Social Media Marketing and Automotive Brand Equity: The Mediating Effects of Brand Experience and Self-Congruity

Abstract

This study aims to examine the impact of social media marketing (SMM) on consumer-based brand equity within the automobile sector in Vietnam, focusing on the mediating effects of brand experience and self-congruity. The quantitative method and PLS-SEM model are used in research to test the relationship between factors, with data collected from 487 relevant responses provided by car owners on social media platforms and analyzed via SmartPLS 3.0 software. The results indicate that social media marketing positively influences both brand experience and self-congruity, thus enhancing brand equity in terms of brand awareness and brand image. Research supplements marketing and brand management theories by identifying the characteristics of SMM as useful ways of providing a favorable brand experience and creating a strong sense of alignment between the customer and the brand that reinforces brand equity. In practical terms, these findings help automotive marketers improve their online marketing strategies more effectively.