BRAND LOVE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS - THE UNIVERSITY OF DANANG: INSIGHT FROM THE COMBINATION OF MEDIA RICHNESS THEORY AND SOCIAL PRESENCE THEORY

Abstract

Based on Media richness theory and Social Presence theory, this study explores the impacts of pre-recorded video characteristics on social presence and brand trust and then exerts brand love of University of Economics - The University of Danang. Using PLS-SEM on a sample of students and parents, the findings reveal that interactivity, entertainment, and professionalism significantly enhance social presence, while visualization shows no significant effect. Both entertainment and professionalism directly influence brand trust. Furthermore, social presence positively affects brand trust, which in turn strongly drives brand love of the University of Economics. The research was conducted in the educational service sector, providing new insights into how social viewing mechanism influences consumer-brand relationships, especially in developing country contexts. The results offer practical implications for educational service providers in general and for the University of Economics in particularly in designing content that fosters interactivity, entertainment, and professionalism to strengthen viewers’ trust and emotional attachment to the brand. Limitations and directions for future research are also discussed.