there are no geographical restrictions and
customers can readily communicate with one another.
Humor is the primary trait of Internet memes. Many users utilise social media for self-promotion and
social connection; they like sharing material that uplifts other users. They exhibit their optimism and
sense of humour as a consequence (Shifman, 2014). When the content used to propagate it has an
entertainment component, consumers who believe Internet memes have symbolic meaning may
replicate, share, and distribute the meme to indicate it is positive and amusing. Because the meme is
interesting, other people who watch it may like it or repost it, which increases the number of views.
Additionally, this improves the brand image and the favourable connotations with the brand (Gelb and
Zinkhan, 1986).
High levels of emotional intensity are Internet memes' second defining feature (provoking higharousal
emotions). Shifman (2014) asserts that when Internet users produce a sense of exhilaration in the face
of something bigger than themselves, high positive emotional intensity is produced. Examples of
storylines that elicit "Aww" or "Wow" reactions include natural wonders, game-changing scientific
breakthroughs, and stories of individuals overcoming adversity. This behaviour encourages the
spread, copying, and alteration of memes (Berger and Milkman, 2012). When the material provided
by Internet memes has a high positive emotional intensity, users perceive them as "great" symbols
that reflect their own good or negative sentiments. A meme spreads more widely when additional
customers see, like, or repost it as a result of being moved.
Internet memes should be simple to spread since it is their third defining quality. According to Berger
and Milkman (2012), sharing short movies and jokes is more comfortable since people can grasp them
quickly and expect others will too. Consumers believe Internet memes to have symbolic significance
and may feel more at ease spreading them when they have the quality of being simpler to grasp. By
doing so, customers spread them more widely than through conventional marketing methods, boosting
their favourable connections with the brand and enhancing its reputation. Brand image and
interactions are the fourth attribute of Internet memes. According to Shifman (2014)'s research on
online news articles, readers are more inclined to trust a prominent author.
As a result, this study suggests that when Internet memes are shared with prestigious and interactive
qualities, consumers perceive them as representations of their own prestigious and interactive qualities
and may recreate, to demonstrate that the memes are both respectable and participatory, share and
promote them. This results in more positive connections and a better brand image.
To sum up, Internet memes must be amusing, possess a high level of positive emotional intensity, be
simple to disseminate, and foster brand prestige and relationships. These significant characteristics
provide internet memes symbolic meaning, which results in a consumer mind infection that spreads to
others. Through the replication, sharing, and dissemination of the memes' symbolic meaning,
consumers engage in social interaction. More customers see them as a result of this distribution,
strengthening favourable relations.
Research approach
This study looked at the impact of Internet memes on brand image. Two studies in total were carried
out: one for data collecting and the other for verification. In Study 1, the Delphi technique, content
analysis, and expert interviews were used to generate the scales. In Study 2, questions were first
chosen using exploratory factor analysis. The developed model was then tested for reliability and
validity using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling.
Scale development for Study 1
There is still no agreement on the structures of Internet memes, and no accurate scale for measuring
them has been developed. To gain a preliminary understanding of online users' perceptions of Internet
memes, With professionals and scholars from the commercial and academic sectors, we conducted
semi-structured, extensive, open-ended oral interviews. The structure of Internet memes was
determined, and the material was directed to be interviewee-oriented. The content of the questionnaire
was then created using the Delphi approach.
Interviews that are semi-structured. Three criteria were used to choose the expert group members
based on the literature: the experts' and academics' willingness to join, their amount of experience or
authority in the field, as well as the diversity of their source disciplines (Skulmoski et al., 2007).
Academic e-commerce research, especially those related to the topic of online interactive
communications, was the emphasis of the selection criterion. On the other hand, having at least five
years of relevant work experience in e-commerce and online interactive communications was a
requirement for industry selection. Six specialists and three academics from business and academia
were subjected to an interview. This ratio was chosen because there are fewer academics who are
familiar with meme research and because industry uses Internet memes more frequently than
academia. The Appendix contains these experts' biographies. Because the Delphi approach
incorporates experts' anonymous comments, it was used in place of a focus-group interview. In this
approach, the experts take part in a survey before exchanging thoughts on its contents. The other
specialists are unknown to them. In face-to-face interviews, this strategy therefore all but removes the
worry that some participants may just follow the others without question. An opinion review comes
after the revision of expert opinions, allowing the experts the ability to change their views as
necessary. Diverse ideas may be gathered to establish a consensus through communication and
frequent feedback.
Furthermore, statistical analysis may be used to establish whether there has been convergence and
consistency among the viewpoints of the experts. The Delphi approach, however, necessitates that the
expert panel repeat.
Study 2: Confirming measurements and evaluating hypotheses
Internet memes were characterised in this study as images, sayings, and videos that have gained
widespread popularity (Shifman, 2014).To ensure that the participants comprehended the true Internet
meme, we gave it away at the outset of the survey. Pre-testing was done in this study to check the
validity and reliability of the scale items. There were distributed 62 questionnaires in all, including 22
online and 40 print versions. The extracted average variance ranged from 0.51 to 0.63. Furthermore,
most composite reliability ratings were between 0.64 and 0.83, above the cutoff of 0.7 and satisfying
the criteria for convergent and discriminate validity (Fornell and Larcker, 1981).
A group of official questionnaires. The sample for the study consisted of users attracted to Internet
memes who liked, shared, commented on, and bought things after viewing Internet memes on social
networking platforms. When defining the goals of the study, the questionnaire's cover asked
participants if they had ever liked, shared, or commented after viewing an Internet meme. In order to
make sure that they understood them specifically, this question was asked. The replies that answered
"Yes" to this question were statistically examined. For its stratified sample, this study employed the
Taiwan Electronic Commerce Yearbook (2013) as a source of information. Overall, the number of
respondents were 206 out of which 45.9% of respondents were men and 54.1% were women; 20-24%
of respondents were under 20 years old, 77.2% were between the ages of 25 and 46 and above.
The second reference used in this analysis was the sample distribution developed by Chang and Chen
(2008), which has a similar stratification percentage to the Taiwan Electronic Commerce Yearbook
(2013). The ratio of responses from online surveys to paper questionnaires was 6:4. Because online
surveys have the potential to generate duplicate results, paper questionnaires were also used. Thus,
40% of the surveys were in paper form to guarantee their validity. Through several social media
platforms, the researchers disseminated the online surveys (e.g. Facebook, Instagram, Dcard or
LINE).
The surveys were retrieved after making sure that all of the respondents had responded. There were
516 questionnaires issued in all, and 405 of them had "Yes" as the response to the first question. With
a final validity rate of 67.4%, there were 206 valid questionnaires submitted. To preserve academic
objectivity and neutrality, the survey results were submitted anonymously. The document claimed that
the academic questionnaire was being completed solely for educational purposes and that no reward
would be offered if the responder did not complete it. To prevent the problem of duplicate replies,
Internet Protocol addresses in relation to the online surveys were analysed.
Science morality.
Research ethics training was provided to all researchers. The institutional review board's
recommendations were followed for conducting the pre-test, the Delphi procedure, and the
distribution of the questionnaires (IRB). The interviewees were given a detailed explanation of the
study's objectives by the researchers. All of the participants in the survey gave their free, informed
agreement to take part. To preserve the respondents' privacy, both the pre-test and the main survey
used anonymous questions. Information about respondents was kept secret. None of the respondents,
aside from the researchers, were familiar with the identities of the other experts and academics who
participated in the Delphi technique or the pertinent contact information.

Customer engagement and system quality

According to Gorla et al. (2010), a system is technically sound, bug-free, simple to acquire, customer-
friendly, knowledgeable, versatile, etc. when it is in this state. (p. 219). A different definition provided
by Jang et al. (2008) was "quick and convenient discovery of knowledge within the community." For
businesses to reap benefits like increased earnings, lower expenses, and higher process efficiency, a
well-organized and well-designed system is essential. On the other side, a weak system may be
anticipated to leave businesses exposed, result in excessive manufacturing costs, and have subpar
efficiency (Peters et al., 2016). System quality also includes customer perceptions of the system's
simplicity, responsiveness, navigability, and authenticity (Shin, 2017). When a system provides
accurate and comprehensive information, members are assured of its quality and users are impressed
by its great efficiency in displaying the necessary information (Seri c et al., 2014). Users form a
perception of a system's quality based on its first impression, which shapes their response to the brand
and influences their purchase intentions (Shin et al., 2013).
The research just discussed highlights the significance of system quality in the broader context of e-
branding. However, a crucial area of interest is the precise impact of system quality on user
behaviour. Because of this, it's critical to assess if and how much system quality influences consumer
involvement with e-brand communities. Therefore, we assumed that clients who are happy with a
system's quality and security are more inclined to use it. A high-quality system can influence a
customer's choice to buy and foster brand loyalty (McKnight et al., 2004). Furthermore, the
aforementioned section makes a compelling case for how system quality aids in achieving customer
engagement.
Internet memes' influence on a brand image:
In this study, an exploratory factor analysis for the Internet meme scale was conducted. Four
important components related to Internet memes were identified by the results. The sum of the
cumulative variance explained by these components was 70.4%, and their eigenvalues were all greater
than 1. The first set of items dealt with interactions with brand meme posts, the prestige that brands
receive on the Internet as a result of their use in memes, and the sharing of memes by brands. 7.9 was
the eigenvalue, and 43.9% of the variance was explained. The group was given the term "brand
interactions" since its constituent variables are related to the relationship between brands and
customers. The second set of data pertains to the emotional responses that Internet memes elicit in
viewers.
Based on research by Shifman (2014), the current study considered the following six aspects of
Internet meme constructions: humour, emotional intensity, ease of understanding, prestige associated
with propagation, method of distribution, mutation level, and interactivity. A scale was developed
using the Delphi method by combining the popular Internet meme structures from earlier publications.
Four variables were ultimately identified: brand interactions, high positive emotional intensity,
humour, and high spreadability. High positive emotional intensity came in second place in terms of
importance as a concept for explaining brand interactions. High spreadability was the least significant
factor, with humour coming in third. This proved that the spread of Internet memes depended on the
reputation of brands and their interaction with customers. Furthermore, among the categories
connected to brand interaction, "wanting to change and disseminate," "the brand is representative,"
and "the brand is my first choice" demonstrated that prestige was a crucial element in the spread of
Internet memes. Consumers' desire to change a meme also helps it spread on the Internet.
Additionally, the words "exciting," "interacting with others," and "reducing the sensation of
loneliness" appeared among the items for high positive emotional intensity, indicating that the
likelihood of a meme spreading is increased if it can make consumers feel more engaged and excited.
Hence, the objective of this study was to investigate how Internet memes impact brand image. This
research had the hypothesis that Internet memes would enhance brand awareness and that consumers
would become infected by the symbolic meaning of an Internet meme. The findings also showed that
humour, a high level of positive emotional intensity, brand prestige and engagement, and strong
spreadability are the four main qualities that Internet memes use to transmit. However, only including
the symbolic qualities of brand prestige, engagement, and humour was necessary to brand image;
none of the other four meme features were.
The principal scientific advances brought forth by this study are listed below. First, we discussed the
lack of consensus in the existing research about the causes of the spread of Internet memes (Brubaker
et al., 2018; Shifman, 2014). Four major groups were used in this study to classify the various meme
propagation traits discovered in earlier research: brand interaction (Brubaker et al., 2018; Daz and
Mauricio, 2013), high positive emotional intensity (Berger and Milkman, 2012; Shifman, 2014),
humour (Berger and Milkman, 2012; Shifman, 2014), and high spreadability (Daz and Mauricio,
2013; Shifman, 2014). According to this study, Internet memes require four essential components in
order to have any symbolic meaning: humour, a high level of positive emotional intensity, brand
image and engagement, and strong spreadability.
The following study further suggested that Internet memes should have four important qualities based
on their symbolic value: humour, a high level of positive emotional intensity, brand prestige and
engagement, and strong spreadability. Customers are subsequently infected with a want to
disseminate, copy, and rebuild the memes quickly on social media in accordance with their
representative meanings. Additionally, the features of Internet meme dissemination highlighted in
earlier work have mostly been related to political or public concerns (Brubaker et al., 2018). The
effectiveness of internet marketing communication has not been the subject of any scientific studies.
Therefore, by employing the Delphi approach to create a scale and then applying it to the efficiency of
online marketing messages, this study permits the empirical assessment of Internet memes.
This study illustrates the significant symbolic values that Internet memes must include to influence
customers' behaviour in reaction to perceived brand image by using both the mind infection and
symbolic value perspectives. The findings show that consumers are more likely to get mind-infected
and want to spread Internet memes when they have a greater symbolic value and stronger brand image
and interaction. The interactions between customers and the brand are improved by the memes.
Positive brand connections and brand iamge also rise (Krishnamurthy and Kumar, 2018; Jalilvand and
Samiei, 2012). Additionally, consumers spread Internet memes to project an upbeat and enjoyable
image of themselves. This is because an Internet meme has a greater entertaining symbolic value.
Additionally, consumers spread Internet memes to project an upbeat and enjoyable image of
themselves. This is because an Internet meme has a greater entertaining symbolic value. Their
favourable connections with the brand enhance its reputation (Gelb and Zinkhan, 1986). In
conclusion, this study makes the case that humour, interaction, and brand image in Internet memes are
important components of marketing communication tactics. Not all meme-related aspects, meanwhile,
directly enhance brand image. Although customers may share Internet memes due to their high
virality and strong positive emotional intensity, they may not always link the brand with these
symbolic characteristics. They therefore do not enhance brand awareness or brand image. This could
be the case because of these traits' poor brand associations and low symbolic significance. This
research offers a comprehensive analysis of the ways via which Internet meme symbolism links
customers' perceptions of a brand to its image.
Third, for academics conducting research on online marketing communication, this study shifts the
current paradigm from brand-generated and customer-passive to user-generated and customer-active.
It also makes mention of the relevance of how Internet memes have a big impact on how brands are
perceived. Internet memes also have a positive effect on how people see brands and aid in our
understanding of the stimuli that may be customised for each individual client as opposed to the
psychological aspects of brand image. Finally, in terms of managerial repercussions, this study
emphasises the necessity of building online interactive communication tools like Internet memes on
the basis of their symbolic meaning in order to infect customers' minds. This paper recommends
meme advertisers in particular to start by developing amusing, witty, and highly interactive brand
memes.
Customer engagement has an impact on customer satisfaction
Customer involvement improves service quality, competitive advantage, and client happiness in a
aggressive corporate climate (Brodie et al., 2013; Dovaliene et al., 2015). Customer engagement,
which is viewed as a cognitive state generated via interactive encounters with specific services, is a
crucial component of the success of social commerce (Prentice et al., 2019). Various fields have lately
introduced the idea of involvement. Many academics emphasise its important influence on the
development of solid and enduring consumer connections with various brands and businesses from a
marketing standpoint (Hur et al., 2011; Zhang et al., 2017). A positive cognitive state brought on by a
positive connection with an organisation may be used to define customer engagement with that
company (Pansari and Kumar, 2017; Van Doorn et al., 2010). However, it truly relies heavily on
people interacting and working together to create communities where members may share thoughts
and assist other participants in meeting their requirements (Sashi, 2012). Customer engagement
maintains and fulfils connections not only between consumers and enterprises but also between
customers, which makes it a very productive factor in the sphere of social commerce (Jaakkola and
Alexander, 2014).
After using a product or service, people's feedback—either sensory or emotional—shows if they were
satisfied with the experience. Customer happiness is intimately tied to a person's buying experience or
interactions with a certain brand community (Murphy et al., 2011). Customer happiness is one of the
elements that involvement directly affects during the value co-creation process. The concept of
customer engagement has been utilised by several researches to assess its impacts on satisfaction,
loyalty, trust, and the strength of the consumer-brand connection (Banyte and Dovaliene, 2014). For
instance, the findings of the study by So et al. (2016) in the context of tourist services showed that
consumers' levels of engagement with a company's operations boosted their happiness and that this
contributed to increasing utilisation of the services and client loyalty.
Customer satisfaction's impact on referral
Additionally, customer pleasure precedes referrals (De Matos and Rossi 2008; Getty and Thompson,
1995; Zeithaml et al., 1996). When determining whether to purchase a product or service, buyers
usually ask others for recommendations (Punj and Staelin 1983). If happy consumers refer a business
to their friends, family, and associates, it may spread like wildfire (Reichheld, 2004). Similar to
advice, sharing a customer's consuming experience with friends and family is a common practise. The
impact of recommendations on purchasing behaviour has not gotten enough attention, despite the fact
that customer satisfaction has been actively investigated in an online service scenario.
Online marketing strategies must take into account the specific aspects that influence consumer
satisfaction resulting from an interaction with an online service and how they effect recommendations
of the relevant brand, product, or service. The traditional reliance on customer happiness as a sole
indicator of success ignores how customers might influence other people's purchasing decisions in
addition to their own future purchases (Xu et al., 2015). A customer referral may have an effect on
other customers' buying decisions.
Customer satisfaction has a considerable positive impact on the recommendation of a good or service,
which affects potential buyers' behaviour, according to prior research (Keiningham et al., 2007).
Customer satisfaction was specifically proven by Zhu et al. (2016) to be a major cognitive variable for
gauging the advice to utilise e-brand communities. As a result, client referrals can aid in the success of
various businesses. Not only does customer feedback influence how products and services are
promoted, but it also establishes standards for how well services are provided and how new products
should be developed. In order to address general consumer concerns and give workable solutions that
empower customers to suggest, a solid engagement with e-brand communities serves as a supportive
mechanism.
Discussion
Social networking sites have had a significant impact on how customers and businesses communicate
globally. (2016). Islam and Rahman Consumer satisfaction also revealed a strong influence on brand
loyalty and recommendation, and both system quality and information quality had a major impact on
customer engagement. Thus, by developing and empirically testing a novel framework for attracting
customers on Facebook e-brand communities, and at the same time taking into account the mediating
role of customer engagement and customer satisfaction on the positive outcomes of these
communities, the analysis presented here adds to the literature on customer engagement. The findings
of this study are in line with other studies on consumer one-brand communities. In line with the
findings of Wirtz et al. (2013) and Zheng et al. (2013), who both came to the same conclusion that
high information quality related to various brands in online communities helped users to develop a
better understanding of the product/service and generated a number of positive effects for customers,
we discovered that information quality had a positive impact on customer engagement in e-brand
communities. The discovery that the system quality of e-brand communities has a significant impact
on customer engagement is another significant finding of the current study. This finding supports our
hypothesis and is consistent with studies by Barreda et al. (2015) and Berbegal-Mirabent et al. (2016),
both of which suggested that improved system quality could increase customer engagement. The
discovery that the system quality of e-brand communities has a significant impact on customer
engagement is another significant finding of the current study. This finding supports our hypothesis
and is consistent with studies by Barreda et al. (2015) and Berbegal-Mirabent et al. (2016), both of
which suggested that improved system quality increases the likelihood of a positive first impression of
a product as the user responds to their recognition of the visual components of the brand.
We may thus anticipate that information quality and system quality will be used as essential tools for
consumer interaction and as the foundation for building a favourable reputation of and among an e-
brand community. According to studies by Brodie et al. (2013) and Jaakkola and Alexander (2014),
client interaction significantly improved customer satisfaction. Our findings are consistent with theirs,
and we also add the revelation that customer involvement served as a partial mediating factor between
service quality, information quality, and customer happiness.
These findings imply that in order to attract customers and improve the e-reputation, brand's e-brand
communities should strive to be stronger, more genuine, and more inventive. We also discovered, in
accordance with other studies (Baier and Stuber, 2010; Popp and Woratschek, 2017), that employing
e-brand communities had a favourable influence on consumer satisfaction on loyalty and
recommendation. It is also important to highlight that customer satisfaction acted as a mediator on the
relationship between customer engagement, loyalty, and referral.
These results suggest that customers who are more satisfied are more likely to participate more in e-
brand communities and adopt the behavioural intentions of brand loyalty and referral, both of which
are known to be factors in purchasing goods and services from e-brand communities. Social media
marketers must prioritise customer expectations in this regard to boost engagement in online
communities. This will undoubtedly serve as a potential catalyst for achieving brand loyalty and
customer endorsements of the goods and services offered by e-brand communities, as well as boosting
the stability of online businesses in terms of generating revenues and gaining a competitive advantage
in addition to conventional marketing efforts.
Limitations and future research:
This study is subject to a number of restrictions. Online public involvement and Internet memes have
been linked, according to Brubaker et al. (2018). Public participation is outside the purview of this
study, yet internet users do encourage participation. According to this study, academics should
investigate the potential link between consumer engagement and Internet memes further. The study
also ignores other potential mediating or moderating factors in favour of concentrating solely on
Internet memes and brand image. In order to reinforce the mechanism of consumer cognition, we
advise further research to see whether there are any more impacting elements. This study hasn't yet
looked at how various forms of marketers' creations for Internet memes would effect brand image.
Additional study may provide more light on how marketers' traits affect their performance.
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Further reading
Peres, R., Muller, E. and Mahajan, V. (2010), “Innovation diffusion and new product growth models:
a critical review and research directions”, International Journal of Research in Marketing, Vol. 27 No.
2, pp. 91-106.