View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.

uk brought to you by CORE

provided by Walden University

Walden University
ScholarWorks
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Collection

2019

Small Business Owners' Consumer Brand

Engagement Strategies in Social Media
Adam M. Hunsicker
Walden University

Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations

Part of the Business Commons

This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection at ScholarWorks. It has been
accepted for inclusion in Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks. For more information, please
contact ScholarWorks@waldenu.edu.
 Walden University

College of Management and Technology

This is to certify that the doctoral study by

Adam M. Hunsicker

has been found to be complete and satisfactory in all respects,

and that any and all revisions required by
the review committee have been made.

Review Committee
Dr. Timothy Malone, Committee Chairperson, Doctor of Business Administration
Faculty

Dr. John Bryan, Committee Member, Doctor of Business Administration Faculty

Dr. Robert Banasik, University Reviewer, Doctor of Business Administration Faculty

The Office of the Provost

Walden University
2019
 Abstract

Small Business Owners’ Consumer Brand Engagement Strategies in Social Media

by

Adam M. Hunsicker

MBA, The Citadel: The Military College of South Carolina, 2012

BS, Franklin University, 2008

Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree of

Doctor of Business Administration

Walden University

August 2019
 Abstract

Since 2004, the economic relevance of small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the

United States has steadily declined while large-scale enterprises’ contributions have

increased. Large-scale enterprises have maximized opportunities to engage consumers

through social media and have created competitive advantages compared to SMEs. The

purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the social media consumer brand

engagement strategies leaders of SMEs used to positively affect their brands’ equity.

Relationship marketing and customer relationship management provided the conceptual

framework for the study. Data were collected through interviews with 8 craft brewery

business owners in the Southeastern United States and content collected from the social

media pages of each business. Data were analyzed using within-case and cross-case

techniques. Themes that emerged from data analysis included the cost-benefit of social

media over traditional marketing platforms, the significance of establishing and

maintaining relationships, and the importance of constant and continuous contact with

customers. SME leaders may benefit from the results of this study by furthering their

knowledge and understanding of social media consumer engagement strategies that

positively impact brand equity. Findings may provide owners of small businesses with

strategies that may result in social and economic benefits including new employment

opportunities, increased revenue, and economic stability in local communities.

Small Business Owners’ Consumer Brand Engagement Strategies in Social Media

by

Adam M. Hunsicker

MBA, The Citadel: The Military College of South Carolina, 2012

BS, Franklin University, 2008

Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree of

Doctor of Business Administration

Walden University

August 2019
 Dedication

I dedicate this study to my wife, Amy, and my children, Skylar, Noah, and Ayden.

They each provided me with support and encouragement in their individual ways

throughout my doctoral journey. They understood and forgave my absences from recitals,

games, and countless other events so I could complete my study.

 Acknowledgments

I am forever indebted to those who assisted and supported me along the way to

successful completion. First, I would like to thank all those in the military whom I had

the privilege to serve under and alongside and who taught me about discipline, fortitude,

and duty. Without these traits, I would not have accomplished this goal. To Dr. Timothy

Malone and Dr. Kim Critchlow, thank you for your leadership and direction over the

journey of this study. Each gave me the support, guidance, and direction as my

committee members to become an independent scholar and complete this study. Thank

you each as well for your knowledge sharing and reviews that reinforced the standards

and excellence expected in the pursuit of a doctoral degree.

 Table of Contents

List of Tables ..................................................................................................................... iv

Section 1: Foundation of the Study......................................................................................1

Background of the Problem ...........................................................................................1

Problem Statement .........................................................................................................2

Purpose Statement ..........................................................................................................3

Nature of the Study ........................................................................................................3

Research Question .........................................................................................................5

Interview Questions .......................................................................................................6

Conceptual Framework ..................................................................................................6

Operational Definitions ..................................................................................................7

Assumptions, Limitations, and Delimitations................................................................9

Assumptions............................................................................................................ 9

Limitations ............................................................................................................ 10

Delimitations ......................................................................................................... 10

Significance of the Study .............................................................................................11

Contribution to Business Practice ......................................................................... 11

Implications for Social Change ............................................................................. 12

A Review of the Professional and Academic Literature ..............................................12

Literature Review Opening Narrative ................................................................... 13

Application to the Applied Business Problem ...................................................... 14

i
 Transition .....................................................................................................................43

Section 2: The Project ........................................................................................................45

Purpose Statement ........................................................................................................45

Role of the Researcher .................................................................................................46

Participants ...................................................................................................................47

Research Method and Design ......................................................................................49

Research Method .................................................................................................. 49

Research Design.................................................................................................... 50

Population and Sampling .............................................................................................52

Ethical Research...........................................................................................................54

Data Collection Instruments ........................................................................................56

Data Collection Technique ..........................................................................................58

Data Organization Technique ......................................................................................60

Data Analysis ...............................................................................................................62

Reliability and Validity ................................................................................................64

Reliability.............................................................................................................. 65

Validity ................................................................................................................. 65

Transition and Summary ..............................................................................................69

Section 3: Application to Professional Practice and Implications for Change ..................70

Introduction ..................................................................................................................70

Presentation of the Findings.........................................................................................70

ii
 Theme 1: Economical Strategy ............................................................................. 72

Theme 2: Relationship Strategy ............................................................................ 74

Theme 3: Constant and Continuous Contact Strategy .......................................... 78

Applications to Professional Practice ..........................................................................81

Implications for Social Change ....................................................................................82

Recommendations for Action ......................................................................................83

Recommendations for Further Research ......................................................................83

Reflections ...................................................................................................................84

Conclusion ...................................................................................................................85

References ..........................................................................................................................87

Appendix A: Reference Counts and Percentages ............................................................114

Appendix B: Interview Protocol ......................................................................................115

Appendix C: Interview Questions ....................................................................................118

iii
 List of Tables

Table 1. Emergent Themes .……….…………………………………………………… 71

iv
 1

Section 1: Foundation of the Study

Most businesses in the United States (99.7%) meet the small-to-medium

enterprise (SME) definition established by the U.S. Small Business Administration Office

of Advocacy (U.S. Small Business Administration, 2016a). According to the U.S. Small

Business Administration (2016a), since 2004, SMEs’ contribution to the labor force and

gross domestic product of the United States has steadily declined while large-scale

enterprises’ (LSEs’) contributions have increased. Calli and Clark (2015) stated that

LSEs’ successful adoption of social media engagement strategies had provided

competitive advantages for LSEs over SMEs, resulting in increased brand equity. SME

leaders, however, may reap the same competitive and brand equity benefits as their LSE

counterparts if they can develop and implement successful social media consumer brand

engagement strategies (He, Wang, & Zha, 2014). It is, therefore, imperative to explore

and understand what social media strategies SME leaders implement to engage

consumers and positively impact brand equity. In this study, I explored the social media

consumer brand engagement strategies that leaders of SMEs in the craft beer industry

used to positively affect their brands’ equity.

Background of the Problem

The ability of SME leaders to compete in a global marketplace is full of

challenges. Economic and social constraints limit the opportunities for SMEs to

successfully increase their brand equity and obtain competitive advantages over LSEs

(Calli & Clark, 2015). The success of SMEs may depend on the ability of the business
 2

leaders to increase the equity in their brand through relational exchanges. Transferring

organizational marketing strategies from a transactional to a relational basis may enable

firms to focus resources on the value that long-lasting relationships provide. Yoganathan,

Jebarajakirthy, and Thaichon (2015) established that relationships and long-term bonds

increase consumer loyalty and enhance brand equity.

Social media provides a vehicle by which SME leaders engage consumers and

create relationships at little to no cost (He et al., 2014) resulting in increased brand equity

(Calli & Clark, 2015). Successful social media engagement strategies are a result of

frequently refreshed and effective communication (He et al., 2014) that transforms the

consumer into an active participant in the brand communication strategy of the firm

(Choudhury & Harrigan, 2014). Despite the significant impacts that social media may

have on the performance of the brand, some business leaders do not understand the full

potential impact of social media and social media marketing strategies on the brand

(Kohli, Suri, & Kapoor, 2015).

Problem Statement

The dramatic growth and evolution of social media are disrupting traditional

methodologies of engagement and brand management (Kohli et al., 2015). Globally, 1

out of every 5 individuals actively used social media in 2014 (Meshi, Tamir, & Heekeren,

2015); within the United States, 61% of adults used social media (Lin, Lee, Jin, &

Gilbreath, 2017). The general business problem was that small business owners have

insufficient social media marketing strategies to remain competitive and grow their
 3

brands. The specific business problem was that some leaders of SMEs lack the social

media consumer brand engagement strategies required to positively affect their brands’

equity.

Purpose Statement

The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the social media consumer

brand engagement strategies leaders of SMEs use to positively affect their brands’ equity.

Relationship marketing and customer relationship management provided the conceptual

framework for the study. The participant population consisted of eight craft brewery

business leaders located in the Southeastern United States who have demonstrated their

experience in developing and deploying strategies that positively affect their brands’

equity. The implications for positive social change include the potential for this study to

provide strategies to small business owners that may result in economic growth including

new employment opportunities, increased revenues, and economic stability within their

local communities.

Nature of the Study

I considered the use of three research methodologies in the study: qualitative,

quantitative, and mixed methods. Researchers who use a qualitative methodology attempt

to provide an understanding of a phenomenon through findings extrapolated from the

real-world experiences and perceptions of participants (Yilmaz, 2013). A qualitative

researcher relies on previously vetted theory to shape the research design (Wright,

O’Brien, Nimmon, Law, & Mylopoulos, 2016). Because I was exploring what social
 4

media consumer brand engagement strategies positively affect brand equity through the

individual experiences and perceptions of SME leaders, qualitative methodology was

appropriate. Researchers who use quantitative methodology examine, measure, and

analyze relationships independently of individual experiences and perceptions (Hlady-

Rispal & Jouison-Laffitte, 2014). Wright et al. (2016) indicated that researchers using

quantitative methodology intend to examine a phenomenon by testing variables. To

answer the research question in this study, individual experiences and perceptions were

vital to the development of knowledge surrounding what strategies business leaders use.

Quantitative methods were not appropriate for this study because the methodologies

focus on relationships between defined variables. Researchers who use a mixed-methods

approach focus on both exploration and examination by combining qualitative and

quantitative measures within the same study (Vankatesh, Brown, & Bala, 2013).

Furthermore, researches using mixed methods rely on each method to fill in the gaps of

the other method. As with the quantitative methods, a mixed-methods approach was not

appropriate for this study because the research question did not suggest a need to define

and test variables.

In selecting the appropriate research design, I considered the qualitative research

designs of the case study, narrative inquiry, and phenomenology before choosing a case

study design. The case study researcher seeks to explain, describe, or explore (Crowe et

al., 2011) a phenomenon through the use of multiple lenses (De Massis & Kotlar, 2014).

Researchers employing case study designs intend to answer how, what, and why
 5

questions (Crowe et al., 2011). I chose a multiple case study design as the best fit for this

study because I was seeking to answer a what research question using multiple sources of

data. A case study enabled me to differentiate among the occurrences of participant

experiences (see Yin, 2014) regarding social media consumer brand engagement

strategies that positively affect brand equity. Researchers using a narrative inquiry design

explore the phenomenon through the interpretation of stories told by the participants in

the study (Wang & Geale, 2015). Wang and Geale (2015) added that through participant

stories, a narrative inquiry provides a researcher with subjective interpretations of

participant experiences. A narrative inquiry design did not support the objective of the

current study and was therefore not suitable. A researcher using a phenomenological

design seeks to obtain experiential meanings of a phenomenon through the exploration of

participants’ lived experiences (Quay, 2016). Researchers who use a phenomenological

design are interested in understanding how subjective interpretations shape the decisions

and actions of the individuals (Honer & Hitzler, 2015). A phenomenological design does

not require other data collection methods to validate participants’ perceptions and the

effectiveness of participants’ decisions, rendering the phenomenological design

inappropriate for this study.

Research Question

What social media engagement strategies do SME leaders use to positively affect

their brands’ equity?

 6

Interview Questions

1. What social media platform do you use to engage consumers and positively

affect your brand’s equity?

2. What consumer brand strategies have you implemented on each social media

site to positively affect your brand’s equity?

3. How did you address the barriers to implementing your social media

consumer brand strategies for positively affecting your brand’s equity?

4. How do you measure your social media consumer brand engagement

strategies’ effectiveness?

5. What strategies do you employ to affect your brand’s image on social media

platforms positively?

6. What strategies have you implemented to affect brand quality issues on social

media platforms?

7. How have you used social media platforms to increase customer loyalty?

8. What other information regarding your consumer brand engagement strategies

through social media would you like to share?

Conceptual Framework

Knapp (2017) stated that the conceptual framework details the main ideas,

concepts, and relationships within a study that guide the research design, methods of

inquiry, and empirical examination. The conceptual framework I chose for this study was

the relationship marketing theory. Berry (2008) introduced the relationship marketing
 7

theory in 1983, and the later works of various scholars advanced the theory (Gronroos,

1996; Morgan & Hunt, 1994; Sheth, Gardner, & Garrett, 1988; Sheth & Parvatiyar,

1995). Sheth et al. (1988) proposed various relationship marketing definitions and

explanations for the organizational shift from transactional exchanges to relational

exchanges. The primary tenets of relationship marketing proposed by Agariya and Singh

(2011) are (a) trust, (b) satisfaction, (c) loyalty, (d) commitment, (e) quality, and (f)

communication.

In support of the relationship marketing theory, I referenced the customer

relationship management (CRM) theory for my review of my study’s results. CRM

expanded the relationship marketing theory through a focus on creating relationships that

benefit both the firm and customer (Yoganathan et al., 2015) through engagement and

two-way communication (Choudhury & Harrigan, 2014). Kumar (2014) stated that CRM

is intended to increase customer retention through enhancing and managing customer

relationships. Business leaders and marketers implementing CRM strategies transferred

their focus from independent transactional exchanges to customer loyalty driven

exchanges resulting in repeat purchases and cross-selling opportunities (Iruka & Ateke,

2014).

Operational Definitions

Brand awareness: Brand awareness is a term associated with consumer

recognition of the unique qualities and images of a brand (Barreda, Bilgihan, Nusair, &

Okumus, 2015).
 8

Brand equity: Brand equity is a reference to the assets and liabilities that result

from the value provided to consumers from a brand, the brand name, or brand symbol

(Aaker, 1991) and derived from the constructs of brand loyalty, brand image, perceived

brand quality, and brand awareness (Aaker, 1991; Keller, 1993).

Brand image: Brand image refers to the benefits associated with the brand that

make the brand clear, distinct, and different in the mind of the consumer (Keller, 2013).

Brand loyalty: The repeat buying behaviors and favorable associations resulting

from consumers’ positive attitudes toward the brand is known as brand loyalty

(Yoganathan et al., 2015).

Consumer brand engagement: Consumer brand engagement denotes the dynamic

actions and processes between the consumer and the brand resulting in interactions that

generate value (Brodie, Ilic, Juric, & Hollebeek, 2013).

Customer relationship management (CRM): CRM is an organizational leadership

strategy derived from the principles of relationship marketing that emphasizes increasing

customer value and service quality through the establishment of long-term relationships

(Soltani & Navimipour, 2016).

Perceived brand quality: The brand equity construct of perceived brand equity

indicates a consumer’s subjective perception of a product’s superiority over other brands

(Vera, 2015).
 9

Relationship marketing: Relationship marketing is a reference to the

establishment, development, and maintenance of exchanges established from the transfer

of value between involved parties (Morgan & Hunt, 1994).

Small-to-medium enterprise (SME): In the United States, the SME classification

of a firm is dependent on industry and metrics including either employee count or

revenue or both as the criteria (U.S. Small Business Administration, 2016a). The Office

of Advocacy, U.S. Small Business Administration, generally defined SMEs as having

fewer than 500 employees (U.S. Small Business Administration, 2016a).

Social media: Social media are the online technologies that facilitate participation,

sharing, interaction, and corroboration among users (He et al., 2014).

Assumptions, Limitations, and Delimitations

Assumptions

This study included several assumptions about the craft beer industry and the

study participants. Assumptions are the researcher’s subjective experiences and

perceptions embedded throughout the study that influence data generation and analysis

(Roulston & Shelton, 2015). One assumption I made was that a qualitative multiple case

study design was the most appropriate methodology to answer the research question. I

also assumed that all participants in the study understood the interview questions and

provided honest and accurate answers related to social media use, customer engagement,

and brand equity results. Also, I assumed that the content I collected from the social

media pages of each SME was unedited and complete.

 10

Limitations

Limitations represent the shortcomings in the research that may hinder the

validity of the results (Brutus, Aguinis, & Wassmer, 2012). One limitation of this study

was the dependence on eight craft breweries for the data collection that may not have

been indicative of all SMEs in the Southeastern United States. Other SME leaders in

different industries may have different consumer engagement strategies that would

change the results. A second limitation was the inability to meet and conduct the

semistructured interviews in person. I conducted all interviews over the phone, narrowing

my findings to only the spoken words of the participants.

Delimitations

Delimitations are the conditions that constrain the scope of the study (Bloomberg

& Volpe, 2012). In this study, I interviewed leaders of craft beer organizations and

focused on the strategic use of social media to engage consumers and increase brand

equity. The delimiting factors were the location, sample population, and individual

participation criteria. I only considered companies that brew beer in the Southeastern

United States. Participants had to have an active social media presence, an additional

delimiting factor. Another delimitation was business leaders who have demonstrated

experience in developing and deploying strategies that positively affect their brands’

equity.
 11

Significance of the Study

Firm leaders acknowledge social media as one of the most powerful platforms to

use in engaging customers and forging meaningful and enduring relationships (Tsimonis

& Dimitriadis, 2014). Leckie, Nyadzayo, and Johnson (2016) indicated that there are

numerous business benefits in forging meaningful relationships between the consumer

and the brand. Therefore, conducting this study could be significant to the practice of

business by providing a greater understanding of the value of interaction, cooperation,

and collaboration with customers, and may create an opportunity to positively affect their

brands’ equity (see De Vries & Carlson, 2014).

Contribution to Business Practice

My findings may contribute to the effective practice of business through the

exploration of successful strategies SME leaders use to engage consumers through social

media. SME leaders may benefit from improved policies and procedures to more

effectively implement social media engagement strategies. SME leaders’ abilities to

effectively use social media may result in improved content sharing, conversation with

customers, accessibility, ability to obtain customer identities, firm and brand reputation,

relationships with customers, and group associations (Kietzmann, Hermkens, McCarthy,

& Silvestre, 2011). Calli and Clark (2015) suggested that SME leaders who successfully

employed social media consumer brand engagement strategies could create business

opportunities to lower costs by directly engaging consumers more efficiently.

Additionally, SME leaders who implement social media consumer brand engagement
 12

strategies successfully may be able to obtain market data needed for expanding into new

and global markets (Calli & Clark, 2015).

Implications for Social Change

The implications for positive social change include the potential to positively

affect communities through new employment opportunities, increased revenues,

economic stability, and improved living conditions. SMEs are a vital component to the

economic stability of a community. Furthermore, SMEs’ ability to increase brand equity

may provide the needed resources within the community to reduce poverty (Ribeiro-

Soriano, 2017). The findings of the study may also provide consumers with improved

information and content that may assist them in understanding and shaping organizational

offerings towards the needs of the community.

A Review of the Professional and Academic Literature

The literature review is an exhaustive synthesis and critical analysis of literature

relevant to the conceptual framework and research question. The literature review

includes two sections: (a) an opening narrative section and (b) an application to applied

business problem section. The literature review opening narrative contains a brief

discussion of the content of the literature review, the organization of the review, an

explanation of the strategy for searching the literature, and statistical measures about the

literature reviewed. The application to the applied business problem section begins with a

restatement of the business problem and with a critical analysis of the conceptual

framework and topics relevant to the research question.

 13

Literature Review Opening Narrative

In this study, I explored what social media consumer brand engagement strategies

leaders of SMEs in the craft beer industry use to affect brand equity positively. The

foundation of this literature review was the relationship marketing theory, the conceptual

framework used to guide the exploration of social media consumer brand engagement

strategies and the impact of those strategies on brand equity. Consumer brand

engagement exists in the dynamic actions and processes between the consumer and the

brand (Brodie et al., 2013) that originated within the relationship marketing constructs

(Wirtz et al., 2013) of trust, commitment, satisfaction, loyalty, quality, and

communication. Social media has become the predominant platform used by

organizational leaders to engage consumers (Harrigan & Miles, 2014), displacing

traditional engagement strategies due to the dynamic capabilities of the platform. Calli

and Clark (2015) stated that social media provides a low-cost means for SME leaders to

engage consumers and increase brand equity. A lack of understanding and the inability to

maximize the potential afforded by social media to engage consumers may lead to the

continued demise of SME influence on the U.S. economy.

The literature reviewed for this study included peer-reviewed and scholarly

journal articles, dissertations, seminal works, books, and other published studies. Most of

the articles were peer reviewed and published after 2015. More than 60 different peer-

reviewed sources supplied the articles in this literature review. The summary table in

Appendix A depicts the number of references included in the literature review, the peer-
 14

reviewed quantity, the quantity published between 2015 and 2019, and correlating

percentages. Appendix A includes the same summary data for the entire study, in

addition to the literature review.

As a strategy for locating articles, I conducted searches on Google Scholar, the

Walden University Library, Business Source Complete (EBSCO), Science Direct, and

Emerald Insight. I obtained most of the peer-reviewed articles included in this literature

review from the Business Source Complete database. The search terms used to find and

locate articles were relationship marketing, consumer relationship management,

consumer relationship marketing, social media, social media marketing, brand, brand

equity, brand loyalty, brand image, perceived brand quality, brand awareness, small-to-

medium enterprise (SME), and consumer engagement.

Application to the Applied Business Problem

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore what social media

consumer brand engagement strategies leaders of SMEs in the craft beer industry use to

positively affect their brands’ equity. Economic and social constraints limit the

opportunities for SMEs to successfully increase their brand equity and obtain competitive

advantages over LSEs (Calli & Clark, 2015). Social media provide a low-cost

opportunity for SME leaders to increase their competitiveness through the establishment

of relational exchanges (Yoganathan et al., 2015). Transferring organizational marketing

strategies from a transactional basis to a relational basis may enable a firm to focus

resources on the value that long-lasting relationships provide. Yoganathan et al. (2015)
 15

established that relationships and long-term bonds increased consumer loyalty and

enhanced brand equity. The purpose of this literature review was to gain knowledge and

provide an understanding of the topics relevant to the research question posited in this

study through critical analysis and synthesis of credible sources.

Relationship marketing. Relationship marketing is a dynamic strategy aimed at

building valuable long-term relationships with customers. Relationship marketing

emphasizes the value in customer retention over customer acquisition, and the benefit

long-lasting relationships created over traditional advertising and sales promotions

(Kumar, 2014). In traditional marketing, engagement with consumers emphasizes the

functional features of products to influence purchase decisions (Cleff, Lin, & Walter,

2014) and is a unilateral exercise (Brown, Crosno, & Tong, 2019).

The relationship marketing theory emerged as researchers began to analyze the

dynamic nature of the firm and customer relationship (J. Zhang, Watson, Palmatier, &

Dant, 2016). First introduced in 1983, Berry (2008) defined relationship marketing as a

firm’s strategy to attract, develop, maintain, and enhance customer relationships. Morgan

and Hunt (1994) later referred to relationship marketing as the activities that foster

successful relational exchanges. Sheth and Parvatiyar (1995) added that relationship

marketing is the involvement and integration of all business partners into the firm’s

development and marketing strategies. Al-Weshah, Alnsour, Al-Hyari, Alhammad, and

Algharabat (2013) emphasized the importance of consistent and continuous contact with

customers in maintaining long-term relationships.

 16

The underpinning theories used by researchers to support the relationship

marketing theory vary based on industry and application. Morgan and Hunt (1994)

argued that the commitment-trust theory supported the creation and growth of successful

relationships. Agariya and Singh (2011) stated that the social exchange theory, social

penetration theory, attraction theory, and equity theory are the building blocks of

establishing and maintaining long-term relationships. Yoganathan et al. (2015) suggested

that the social exchange theory assisted in understanding the linkages present in

relationship marketing. Despite the multiple supporting theories, researchers reiterated

the importance of long-term relationship building between a firm and its customers.

The purpose of the relationship marketing theory is to provide a scientific

understanding of the paradigm shift from transactional to relational exchanges in business

and marketing (Jones, Ranaweera, Murray, & Bansal, 2018). Gronroos (1996) stated that

relationship marketing intends to identify, establish, maintain, and enhance customer

relationships through relational exchanges that fulfill the promises made between parties.

Consumers enter relational exchanges with firms when the belief is present that the

benefits outweigh the costs and the firm provides the consumer with products that meet

consumer preferences (Hunt, Arnett, & Madhavaram, 2006). Yoganathan et al. (2015)

posited that the establishment of mutually beneficial long-term relationships is the core

tenet of relationship marketing. Mutually beneficial relationships result when the

customer and brand share common values and goals (Yoganathan et al., 2015) and are
 17

created through dynamic and evolving relational exchanges (Palmatier, Houston, Dant, &

Grewal, 2013).

Researchers identified many constructs and factors that influence successful

relationships and exchanges (Hunt et al., 2006) resulting from the vast array of

definitions and supporting theory. Central to the relationship marketing framework,

regardless of definition or underlying theory, are the constructs of trust and commitment

(Brown et al., 2019). Agariya and Singh (2011) added to trust and commitment the

constructs of satisfaction, communication, and quality as constructs in the relationship

building process between the firm and the consumer. Vieira, Winklhofer, and Ennew

(2014) suggested that trust, commitment, and satisfaction were first-order constructs in

relationship marketing and antecedents of relationship quality. The interactions between

the constructs of trust, commitment, satisfaction, and communication are vital to increase

firm performance and brand equity (Vieira et al., 2014).

The first construct of relationship marketing is trust. Trust has been the most cited

construct in the study of relational exchanges (J. Zhang et al., 2016) with over 167

references in relationship marketing literature studied from 1992 to 2002 (Agariya &

Singh, 2011). Trust is key to the development of an enduring and intimate relationship

between the consumer and the brand (Sashi, 2012) and is a predictor of firm performance

(J. Zhang et al., 2016). Palmatier et al. (2013) suggested that trust acts as a governance

mechanism between members in the relational exchange. Trust is a result of the integrity

and reliability of one member bringing about confidence in the other member (Morgan &
 18

Hunt, 1994). Trust is the belief that each member of the relationship makes and keeps

promises to perform their respective obligations (Vyas & Raitani, 2015). Trust is a result

of the consumer’s belief in the performance and reliability of a brand against expectations

and is a mediator of uncertainty and risk for the consumer (Bianchi, 2015).

Customer commitment is the second construct of relationship marketing. Sashi

(2012) suggested that trust is not enough to transform a transactional exchange into a

long-term relationship and that customer commitment is a critical construct in the

process. Customer commitment refers to the dedication of each member to focus on the

value of long-term relationships over a discrete exchange (J. Zhang et al., 2016).

Customer commitment is a result of the self-focused dimensions that occur throughout

the relational exchange (J. Zhang et al., 2016). Additionally, Vieira et al. (2014) stated

that commitment is a result of the customer’s perception of the quality of the relationship.

The third common construct of relationship marketing is satisfaction. Vyas and

Raitani (2015) stated that satisfaction is the consumer’s subjective evaluation and

judgment of the brand. Prior consumer experiences with the brand and the resulting

emotions stemming from those experiences drive consumer satisfaction (K. Zhang,

Benyoucef, & Zhao, 2016). Vieira et al. (2014) indicated that consumer confidence in the

brand further impacts the level of satisfaction. Therefore, each involved party’s

willingness to establish and share common goals may enhance satisfaction (Vieira et al.,

2014).
 19

The communication construct is the fourth common construct of relationship

marketing. The communication construct refers to the rate of distribution and quality of

information passed between the consumer and the firm (J. Zhang et al., 2016). Effective

communication enables firms to leverage consumer information and create products that

meet user expectations in a timely and cost-efficient manner (Palmatier, Dant, Grewal, &

Evans, 2006). Communication also ensures that the establishment of shared goals, values,

and norms occurs between members in the relationship (J. Zhang et al., 2014).

Furthermore, communication between the consumer and the brand facilitates the ability

to resolve problems and discover future opportunities that are mutually valuable

(Palmatier et al., 2006).

The final construct of relationship marketing is relationship quality. Vieira et al.

(2014) referred to relationship quality as a higher-order construct derived from the

consumer’s trust, commitment, and satisfaction with the brand. Relationship quality is the

result of the fit of the relationship in fulfilling the wants, needs, and desires of the

consumer that ultimately shapes brand perceptions and impressions (Vyas & Raitani,

2015). Relationship quality serves as an antecedent to customer brand loyalty (Petzer &

van Tonder, 2019) and the customer’s perceived value of the brand (Casidy & Nyadzayo,

2019).

Scholarly inquiry into the benefits of relationship marketing yielded both

consumer and corporate results (Hunt et al., 2006). Yoganathan et al. (2015) suggested

that relationship marketing may enhance brand equity through the creation of consumer
 20

loyalty, which derives from long-term bonds created between the customer and the brand.

The benefits for each party vary depending on the strength and nature of the relationship

(Hunt et al., 2006). Customer benefits include confidence benefits, social benefits, and

special treatment benefits that result from the evolution of the relationship over time

(Ruiz-Molina, Gil-Saura, & Moliner-Velazquez, 2015). These customer-focused benefits

include assumptions regarding future interactions, endorsements, satisfaction, and loyalty

(Vieira et al., 2014). Firm benefits are vast and reach across various business functions.

Sheth and Parvatiyar (1995) stated that relationship marketing enhances the effectiveness

and efficiency of marketing, resulting in improved productivity. Hunt et al. (2006)

concluded that the benefits of relationship marketing include competitive advantages and

improved financial performance for the firm. Chia-Jen (2013) stated that the resulting

benefits of a successful relationship marketing strategy are the firm’s ability to advance

the market continuously. Al-alak (2014) noted that additional firm benefits from long-

term relationships include increased customer retention, improved customer satisfaction,

and higher customer loyalty.

Researchers have also highlighted the drawbacks associated with relationship

marketing. From a consumer perspective, relationship marketing strategies are

manipulative, intrusive, and harmful (Jones et al., 2014). Jones et al. added that a

consumer’s preconceived assumptions and attitudes toward relationship marketing

significantly impact the likelihood of the consumer entering into a long-term relationship

with a company. Agariya and Singh (2011) noted that a high volume of business
 21

executives reported a lack of desired results from relationship marketing initiatives with

failure rates ranging from 55% to 75%.

Despite the risks, relationship marketing remains a prominent topic in marketing

research. The Internet, social media, and other forms of technology support the continued

evolution of relationship marketing (Kumar, 2014) through continuous contact with

customers and the ability to overcome geographical boundaries (Al-Weshah et al., 2013).

Additionally, technology-driven relationship marketing strategies provide business

leaders with the opportunity to remain competitive and impact brand equity (Gurhan-

Canli, Hayran, & Sarial-Abi, 2016).

Customer relationship management. The establishment of mutually beneficial

relationships does not guarantee organizational success. Business leaders should continue

to manage and enhance established customer relationships to maximize the benefits.

Soltani and Navimipour (2016) stated that CRM was the most effective tool firms use in

the relationship building and enhancement process to create value. Soltani and

Navimipour additionally noted from their research, a 5% increase in customer retention

might increase firm profitability by 50%-80%. Choudhury and Harrigan (2014) added

that CRM might also drive increases in market awareness and reduce costs.

CRM is a management strategy that combines the intelligent use of data and

technology to acquire customers, develop relationships, and diffuse knowledge to

generate customer value (Choudhury & Harrigan, 2014) and maximize the customer

lifetime value (CLV) (Malthouse, Haenlein, Skiera, Wege, & Zhang, 2013). CRM uses
 22

people, processes, and systems that are internal and external to the organization to

ascertain consumer needs, track consumer behavior, and drive consumer satisfaction

(Oluseye, Tairat, & Emmanuel, 2014). The incorporation of CRM into organizational

relationship marketing strategies may positively impact brand equity.

The origins of customer relationship management date back to the 1960s and the

works of management scholars, including Drucker and Levitt (Oluseye et al., 2014). The

basis of the modern CRM framework is in the relationship marketing principles

introduced by Berry in 1983. Modern definitions of CRM include benefits from the

interaction of customers and organizations on social media platforms (Choudhury &

Harrigan, 2014). The definition of CRM is therefore very similar to that of relationship

marketing. Agariya and Singh (2011) noted researchers frequently use relationship

marketing and customer relationship management interchangeably.

The basic principle of CRM is to focus on the creation of longitudinal

relationships between the brand and the consumer (Yoganathan et al., 2015). CRM uses

end-to-end consumer information to build and grow mutually beneficial relationships

between the firm and the consumer (Soltani & Navimipour, 2016). The primary

components of traditional CRM are the acquisition, maintenance, and termination of

consumers (Malthouse et al., 2013). The focus of CRM is to create customer satisfaction,

build consumer loyalty, and increase consumer retention (Soltani & Navimipour, 2016).

Through CRM, firms focus on transforming customers into firm assets that interact with

the brand and add value instead of customers who focus only on discrete transactional
 23

exchanges (Chia-Jen, 2013). CRM fosters the creation of relationships with customers

that provide the organization with a greater understanding of consumer needs, facilitates

market segmentation, and builds consumer loyalty (Oluseye et al., 2014). The resulting

benefits of CRM are the delivery of products based on customer preference (Chia-Jen,

2013).

The traditional objective of the CRM conceptual framework was to maximize the

customer lifetime value to the firm from relationship initiation through customer

retention to termination (Malthouse et al., 2013). Traditional CRM was flawed by the

database technologies and inward facing systems of the 1980s that abandoned the

marketing principles that underpinned it (Choudhury & Harrigan, 2014). Traditional

CRM used technology to collect, integrate, and analyze customer data before

communicating back to the customer (Choudhury & Harrigan, 2014). The CLV focus of

traditional CRM was the discounted sum of all future profits realized from the

relationship with a consumer (Malthouse et al., 2013). Traditional CRM and CLV did not

consider other valuable contributions the relationship may yield beyond profits.

CRM today includes the management of data surrounding all customer brand

touch points with the intention of maximizing customer loyalty and satisfaction (Oluseye

et al., 2014). The quality of data retrieved is key to the successful application of CRM

systems and has emerged as a primary focus of firms (Soltani & Navimipour, 2016).

Soltani and Navimipour (2016) divided CRM systems into three categories: operational,

analytical, and collaborative. The first category, according to Soltani and Navimipour
 24

(2016), is operational CRM systems designed to increase efficiency through automation.

Firm data obtained from the consumer that provide the business leaders with needed

information comprise the second category, analytical CRM systems (Soltani &

Navimipour, 2016). The final category, collaborative CRM systems, business leaders use

to manage communication and interaction with the consumer (Soltani & Navimipour,

2016).

Web 2.0, social media, and other nascent technologies are today reinvigorating

CRM among business leaders. According to Vieira et al. (2014), customer relationship

management and technological advancements are facilitating how firms engage

consumers and establish relationships in the electronic era. Electronic customer

relationship management (e-CRM) is the utilization of internet based technologies to

develop and enhance customer relationships (Lam, Cheung, & Lau, 2013). Lam et al.

(2013) stated that business leaders use the Internet to manage relationships, segment and

retain customers, and grow consumer value. The use of the Internet additionally adds the

opportunity to enhance consumer interaction through individualization (Soltani &

Navimipour, 2016). CRM is now a collaborative effort with a network focused approach

designed to develop stronger relationships with customers (Trainor, Andzulis, Rapp, &

Agnihotri, 2014).

Social CRM emerged from E-CRM as the popularity and usage of social media

increased among consumers. Social CRM is the engagement of customers through the

integration of social media and customer-facing activities that enhance relationships

 25

(Trainor et al., 2014). Social CRM initiatives focus on customer engagement and two-

way interactive communications with customers (Choudhury & Harrigan, 2014). The

strategic objective of social CRM includes other valuable outcomes of the relationship

such as customer referral value (CRV), customer influence value (CIV), and overall

customer value in conjunction with CLV (Malthouse et al., 2013).

Small-to-medium enterprises. Small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) are vital to

the social and economic development of world economies (Karadag, 2015). In 2014,

SMEs accounted for over 95% of all enterprises and50% of all employment in OECD

countries (Karadag, 2015). SMEs assist their local economies by creating jobs, helping

with the alleviation of poverty, innovation, and supporting the gross domestic product

(Cant & Wild, 2016). In 2012, representatives of the U.S. Small Business Administration

classified over 99% of all organizations in the United States as SMEs, accounting for

48.6% of the labor force (Caruso, 2015).

Despite the significance of SMEs, varying definitions exist across economic

regions and nations. Berisha and Pula (2015) stated that over 50 ambiguous definitions

existed across 75 countries studied. The 1971 Bolton Report defined SMEs from a

qualitative perspective utilizing the characteristics of management type, market share,

and the independence of the enterprise from a larger parent firm (Berisha & Pula, 2015).

Representatives of the World Bank and the European Union mandate that firms have less

than a specific number of employees and meet certain financial criteria (Berisha & Pula,

2015). In the United States, the SME definition is dependent upon industry variables
 26

utilizing either employee count or revenue as the criteria (U.S. Small Business

Administration, 2016b).

In the United States, SME influence in the market is on the decline. Since 2004,

LSEs employment opportunities are increasing year over year while SMEs are steadily

declining (U.S. Small Business Administration, 2016a). Calli and Clark (2015) noted that

numerous factors, including financial and social constraints, limit the opportunities for

SMEs to grow successfully, and may facilitate the all around failure of SMEs. Calli and

Clark further identified social media management, information technology, financials,

staffing, and the environment as factors limiting SMEs successful implementation of

social media.

Cant and Wild (2016) suggested that SME leaders are reluctant to use online

marketing tools and instead opt to use traditional media in their marketing strategies

(Cant & Wild, 2016) that limits their competitive capabilities and stunts potential growth

opportunities. LSEs successful adoption of social media engagement strategies is

fostering competitive advantagesyielding increases in organizational performance and

brand equity (Calli & Clark, 2015). He et al. (2014) stated that social media enables

SMEs to compete against LSEs for sales, increase brand reputation, and survive in a

competitive global business environment. Social media offers SMEs an opportunity to

engage current customers and attract new customers through networking with little to no

startup costs (He et al., 2014). He et al. concluded that SME activity on social media

increases customer trust and loyalty with the SME.

 27

Social media provides SME leaders with the opportunity to engage consumers

and create relationships. He et al. (2014) suggested, in their inquiry, that SME leaders

should develop and apply the required marketing strategy to achieve success through

social media and consumer engagement. The successful implementation of social media

strategies could reduce the growth constraints SMEs face and make them more

competitive (Calli & Clark, 2015). SME leaders may realize competitive advantages and

increases in brand loyalty, awareness, image, and perceived quality if they adopt and

successfully implement social media engagement strategies.

Social media. The Internet, Web 2.0, and social media have redefined business

activities and consumer behavior (Hew, Lee, Ooi, & Lin, 2016). Social media are a

disruptive technology, a technology that unexpectedly displaces an established one,

influences the way people think, and changes the way they interact (Billington &

Billington, 2012). Social media are the platforms that support the sharing of user-

generated content (UGC) and are transforming the marketing communication paradigm

from the traditional one-way model (Kohli et al., 2015). Within social media, consumers

actively produce, share, and consume content at their discretion (Laroche, Habibi, &

Richard, 2013). Social media facilitates the transition of consumers from passive to active

participants in marketing communications and value creation for the brand (Choudhury &

Harrigan, 2014).

Social media are interactive web-based applications and platforms that foster the

exchange of user-generated content in real time. Social media facilitate the reach of
 28

communications to diverse audiences, the viral spread of information, and consumer

engagement (Argyris & Monu, 2015). Social media include various types of applications

such as blogs, business networks, collaborative projects, enterprise social networks,

forums, microblogs, photo sharing, products/services reviews, social bookmarking, social

gaming, social networks, video sharing, and virtual worlds (Aichner & Jacob, 2015).

Social media emerged shortly after the introduction of the Internet in 1993,

limiting users to establishing profiles and creating friend lists only (Kietzmann et al.,

2011). Thesesocial media platforms lacked interactive capabilities and dynamic content

(Billington & Billington, 2012), making them less attractive to business leaders. Business

leaders used social media to advertise and promote to large audiences in a short time

(Tiago & Verissimo, 2014). Over the past two decades, social media evolved in direct

correlation with the advancements of the Internet.

Social media is the primary source of information sharing and knowledge

attainment for consumers (Hudson, Huang, Roth, & Madden, 2016). In 2015, 2.078

billion social media accounts existed, a 29% penetration of the global market (Kim,

Chan, & Gupta, 2015). In the United States, more than one-half of online adults, 56%,

visited more than two social networking sites daily (Greenwood, Perrin, & Duggan,

2016). The most prominent and largest social media site, Facebook, reported over 1.19

billion active monthly users with an 18% growth rate in 2014 (Aichner & Jacob, 2015).

Greenwood et al. reported in 2016 that 68% of all U.S. adults used Facebook, 28% used

Instagram, 26% used Pinterest, 25% used LinkedIn, and 21% used Twitter. Aichner and
 29

Jacob (2015) stated that nine of the top 20 visited websites were social media websites in

January 2014.

The growth and consumer utilization of social media is attracting the attention of

business leaders and creating a domain for investments to improve brand equity.

Choudhury and Harrigan (2014) reported that 80% of business leaders consider social

media to be an important component of their marketing strategy and a means for

maintaining relationships. Social media engagement that is included as part of the firm’s

branding and marketing strategies facilitates (a) active communication with consumers,

(b) the ability to receive feedback from consumers, and (c) enables consumers to

communicate with peers about the brand (Watkins, 2014). Social media influences

organizational CRM capabilities by enhancing engagement levels with the consumer and

improving the value of relationships (Trainor et al., 2014).

The 2010 American Express campaign to promote shopping at small businesses

demonstrated the ability of social media to create positive results. The representatives of

American Express launched the Small Business Saturday campaign to support local

business shopping on the Saturday following Thanksgiving (Paniagua & Sapena, 2014).

The campaigns promotion strategy predominately used social media and resulted in a

40% awareness amongst the public and a 28% increase in revenues for small business

owners (Paniagua & Sapena, 2014). By 2013, the initiative had expanded globally,

driving $5.5 billion of sales (Umunna, 2013) and a 74% increase in share price for

American Express (Paniagua & Sapena, 2014).

 30

Social media provides significant opportunities for organizations to engage

consumers individually (Harrigan & Miles, 2014). As an engagement platform, social

media facilitated\s trust building that is vital to the creation of brand value (Ramaswamy

& Ozcan, 2015). Social media platforms enable consumers to share experiences that

impact their perceived brand quality and image of the brand (Ramaswamy & Ozcan,

2015). Paniagua and Sapena (2014) noted that active users could establish trends and

agendas rapidly through social media.

Social media is fast moving, facilitating the opportunity for individuals to form

connections and communicate in real time. Social media enables enhanced interactions

between consumers that impact the brand offering (Davis, Piven, & Breazeale, 2014).

The successful utilization of social media engagement relies upon effective and

frequently refreshed communication between the firm and the consumer (He et al., 2014).

Argyris and Monu (2015) identified eight means by which social media supports

communications between the firm and the consumer.

• Presentability refers to the ability to deliver images and employ advocates in a

desirable manner that positively affect the brand.

• Self-expression is the user-generated content shared on social media.

• Monitorability is the ability to witness the outcomes of firm communications.

• Reach is the capacity to expand into new markets previously unattainable by

the firm.
 31

• Engagement is the ability to keep consumers informed, maintain relationships,

and increase loyalty.

• Connectivity refers to the capacity to enable communication with consumers.

• Recordability is the ability to save communications and data.

• Availability is the transparency of information about the firm.

Consumers primarily use social media to engage other users and to extrapolate or

share information (Saboo, Kumar, & Ramani, 2016). Tiago and Verissimo (2014) noted

that peer engagement on social media platforms has a more significant persuasive impact

on consumer intentions than firm promotions. Kozlenkova, Palmatier, Fang, Xiao, and

Huang (2017) suggested that consumers perceive online relationships as equally

important and as valuable as offline relationships. The consumer benefits of social media

include the ability to obtain richer information, accessibility to a diverse array of

products, and competitive pricing through the use of proactive communication (Tiago &

Verissimo, 2014).

Effective social media utilization impacts the financial performance, operational

performance, and corporate social performance of the firm (Paniagua & Sapena, 2014).

Paniagua and Sapena (2014) stated that financial performance includes metrics such as

sales growth, profitability, and stock price. Saboo et al. (2016) noted that a higher

willingness-to-pay, loyalty, and brand sales are beneficial results of brand identification

through social media. Operational performance ranges from manufacturing efficiencies to

product variables including quality (Paniagua & Sapena, 2014). Consumers engage in
 32

various activities within social media that influence product development and firm

initiatives that appease consumer wants and needs. Paniagua and Sapena (2014) stated

that corporate social performance is how the brand’s reputation impacts relationships

between the firm and society. Customer comments about the brand made on social media

impact corporate social performance.

Successful organizational adoption of social media yields intangible and tangible

benefits. Luo, Zhang, and Duan (2013) stated that social media content and metrics were

an indicator of brand performance and future business value. Laroche et al. (2013) added

that social media might positively impact brand loyalty. Increased revenue, improved

returns on investments, and brand awareness were additional benefits of social media

(Laddha, Rathi, & Mantri, 2015). However, Kohli et al. (2015) noted that some business

leaders did not know how to integrate social media into their marketing strategies

successfully. Kohli et al. further added that business and industry leaders did not realize

the full potential impact that social media may have on their business.

Social media also comes with many risks for the organization. Paniagua and

Sapena (2014) noted that social media had a profound increase in the reputational risk of

the firm over traditional marketing platforms Content delivered through social media

spread virally at rates previously unfathomable in traditional marketing (Luo et al., 2013).

To mitigate the risk, firms may choose to hide content if there were concerns regarding

the accuracy of the information and intent of the user generating the content (Argyris &

Monu, 2015). Firms that either ignore or react too late to customer concerns may solicit
 33

discussion on social media about the strength and viability of the firm (Aichner & Jacob,

2015) adversely affecting the brand image and financial performance of the firm

(Tsimonis & Dimitriadis, 2014). Tsimonis and Dimitriadis suggested that firms should

address negative comments and employ strategies that use negative feedback as a method

to communicate with consumers.

Consumer brand engagement. Consumer brand engagement is one of the most

significant benefits afforded by social media (Harrigan & Miles, 2014). Consumer brand

engagement existed in the dynamic actions and processes between the consumer and the

brand and resulted in value generating interactions (Brodie et al., 2013) that originated

within the relationship marketing paradigm (Wirtz et al., 2013). Consumer brand

engagement was an extension of customer communications that extended beyond

transactional exchanges (Choudhury & Harrigan, 2014) to relational exchanges whereby

the customer was involved, occupied, and interested with the brand (Braun, Hadwich, &

Bruhn, 2017). Engagement centered on firms’ abilities to create long-term relationships

built on the exchange tenets of trust and commitment (Sashi, 2012). Engaged customers

enhanced sellers’ understanding of customers’ needs, participated in product

development, solicited information on strategies and products, and were advocates for the

brand (Sashi, 2012).

Consumer engagement was representative of the evolution of consumer

involvement in the creation and distribution of information about the brand (Smith &

Gallicano, 2015). Consumer brand engagement occurred when the interactions between
 34

the consumer and brand enhanced emotive connections (Kabadayi & Price, 2014) and

stimulated desired behaviors (Keller, 2013). When the consumer brand engagement was

successful, consumers were passionately involved with the brand (Wong & Merrilees,

2015). Engaged consumers provided firms with brand meanings (Brodie et al., 2013),

word of mouth messaging (Franzak, Makarem, & Jae, 2014), and increased brand equity

(Shabbir, Zhang, Pitsaphol, & Hassan, 2015).

Smith and Gallicano (2015) stated that consumer engagement was a result of each

consumer’s individual information consumption needs, online experience, content

involvement, and social interaction. Consumers engaged brands based on perceived

hedonic benefits, integrative social benefits, and cognitive benefits (Verhage, Swen,

Feldberg, & Merikivi, 2015) that originated from the functional performance and value of

the brand offering (Franzak et al., 2014). Consumer brand-engagement was an investment

of consumer resources beyond the initial transaction to acquire the product (Franzak et

al., 2014). Through engagement and the formulation of a healthy relationship with a

brand, consumers developed part of their self-concept (Popp & Woratschek, 2016) and

were more knowledgeable about the brand (Hapsari, Clemes, & Dean, 2015).

Engagement maximized consumer competencies and created positive associations

between the consumer and the brand (Kuvykaite & Piligrimiene, 2014) that increased

brand loyalty (Leckie et al., 2016), satisfaction, commitment, and trust (Brodie et al.,

2013).
 35

Engagement is imperative to the success of the firm’s social media strategies

(Kabadayi & Price, 2014). Brands collaboratively managed with consumers the social

dialogue and information sharing of messages about the brand through engagement

(Gambetti, Biraghi, Schultz, & Graffigna, 2016) on social media platforms. Consumers

provided information through inquiries into brand offerings, complaints, and active

conversations (Park & Kim, 2014). Engaged consumers further provided the firm with

valuable information regarding individual needs from and about the brand (Kuvykaite &

Piligrimiene, 2014) and value adding processes (Leckie et al., 2016).

Brand equity. The most valuable asset of any organization is the brand (Sasmita

& Suki, 2015). Brands are the unique organizational assets that provide a competitive

advantage and impact firm performance (Shah, 2017). A brand furthermore provides an

organization with a means to communicate with consumers, obtain growth opportunities,

and create value (Franzak et al., 2014). Yoganathan et al. (2015) added that the brand

includes physical characteristics such as design, features, and packaging as well as

intangible characteristics including brand name, quality perception, and reputation that

foster relationship building with a consumer.

The brand is additionally one of the most identifiable forces in driving consumer

behavior (Parker, 2015). Kuvykaite and Piligrimiene (2014) stated that a brand is an

offering that provides the consumer with unique advantages over other brands.

Ramaswamy and Ozcan (2015) remarked that a brand provided functional, emotional,

and self-expressive benefits to the consumer. These benefits shape the consumer’s beliefs
 36

and actions towards the brand and create value in the brand (Ramaswamy & Ozcan,

2015).

The market success of the brand is dependent upon the firm’s ability to recognize

and understand the consumer’s impact on brand value, and to manage the role consumers

played in brand equity creation (Kuvykaite & Piligrimiene, 2014). Brand equity was a

multifaceted construct created by strengthening the value of the brand (Tajzadeh–Namin

& Norouzi, 2014). Firms that successfully increased brand equity obtained competitive

advantages that resulted in increased revenues, higher profits, and reduced costs

(Yoganathan et al., 2015). Increased brand equity directly impacted a firm’s ability to

obtain higher prices for product offerings, influenced customers’ buying decisions, and

improved the effectiveness of marketing communication (Yoganathan et al., 2015).

Brand equity was the market-based intangible asset value derived from the shared

experiences of the consumer and the firm (Christodoulides et al., 2015). The financial

perspective of brand equity emphasized the economic value the brand represented for the

firm (Buil, de Chernatony, & Martinez, 2013) and is a result of consumer-based brand

equity (Christodoulides et al., 2015). Nisar and Whitehead (2016) stated that the

consumer-based perspective of brand equity attempted to measure consumer’s feelings

toward the brand. The strength of consumer-based brand equity was in the associations,

knowledge, and memory of the consumer (Christodoulides et al., 2015).

A significant amount of research existed on brand equity, yet scholarly definitions

and dimensions lacked consensus (Buil et al., 2013). Aaker (1991) defined brand equity
 37

as assets and liabilities that resulted from the value provided to the consumers from a

brand, the brand name, or symbol. Aaker proposed that the constructs of brand loyalty,

brand awareness, brand associations, and perceived brand quality manifested into brand

equity. Keller (1993) stated that brand equity was a result of the response of consumers’

knowledge of the brand and the firm’s marketing of the brand. Keller asserted that the

dimensions of brand awareness and brand image were essential to the brand equity

concept.

Scholarly articles frequently referenced the brand equity constructs of consumer

loyalty to the brand, image of the brand, perception of the brand’s quality, and awareness

of the brand. Aaker (1991) stated that brand loyalty was the foundation of brand equity

and a strategic asset for the firm. Loyal consumers exhibited positively emotionally

biased behavior toward one brand versus a competitive brand (Sasmita & Suki, 2015).

Brand image is reflective of the consumer’s correlation to the meaning behind the

consumption of the brand with their identity (Sasmita & Suki, 2015). Consumer brand

associations directly impact brand image. Positive brand associations lead to a positive

brand image which garners competitive advantages that improved market positions

(Sasmita & Suki, 2015) and increased brand loyalty (Cho, Fiore, & Russell, 2015). The

brand equity dimension of perceived quality was the decisive factor in determining the

benefit the user directly associated with the brand (Yoganathan et al., 2015). Severi, Ling,

and Nasermoadeli (2014) described brand awareness as a stimulating factor in consumer

purchase decisions resulting from consumer memories that impacted recollection and
 38

recognition of the brand. Severi et al. concluded that consumer brand awareness might

result in choice and consideration advantages over other brands.

Brand loyalty is an important concept and dimension of brand equity that has

attracted significant interest from brand owners and scholars. Yoganathan et al. (2015)

postulated that brand loyalty, a core dimension of brand equity, is a consumers’ positive

attitude toward a brand resulting in repeat buying behaviors and favorable associations.

Brand owners recognized the financial benefits loyal customers provided to the

organization, including repeat purchase behavior while disregarding price and aggressive

advertising (Murray & Kline, 2015). Brand owners also recognized that loyal customers

were critical in the acquisition of new customers through word-of-mouth communication

(Murray & Kline, 2015).

The assessment of brand loyalty frequently intertwines the behavioral and

attitudinal dimensions of brand loyalty. The repurchasing of the brand’s product offerings

and the recommending of the brand to other consumers are the desired results of

behavioral loyalty (Zhang, K. et al., 2016). Attitudinal brand loyalty manifested when

consumers self-identified with a unique characteristic of the brand (Aaker, 1991).

Attitudinal loyalty resulted in a consumer’s preferences and commitment to a product or

service (Nisar & Whitehead, 2016). Brand loyalty, therefore, was dependent upon the on

the consumer’s experience in consuming the brand and subsequent assessment of the

brand (So, King, Sparks, & Wang, 2014).

 39

Brand owners develop and maintain loyal customers through the utilization of

multiple sources of customer data and engagement in social media. Loyal and committed

customers in online communities shared information about and recommend products and

services to other potential consumers (Nisar & Whitehead, 2016). Loyal customers

became advocates of the brand through word of mouth communication exposing potential

new customers to the brand (Bianchi, Drennan, & Proud, 2014).

Brand equity is further enhanced by the consumer’s image of the brand. A brand’s

image is the basis for consumer expectations of the brand (Maehle & Supphellen, 2015).

Images are a result of factors that shape a consumer’s knowledge, descriptions, memory,

and relationship with a brand (Huang & Ku, 2016). Aaker (1991) stated that a brand’s

image influenced consumer purchasing decisions, provided sense and feeling, and helped

consumers in processing information about the brand. Keller (2013) further added that

the benefits associated with the brand image included making the brand clear, distinct,

and different in the minds of consumers. A consumer’s brand image was the mental

picture a brand represented, resulting from a developed set of perceptions about the brand

(Pich, Armannsdottir, & Dean, 2015). Consumer perceptions result from positive and

negative associations in conjunction with developing a consumer’s knowledge, feelings,

and beliefs about the brand (Huang & Ku, 2016). Cho and Fiore (2015) inferred that the

conceptualization of brand image transitioned from a historical focus on cognitive

associations to a modern focus on emotional and sensory associations.

 40

Brand associations were the stored information and memories in the consumer’s

mind that acted as a means of differentiation for the consumer (Sasmita & Suki, 2015)

while connecting the consumer to the brand (Tajzadeh-Namin & Norouzi, 2014). Keller

(1993) proposed that a brand’s image was the result of three distinct and intertwined

dimensions of brand associations: functional, experiential, and symbolic. Functional

associations included product-related attributes of the brand, such as quality and usage

(He & Lai, 2015). Functional benefits included the satisfying of external consumption

and problem-solving needs of the consumer (Huang & Ku, 2016). Experiential

associations referred to the mental benefits associated with the use of the brand (Maehle

& Supphellen, 2015). Product-related and nonproduct related attributes of the brand

shaped the consumer’s personal feelings (Cho & Fiore, 2015) while appealing to the

physical senses (Huang & Ku, 2016). Symbolic associations were representative of the

perceived psychological and social benefits for the consumer (Maehle & Supphellen,

2015). The benefits of the symbolic association included improved self-concept and

perceived social designation (Maehle & Supphellen, 2015).

Cho et al. (2015) stated that an entire brand image included conjointly cognitive,

emotional, and sensory associations derived from intangible and tangible attributes and

benefits of the brand. Cognitive associations were the product related attributes of a brand

that reflected the consumer’s assessments of the brand (Cho & Fiore, 2015). Cognitive

associations resulting from past experiences influence consumer behavior towards the

brand (Cho et al., 2015). Emotional associations included personal feelings that
 41

contributed to the experiential benefits for the consumer (Cho & Fiore, 2015). The

consumer produced emotional associations from perceptions originating from both

product and nonproduct related attributes of the brand (Cho & Fiore, 2015). Sensory

associations were a result of direct, tangible brand-related experiences that yielded

experiential benefits for the consumer (Keller, 1993). Brand experiences occurred in

advertising, social media, through word of mouth, websites, and other interactions.

A consumer’s brand image aligned with their perception of the quality of the

brand (Severi et al., 2014). Sasmita and Suki (2015) stated that a direct correlation

existed between consumer’s perceived quality of the brand and admiration of the brand.

Perceived brand quality was the subjective judgment of the consumer resulting in

differentiation among brands (Parker, 2015). Aaker (1991) suggested that perceived

brand quality was the overall consumer perception of the luster and quality of brand

offerings compared to other brands. Aaker added that perceived brand quality correlated

with price premiums, price elasticity, and usage.

A consumer’s perceived brand quality referred to the subjective perception of a

product’s superiority over other brand’s product offerings (Vera, 2015). Tangible and

intangible product attributes influenced the subjective perceptions of the consumer (Vera,

2015). A consumer’s experiences with the brand, including consumption, impacted

assessments of quality (Tajzadeh-Namin & Norouzi, 2014) while familiarity with the

brand better facilitated the consumer’s ability to assess quality (Bianchi et al., 2014).

Keller (2013) suggested that other factors of the brand affecting consumer perceptions of
 42

quality include performance, features, conformation, reliability, durability, serviceability,

style, and design. Hsiao et al. (2014) added that the variable of the brand name also

impacted consumer perceived quality of the brand.

Brands perceived to be of high quality additionally invoked positive associations

for the consumer (Dens & de Pelsmacker, 2016) that impacted other brand dimensions

and included brand awareness. Brand awareness was a result of memories established

through consumer associations with the brand (Sasmita & Suki, 2015). Brand awareness

was influential in a consumer’s cognizant differentiation of a product (Hsiao et al., 2014)

and preference for a brand that drove purchase decisions (Tajzadeh-Namin & Norouzi,

2014).

Barreda et al. (2015) defined brand awareness as the consumer’s recognition of

the unique qualities and image of a brand. Keller’s (1993) definition was similar and

further divided awareness into the subcategories of brand recognition and brand recall.

Brand recognition was the consumer’s ability to discriminate one brand from others while

recall was the consumer’s ability recollect from memory the brand with a cue. Barreda et

al. (2015) added that the intensity of brand awareness was a result of the ease by which

consumers recalled the brand and were prominent in the communication process between

the firm and the brand.

According to Keller (2013), brand awareness significantly impacted consumer

knowledge, consideration, and selection of a brand over other competitive brand

offerings. Switala, Gamrot, Reformat, and Bilinska-Reformat (2018) added that brand
 43

awareness is the consumer’s knowledge of the brand and relationship with the brand’s

product offerings. Brand awareness assisted the consumer in evaluating risk in purchase

decisions and in assuring consumer perceptions of brand quality (Sasmita & Suki, 2015).

The higher the consumer awareness of the brand, the higher the perceived quality of the

brand (Hsiao et al., 2014).

The development of brand equity is a complex process (Couto & Ferreira, 2017).

For SMEs, the process is even more challenging due to the limited human and financial

resources. However, as suggested by Kennedy and Wright (2016), the brand and

branding process is potentially more critical for SMEs than LSEs as a critical means for

creating differentiation and competitive advantages. Social media allows SMEs to engage

consumers and potentially generate brand equity by creating brand associations,

facilitating active communication with the brand, sharing quality stories, and generating

awareness. In the crowded adult beverage and craft beer market, the ability to engage

consumers and build brand equity may be critical to the vitality of the SME.

Transition

Section 1, the foundation of the study, was an introduction into the principle

tenets of this research study. In section 1, I introduced the topic and research problem

addressed in this study. I continued with a discussion on the intent of the research before

providing a synopsis of the research method and design. The assumptions, limitations,

and delimitations that grounded the research followed. Section 1 concluded with an
 44

explanation of the significance of the study and an analysis of the literature supporting

the topic and research problem.

In section 2, the project, I provide a detailed summary of the project constructs.

Section 2 begins with a restatement of the purpose of this inquiry. A discussion on the

role of the researcher, participants, and population follow the purpose statement. Section

2 continues with an in-depth analysis of the research and design methods first introduced

in Section 1. Section 2 includes a detailed description of the study ethics in conjunction

with the data collection means, methods, and analysis. Section 2 concludes with a

discussion on the reliability and validity (credibility, transferability, dependability, and

confirmability) of the data.

In section 3, application to professional practice and implications for change, I

present the findings of the study derived from the data collection instruments presented in

Section 2. Section 3 also includes subsections detailing the study applications to

professional practice as well as how the study may impact social change. Section 3

concludes with recommendations for future research, a reflection on my study process,

and a conclusion.
 45

Section 2: The Project

SMEs are critical to the social and economic development of economies around

the world (Karadag, 2015). The acquisition of knowledge about what social media

consumer brand engagement strategies leaders of SME use to increase brand equity is

significant to the continued vitality of SMEs. This knowledge may assist SME leaders in

gaining competitive advantages and achieving success. This section includes a

restatement of the purpose of the study, a description of the role of the researcher, and a

discussion of the participants. I also describe the research method and design and the

means of collecting, organizing, and analyzing data. The final subsections address the

reliability and validity of this study.

Purpose Statement

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore what social media

consumer brand engagement strategies leaders of SMEs in the craft beer industry use to

affect their brands’ equity positively. The participant population consisted of eight craft

brewery business leaders located in the Southeastern United States who had demonstrated

experience in developing and deploying strategies that positively affect their brands’

equity. The implications for positive social change include the potential to positively

affect communities through new employment opportunities, economic stability, and

improved living conditions.

 46

Role of the Researcher

The role of the researcher when conducting a qualitative study is to provide an

understanding of the phenomenon through the lived experiences and events of

participants (D. Taylor, Blount, & Bloom, 2017). My role in this qualitative study was to

identify the research methods, recruit participants, gather data, analyze the findings, and

ensure the validity and reliability of the results. I elected to use a case study design

involving two data collection methods to gather data from selected participants and reach

saturation: (a) semistructured interviews and (b) observations of social media content.

In this qualitative multiple case study, I was the primary instrument in the data

collection process conducting interviews and collecting data from observations of the

social media content posted by the SME. According to Fleet, Burton, Reeves, and

DasGupta (2016), the researcher is the primary data collection instrument and should

immerse him- or herself in the data to provide more robust findings. Galvin (2015) added

that qualitative studies with interviews focus on the meaning and interpretation of the

data collected. I used a semistructured interview technique and preestablished interview

protocol (Appendix B) to collect data from SME leaders regarding the consumer brand

engagement strategies they implemented on social media platforms. The interviews were

recorded, transcribed, and coded. I used NVivo software to code data, identify themes,

and ensure saturation.

I followed the principle tenets and guidelines of the Belmont Report. Adashi,

Walters, and Menikoff (2018) noted that the Belmont Report specified that research
 47

should be conducted with respect for persons, beneficence, and justice. The Belmont

Report also included the guidelines of informed consent, risk assessment, and participant

selection (Adashi et al., 2018). Participant confidentiality was respected and maintained

throughout the current study. I used the MS Excel RANDOM function to assign five-digit

identifiers to participants. The participants of this study were leaders of craft beer firms

and were not persons who could be considered unable to provide informed consent

without coercion.

I took several steps to eliminate concerns over bias and remove preconceptions

when conducting the study. Roulston and Shelton (2015) stated that bias originating from

a researcher’s subjectivity, feelings, opinions, or preferences are not problematic when

identified and managed appropriately. First, no personal relationships existed between

myself, the participants, or the chosen industry. Second, I examined through continuous

reflection how my assumptions may have influenced the research. Finally, I used the

process of bracketing in this study. Sorsa, Kiikkala, and Astedt-Kurki (2015) suggested

that bracketing requires qualitative researchers to set aside their preconceptions about the

phenomenon and maintain an open mind throughout the research process.

Participants

A qualitative study is an iterative process in which the researcher gradually

discovers the problem and sources of information (Knapp, 2017). Sample sizes in

qualitative research are typically small, and participants are selected due to their close

relationship with the research question (Shelton, Smith, & Mort, 2014). In a case study,
 48

the participant is the most critical source of information (Yin, 2014). The selection

criteria for participants in the current study included the following: (a) SME leaders in

craft beer industry, (b) located in the Southeastern United States; (c) demonstrated

experience in developing and deploying social media consumer engagement strategies

that positively affect their brands’ equity, and (d) over the age of 18.

Participant selection was a multistep process. I first located potential participants

from the directory on the Brewers Association web page using selection criteria based on

business classification, state, and county. I also used personal networks and social media

to locate participants in this study. I cross-referenced businesses using the Buzzfile

database to ensure they met the criteria of a SME per the U.S. Small Business

Administration’s (2016a) definition. Buzzfile provides businesses’ contact information,

including the name, address, and phone number of the business and an individual point of

contact at the business.

The establishment and maintenance of quality working relationships with study

participants are critical in qualitative research (Kelly, Harrison, Schaughency, & Green,

2014). Kelly et al. (2014) added that in the initial stages of research, the establishment of

relationships occurs through the identification of key stakeholders, explanation of the

mutual benefits of the research, minimization of burden on the stakeholder, and

explanation of the expectations of the study. To meet these guidelines, I sent invitation

letters to business leaders and identified points of contact that included the purpose of the

study and consent form. The consent form provided the business leader with information
 49

regarding the authenticity of the study, the ethical standards adhered to in this study,

methods of data collection, and final outputs of the study. I followed up with an e-mail

and a phone call based on participant preference to answer any questions, address

concerns, and ensure confidentiality.

Research Method and Design

In this study, the purpose was to explore what consumer brand engagement

strategies successfully increased brand equity. The design was a qualitative multiple case

study of the craft beer industry in the Southeastern United States. I conducted face-to-

face interviews with eight SME leaders and reviewed social media content and data

published by the SME to answer the research question.

Research Method

Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods are the three methodologies used to

answer research questions and explore a phenomenon (Fassinger & Morrow, 2013).

Qualitative and quantitative methods differ in their analytical assumptions and means of

exploring the phenomenon (Baskarada, 2014). The mixed-methods approach is a

methodological combination of the qualitative and quantitative methods, either

concurrently or sequentially, in the same study (Vankatesh et al., 2013). Knapp (2017)

suggested qualitative designs and techniques are used to understand how leadership

strategies work and impact an organization. A qualitative method was appropriate for

exploring strategies SME leaders use to engage consumers and positively impact brand

equity.
 50

The primary focus of a researcher is to provide an understanding of a

phenomenon and fill a void in existing knowledge (Knapp, 2017). Qualitative research

methods facilitate the researcher’s exploration of a phenomenon in a natural environment

(Shelton et al., 2014) in nonquantifiable descriptive terms (Yilmaz, 2013). Qualitative

methods enable a researcher to obtain rich data from participants (Wright, O’Brien,

Nimmon, Law, & Mylopoulos, 2016) and advance the understanding of a phenomenon

(Hlady-Rispal & Jouison-Laffitte, 2014). Yilmaz (2013) noted that quantitative methods

are used to examine a phenomenon through the statistical analysis of numerical data.

Hlady-Rispal and Jouison-Laffitte (2014) added that the essence of quantitative research

is the validation of theory, constructs, or relationships. Researchers who use quantitative

methods employ reliable instruments and response categories (Golafshani, 2003).

According to Fassinger and Morrow (2013), researchers using a mixed-methods approach

include both types of data and choose from multiple methodological designs. Researchers

who use mixed methodologies attempt to provide an understanding of a phenomenon

through descriptive, numerical, and inferential evidence (Ponterotto, Mathew, &

Raughley, 2013). The use of quantitative or mixed methods was not appropriate in the

current study because the research question did not necessitate the testing of theory,

constructs, or cause-and-effect relationships.

Research Design

Qualitative research designs include case study, narrative inquiry, and

phenomenology (Campbell, 2015). Crowe et al. (2011) suggested that the case study
 51

design is most applicable when the researcher intends to provide an understanding of

how, what, and why questions. Researchers employing a narrative inquiry design explore

the phenomenon through multiple discussions with the participant (Wang & Geale,

2015). Researchers employing a phenomenological design rely on the descriptions and

interpretations of participants to provide an understanding of the phenomenon (Davidsen,

2013). Because this study focused on the exploration of a business problem through

participant experiences and perceptions, a qualitative multiple case study design was the

most applicable.

Researchers employing a case study design seek to gain a comprehensive

understanding of a research problem through deductive and inductive means (Baskarada,

2014). De Massis and Kotlar (2014) added that a case study is a qualitative design that

allows for an exhaustive exploration of a contemporary phenomenon within its real-life

context through use of various lenses. Cronin (2014) suggested that a case study

researcher takes into consideration the spoken words and perspectives of the study

participants as well as the environment and situation in which they occur. A second

qualitative design I considered was narrative inquiry. A researcher who uses a narrative

inquiry design collects data and seeks to provide an understanding of a phenomenon

through the stories of participants (Wang & Geale, 2015). According to Hickson (2015),

a researcher using a narrative inquiry design focuses on the context of the stories as well

as other elements in the building of the story. Stories from participants would not have

adequately addressed the research question of this study; therefore, a narrative inquiry
 52

design was not suitable. The third research design considered was phenomenology. A

researcher who employs a phenomenological design focuses solely on the participants’

lived experiences, which requires that the researcher separate all known natural

assumptions about the phenomenon before engaging in the data collection process

(Snelgrove, 2014). A phenomenological approach was not suitable for this study due to

the limits of the design in collecting data beyond individuals’ lived experiences. In this

study, I collected data from interviews and the social media pages of the organizations

included in the study.

In considering the research design of this study, I also considered how I would

obtain data saturation. Data saturation improves both the validity and quality of the study

findings. Data saturation is the process whereby new participants are continually

introduced into the study until the data are repetitious, and saturation is reached when the

researcher gathers data to the point of diminishing returns (Marshall, Cardon, Poddar, &

Fontenot, 2013). Elo et al. (2014) posited that data saturation provides assurance and

verification that the data collected are comprehensive and complete. In this case study, I

obtained data saturation by three means: (a) asking each participant the same interview

questions; (b) selecting an adequate sample size, and (c) using multiple data sources.

Population and Sampling

Marshall et al. (2013) stated that sampling is a critical component of credible

research. Cleary, Horsfall, and Hayter (2014) suggested that challenges exist in defining

the initial sample size due to the emergent nature of the information within qualitative
 53

methodology. The sampling process includes defining the sample universe, the sample

size, a sampling strategy, and the recruitment of participants (Robinson, 2014).

The sample universe is the target population of the study described by inclusion

and exclusion criteria (Robinson, 2014). Inclusion criteria are those characteristics that a

participant must possess to qualify for the study. The inclusion criteria for the current

study were (a) SME leaders in the craft beer industry, (b) demonstrated experience in

developing and deploying social media consumer engagement strategies that positively

affect their brands’ equity, and (c) over the age of 18. No exclusion criteria existed for

this study.

Yin (2014) proposed that the sample size for a case study is different from other

qualitative designs. Campbell (2015) added that the sample size for a case study usually

contains fewer than 12 participants. In this interview-focused case study, I intended to

have a sample that consisted of at least three small business leaders and no more than 12.

The final sample in this study was eight participants. A range with a minimum and a

maximum number of participants provides flexibility in the research design while

facilitating the researcher’s ability to obtain quality data and achieve saturation (Cleary et

al., 2014; Robinson, 2014). Marshall et al. (2013) stated that saturation occurs when

participants replicate previous data and information becomes redundant.

Campbell (2015) stated that the sampling strategy for a case study is purposive. In

purposive sampling, the cases meet specified criteria for the study (Acharya, Prakash,

Saxena, & Nigam, 2013) whereby each case represents either an individual or a group
 54

that provides the researcher with data needed to understand the phenomenon (Cronin,

2014). I chose individual cases based on their organizational type and size in conjunction

with their geographic location. The Brewers Association database classifies craft beer

organizations by type and size, which supported this sampling strategy.

The sourcing of participants was the final stage in the sampling process. In

qualitative studies, the researcher’s resourcefulness is the only limiting factor in obtaining

participants (Robinson, 2014). In this study, I used email, phone, and personal visits to

firm locations to reach participants. All participants received the study purpose,

information regarding the authenticity of the study, the ethical standards adhered to in the

study, and means for ensuring confidentiality. Participants additionally received

voluntary participation and consent forms in conjunction with the opportunity to ask

questions.

Ethical Research

Ethical guidelines ensure that researchers in qualitative and quantitative studies

protect participants as well as the personal and sensitive data collected from misuse (Oye,

Sorensen, & Glasdam, 2016). S. Taylor and Land (2014) indicated that protecting the

anonymity and confidentiality of participants are critical ethical issues a researcher has

the responsibility to protect. Incorporating the ethical principles of respect, integrity, and

beneficence reduces ethical risks in the research study (Lunnay, Borlagdan, McNaughton,

& Ward, 2015). This study adhered to the ethical guidelines and protocols of the Walden
 55

University Institutional Review Board (IRB), approval number 11-15-17-0525882

expiring on November 14, 2018.

Lunnay et al. (2015) emphasized the importance of mutual respect and trust

building between the parties in a research study. Lunnay et al. stated that respect begins

with the researcher’s acknowledgment of the potential harm the study could pose on

participants. Irwin (2013) added that trust results from the researcher’s duty of care in the

data collection and study process with participants. The informed consent process

depicted any potential risks this study could have imposed on participants and began the

establishment of respect and trust between parties involved. Participants who agreed to

participate in this study received a copy of the informed consent form via electronic mail.

The form provided the participants with information about the study, the consent to

record interviews, and how to withdraw from the study. I obtained verbal consent and

acknowledgment before conducting interviews with the participants.

Integrity is a result of the researcher’s compliance with ethical standards

regardless of situations or scenarios that arise during the study that are outside of the

researcher’s control (Lunnay et al., 2015). Before each interview, I reminded participants

about their anonymity and protection measures through the use of unique coding and that

the data collected were to remain confidential, password protected, secured in a locked

location, and destroyed after five years. I used the MS Excel RANDOM function to

assign five-digit identifiers to participants and maintain participants’ anonymity.

 56

I also reminded participants that they have the right to withdraw from

participation in the study. Participants could withdraw from participation in this study at

any time. Participants could withdraw verbally during the interview process or through

written request up to the publication of this study.

Beneficence measures if the benefits of the study are greater than any duress the

participants experience during the data collection and study process (Lunnay et al., 2015).

I requested participants preferred methods of communication upon initial contact and

strictly adhered to communicating with participants through their chosen method. I

conducted interviews via the preferred method of the participant. I did not identify any

other factors that would create harm or duress for the participants. For their participation,

I said I would provide a copy of the results to each interviewee as both an incentive to

participate and a token of gratitude.

Data Collection Instruments

In qualitative research, the researcher is the primary instrument in the data

collection processes (Yilmaz, 2013). Brooks and Normore (2015) suggested that

qualitative research should incorporate multiple data collection instruments such as

interviews, observations, and documents to explore the phenomenon in question.

Gringeri, Barusch, and Cambron (2013) pointed out that the utilization of multiple

sources strengthens the understanding of the research phenomenon. Yilmaz (2013)

further added that the use of multiple sources adds to the credibility and rigor of a

qualitative research study. In this study, I collected data utilizing two methods. The first
 57

and primary method of data collection was the utilization of semistructured interviews

with the individuals responsible for the establishment and implementation of the social

media consumer brand engagement strategies in the organization. The second method I

used was a document review. I obtained and reviewed documentation from the social

media pages of the organization. I focused on the engagement that occurred between the

organization and consumers. I concluded the data collection process by asking each

participant to engage in member checking.

The interview process followed a semistructured technique utilizing open-ended

questions to engage the participant and steer the conversation about the topic. Fassinger

and Morrow (2013) stated that in interviews that follow a semistructured technique, a

researcher empowers participants by allowing the participant to provide insights into their

knowledge about the phenomenon. I conducted the semistructured interviews as outlined

in the interview protocol (Appendix B) consisting of an introduction and a series of eight

open-ended questions (Appendix C). The open-ended questions (Appendix C) facilitated

the discussion with participants on the topics of consumer brand engagement, social

media marketing, and brand equity.

As cited in Yilmaz (2013), the quality and credibility of a study are the qualitative

measures that directly correlate to trustworthiness. The final measure I employed in the

data collection process was member checking. Fassinger and Morrow (2013) defined

member checking as the participant’s evaluation and feedback of the researcher’s

interpretations of the data. Fassinger and Morrow added that member checking improves
 58

the quality and trustworthiness of the data. I further improved the credibility of this study

by utilizing the three step transcription process recommended by Yin (2014). According

to Yilmaz (2013), trustworthy and credible qualitative research occurs when the

researcher presents rich and descriptive data obtained from an in-depth inquiry into the

phenomenon.

Data Collection Technique

Qualitative case study researchers collect data from multiple sources to provide

context-rich data and confirm findings (Boblin, Ireland, Kirkpatrick, & Robertson, 2013).

The data collection process in this case study consisted of phone interviews utilizing a

semistructured technique in conjunction with document reviews. The benefits of a

semistructured interview are the detailed and complex information about the topic (Starr,

2014) that lead to a greater understanding of the research question and increased validity

(Doody & Noonan, 2013). Brooks and Normore (2015) suggested that a document review

is a systematic process that, according to Boblin et al., (2013), provides information

relevant to understanding the research question that was not obtained through the

interview process.

I used a semistructured interview technique to conduct the study interviews as a

primary means of collecting data from participants and to address the research question

of this study. I used open-ended questions to obtain an understanding of the social media

strategies implemented by the SME leader and the outcomes of those strategies on brand

equity in accordance with the interview protocol. Brooks and Normore (2015) stated that
 59

semistructured interviews enable the researcher to be adaptable in the sequence and

delivery of the predetermined interview questions. Fassinger and Morrow (2013) noted

that adaptability and flexibility in the interview process facilitate the empowerment of

research participants and the sharing of their individually lived perspectives about the

topic.

The semistructured interviews began with a reminder of the informed consent and

withdrawal processes. I also asked participants for their permission to record the

interview. Participants verbally provided consent and had the opportunity to ask any

questions before the interview began. The interview questions related to the participant’s

strategic use of social media to engage consumers and positively impact brand equity. At

the conclusion of the recorded interview, I asked participants for a follow-up interview to

confirm the results of the interview and conduct member checking.

The second data collection method I implemented was a documentation review. I

reviewed the participants’ social media pages, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram,

YouTube, Google+, and Untappd as a secondary data source. Document reviews of the

participant’s company were aimed at identifying any variances between interview results

and real-life occurrences (Shelton et al., 2014) thereby adding credibility and

strengthening the quality of the study (Gringeri et al., 2013). I reviewed the content

posted on these pages with a focus on the activity and content provided by the firm to

engage consumers, interactivity between the firm and consumers, and consumer activity
 60

on firm social media pages during the observation period. I maintained my notes and the

data collected on a spreadsheet for coding and theme analysis.

I employed the member checking process to validate the accuracy of my

interpretations from the participant interviews. Thomas (2017) expressed that member

checking is a process that enhances the validity and credibility of the research. After

completion of the initial interviews and transcriptions, I shared with willing participants

my initial interpretations. Petrova, Dewing, and Camilleri (2016) stated that through

member checking, researchers validate that the study is free of omissions and

misrepresentations that would impact the study findings.

Data Organization Technique

A qualitative case study researcher’s inquiry and conclusion result from data

collected through unique circumstances that are open to various interpretations (Harland,

2014). Yin (2014) believed a researcher should maximize the following four data

collection principles to ensure validity and reliability: (a) the use of multiple sources; (b)

create a database to organize data; (c) maintain a chain of evidence; and (d) exercise care

in the collection of data from electronic sources. Campbell (2015) stated that case study

research requires the researcher to employ the cognitive skills of induction, deduction,

synthesis, evaluation, and critical thinking throughout the inquiry.

In conjunction with the first principle presented by Yin, I used two data collection

instruments, interviews and documentation reviews, during this inquiry. I recorded and

transcribed each interview with participants; storing the recordings and transcriptions
 61

electronically on a secure, password-protected, external hard drive. I copied and

transferred all data from the social media pages of participants to an MS Word document.

I coded all identifiable information collected to protect the anonymity of the participant

and firm. All the data I collected I stored on the same hard drive as the interview

recordings and transcriptions. After the second and all subsequent interviews, I loaded the

transcriptions and collected social media data into NVivo for analysis. Woods, Paulus,

Atkins, and Macklin (2016) concluded that the use of NVivo software enables the

researcher to organize data, identify themes, and establish nodes; emerging patterns and

ideas within the data collected that are otherwise unobtainable manually. NVivo was the

primary database I used to organize and maintain the data in keeping with the second

principle presented by Yin for data collection. I achieved Yin’s third principle by storing

all documents, notes, transcriptions, and other electronic evidence collected on a secure,

password-protected, external hard drive that will be stored for five years. I stored all

printed materials collected within the same safe as the hard drive and am ensuring that

the safe remains locked at all times. After five years, I will destroy all the data by erasing

and reformatting the hard drive and shredding all printed materials. In accordance with

the fourth principle presented by Yin, I only collected data from sites which participants

had social media accounts and established a time fencing parameter of one week before

and after the interviews with each participant. Placing parameters on the amount of time

spent observing and collecting documents from social media pages reduced the potential

data collected to reasonable levels and allowed for in-depth analysis.

 62

Data Analysis

In this study, the theoretical propositions introduced by Yin (2014) guided the

analysis. Yin (2014) suggested that the theoretical propositions of the case study yield the

analytical priorities for the researcher. In this study, the priorities included a focus on

social media brand engagement strategies and brand equity. I used methodological

triangulation, within-case analysis, and cross-case analysis to analyze the data collected.

The use of multiple sources of data integrates methodological triangulation into

this study. Drouin, Stewart, and Van Gorder (2015) stated that methodological

triangulation is a proven design tool that integrates multiple sources of data into the study

to facilitate a comprehensive evaluation of the research question. The data analysis in this

study included reviews of the transcriptions from semistructured interviews and

document reviews of data collected from the SME social media pages. I conducted a

document review of the social media content posted by organizational participants and

followers to corroborate the interview data, as suggested by Yin (2014).

Explanation building, within-case analysis, cross-case analysis, and pattern

matching are a few of the techniques qualitative researchers use in the analysis process

(De Massis & Kotlar, 2014). In this qualitative case study, I used both within-case and

cross-case analysis techniques. Houghton, Murphy, Shaw, and Casey (2015) stated that

within-case analysis facilitates the identification and analyzing of themes in each case.

Werder, Helms, and Slinger (2014) suggested using a cross-case analysis technique to

discover similarities and differences in the data collected from different cases.
 63

Houghton et al. (2015) believed that quality case study research is reliant upon the

researcher’s ability to converge sources and provide a clear and explicit understanding of

the data collected. I began the data analysis by importing all transcriptions of participant

interviews, notes, and documentation from social media pages into NVivo for analysis.

Following the review of all documentation and initial analysis within NVivo, I analyzed

the findings and coded the results based on emerging themes within NVivo as nodes.

Coding is an iterative and incremental process that is an essential part of qualitative

analysis (Baskarada, 2014). Data coding facilitated the development of themes that aided

in the discovery of conceptual similarities and differences between the data (Baskarada,

2014). Utilizing the nodes, I conducted a cross-case analysis of the data loaded into

NVivo. I compared the cross-case analysis results against the within case analysis results

before beginning to assemble my interpretations and preliminary findings.

I then conducted a detailed review and evaluation of the findings to ensure the

reliability of the analysis and the credibility of the identified themes. I crosschecked my

preliminary interpretations and findings with willing participants through member

checking. Member checking involved the reviewing and validation of the data and

researcher interpretations by participants (Gringeri et al., 2013). Member checking

enabled the participants to change the meaning of the data and ensure content validity

(Petrova et al., 2016).

The data analysis section concluded with a write up the findings. The write up

correlated to the conceptual framework that guided this study as well as the literature
 64

reviewed for this study. I present the write up with considerations of alternative

perspectives and in an emerging manner, as recommended by Campbell (2015) later in

this study. The conceptual framework for this study was the relationship marketing

theory introduced by Berry in 1983. Relationship marketing was a firm’s strategy to

attract, maintain, and enhance customer relationships (Berry, 2008). I used this theory to

guide the inquiry of this study into what strategies SME leaders use to engage consumers

on social media and increase brand equity. The themes identified from the analysis of

data will add to the current body of knowledge about the ability of SME enterprises to

increase brand equity through the creation of mutually beneficial relationships on social

media pages.

Reliability and Validity

Anney (2014) stated that qualitative researchers explore a phenomenon through

diverse approaches. Kornbluh (2015) added that those approaches include participant

experiences and perceptions that, according to Noble and Smith (2015), create a reliable

and credible inquiry premised on trustworthiness. Trustworthiness results from the

researcher’s ability to demonstrate dependability, credibility, transferability, and

confirmability in the data collection and analytical processes (Kihn & Ihantola, 2015). I

address the dimensions of dependability, credibility, transferability, and confirmability in

conjunction with data saturation in the following subsections.

 65

Reliability

Noble and Smith (2015) posited that reliability is the researcher’s ability to

remove personal bias from the research method and establish uniformity in the analyses,

while dependability is the qualitative measure of reliability. Dependability is important

because it ensures that the inquiry findings remain consistent throughout repeated trials

and various conditions (Elo et al., 2014). Researchers establish dependability by

thoroughly documenting the research process (Kihn & Ihantola, 2015) and establishing

an audit trail (Anney, 2014). I addressed dependability by maintaining a log in MS Excel

detailing times, places, and settings of all research decisions and activities to include

contact with participants or other data collection efforts. I also ensured all data collected,

digital interview recordings, transcriptions, notes, and other forms of data were readily

available for cross-checking and auditing in accordance with the interview protocol

(Appendix B).

Validity

Validity refers to the accuracy and truthfulness of the representations presented

within the study (Kihn & Ihantola, 2015). Vankatesh et al. (2013) added that in

qualitative research, validity is the assurance that inquiry findings are defendable when

challenged. The qualitative dimensions of credibility, transferability, and confirmability

provide proof of validity in my qualitative research.

Anney (2014) argued that credibility was a reference to the level of confidence

surrounding the accuracy of the findings as they pertain to the representations of the data
 66

provided by participants. Amankwaa (2016) added that credibility was important because

credibility ensures the truthfulness of the findings in a study. Furthermore, Anney (2014)

highlighted numerous strategies for establishing credibility in qualitative research such as

peer debriefing, triangulation, member checks, negative case analysis, and persistent

observation. I ensured credibility by utilizing the strategies of triangulation and member

checking in this study. Triangulation involved the use of two or more data methods to

obtain overlapping data (Yin, 2013). Member checks referred to the use of participants to

verify that findings presented by the researcher accurately represented the participants

intended meanings (Kornbluh, 2015).

Triangulation reduced bias through the cross-checking of participant responses

(Anney, 2014). Triangulation strategies included data source triangulation, analyst

triangulation, theory or perspective triangulation, and methods triangulation (Yin, 2013).

Yin added that data source and methods triangulation increased the validity of the study. I

incorporated into this study cross-checking and the methods triangulation strategy. I

cross-checked the integrity of participant interviews by observing and collecting data on

participant engagement activities and actions on social media platforms.

Member checking was the primary instrument I used to increase the

trustworthiness of this study. According to Kornbluh (2015), member checking involved

the solicitation of participants to validate interpretations and ensure that the findings were

not reflective of the researcher’s bias and interests. Kornbluh further added how the use

of member checking enables a researcher to gather additional insights into the

 67

phenomenon studied, address any gaps in information, and obtain a more robust

understanding of the data collected. Anney (2014) stated that member checking

additionally adds to the credibility of the study by ensuring that the findings are from

reasonable interpretations of the participants’ views. I solicited each interviewee to

participate in the member checking process.

The procurement of participant support in conducting member checking was a

primary focus of mine after each interview in accordance with the interview protocol

(Appendix B). I asked participants to clarify any areas of concern and provide additional

information if gaps existed. Finally, participants validated that the results presented were

true and accurate reflections of their intended meanings.

Transferability refers to the ability of the researcher to demonstrate that the

inquiry findings are relevant in other situations (Amankwaa, 2016). Transferability is

important because it ensures the fittingness and relevance of the research (El Hussein,

Jakubec, & Osuji, 2015) for future use. Anney (2014) stated that transferability is a

conclusion made by the user and not the researcher. The researcher is, however,

responsible for providing detailed descriptions of the phenomenon, inquiry methods,

processes, and all other aspects of the study (Amankwaa, 2016) to facilitate the user’s

assessment of transferability. I ensured transferability by meticulously adhering to the

data collection and analysis techniques of the research design, maintaining detailed

journals and records from interviews in accordance with the interview protocol, and
 68

reaching data saturation. I also included rich and thick descriptions of the participants and

sampling methods to support the transferability of the study further.

Confirmability refers to the ability of other users of the study to confirm the

findings of the study (Anney, 2014). Confirmability is important because confirmability

references the degree to which the study findings resulted from participant’s perspectives

and not researcher bias (Amankwaa, 2016). Confirmability infers that the researcher did

not create the data and findings but that they were an accurate representation of the

participant’s perceptions (Elo et al., 2014). Audit trails provide evidence to support the

inquiry process and findings while triangulation validates the integrity of the data

(Anney, 2014) and the confirmability of the study. I ensured confirmability by

maintaining robust records and details of data collected for auditing, and through

triangulation methods.

Data saturation is important in the establishment of a good qualitative research

study. Data saturation is the point when the researcher no longer obtained new data or

new themes (Fusch & Ness, 2015). Data saturation is the assurance and verification that

the data collection was comprehensive and complete (Elo et al., 2014), and directly

impacts the validity of the research (Fusch & Ness, 2015). Data saturation further

improves the quality of the research through each collection effort until the point of

saturation and diminishes afterward (Marshall et al., 2013). To achieve data saturation in

this study, I asked each participant the same interview questions as recommended by

Fusch and Ness (2015). I also continued to add participants to this study until I was able
 69

to obtain data saturation. Finally, as suggested by Fusch and Ness (2015), I incorporated

multiple methods of data collection to achieve data saturation.

Transition and Summary

In Section 2, I presented details about the roles and responsibilities of the

researcher, participant sampling, research methods, analytical processes, and the ethical

standards of this study. This section included an in-depth analysis of the research method,

qualitative, and design, case study, which expanded upon the discussion presented in the

Nature of the Study subsection in Section 1. Section 2 continued with a presentation of

the interview and observation data collection instruments I used in this study. NVivo

software was used to assist in the analysis of the data collected through interviews and

observations of the social media pages of the participants. This section concluded with a

detailed conversation surrounding the strategies employed to ensure the reliability and

validity of the inquiry.

In Section 3, the application for professional practice and implications for social

change, I present the findings of the study. The results presented in section 3 result from

the data collection instruments presented in Section 2. Section 3 includes the

recommendation for action and future use of the findings before concluding with a final

message to the reader about the significance of this study.

 70

Section 3: Application to Professional Practice and Implications for Change

Section 3 begins with an introduction that includes the purpose of this study, a

restatement of the research question, and an overview of the project. I then present the

results of the project. Discussions of the implications for social change, recommendations

for action, and recommendations for further research follow. This section concludes with

reflections on this study and a conclusion.

Introduction

The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the social media consumer

brand engagement strategies leaders of SMEs use to positively affect their brands’ equity.

The data came from interviews with SME leaders and social media pages of eight craft

breweries. The research participants were leaders of small businesses and were

responsible for social media consumer engagement strategies for their organization. The

participants discussed numerous strategies and techniques used to engage consumers and

impact brand awareness, brand loyalty, and brand image. My review of the social media

content posted by each organization confirmed the data collected during the interviews

and provided further insights into the social media consumer brand engagement strategies

of the SME leaders in this study. From these two sources of data, I was able to draw

conclusions and answer the research question.

Presentation of the Findings

The primary research question that guided this study was the following: What

social media engagement strategies do SME leaders use to positively affect their brands’
 71

equity? I used a qualitative method and case study design to answer the research

question. I sought information from business leaders of craft breweries to provide

relevant data for this study. I identified common themes from the information collected

during semistructured interviews with the participants. I employed the interview protocol

in Appendix B and a member checking process to mitigate personal bias, and I

implemented triangulation to increase the validity and reliability of the study.

As depicted in Table 1, three themes emerged from the data analysis. These

themes emerged after I used a combination of manual coding and Nvivo to analyze the

data. The themes depict the merits for social media marketing use and the social media

consumer engagement strategies small business leaders need to promote to positively

impact the brand equity of their craft breweries. The themes were the following: (a)

economical strategy, (b) relationship strategy, and (c) constant and continuous contact

strategy. The themes confirmed the constructs and findings presented in the literature.

Table 1

Emergent Themes

Number of Number of
Nodes/themes respondents times theme
was addressed
Economical strategy 6 10
Relationship strategy 7 13
Constant and continuous 5 12
contract strategy
 72

Theme 1: Economical Strategy

The first theme that emerged from participants was that social media affords

SMEs the opportunity to engage consumers and impact their brands more than any other

platform. The business leaders who participated in this study do not have the resources

available to engage consumers and compete against LSEs on more costly traditional

marketing platforms. The cost of entry into most social media platforms, especially

Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, is minimal. The consumer reach, engagement

capabilities, and benefits are limitless. Participants responded by stating that social media

afforded them the best opportunity to engage consumers and positively impact their brand

without consuming valuable financial resources. For instance, M152 stated, “I understand

the marketing power of social media through both engagement and advertising. Social

media works to our advantage of being a small independent business.”

At a relatively low cost, social media enabled the leaders of the SME enterprises

participating in this study to reach and engage consumers they otherwise would not have

been able to through traditional means. For instance, C149 stated, “We are such a small

brewery with a very limited budget so we cannot really afford to do a lot of the

newspapers, radio ads, or some of the beer magazines that cost so much more money.”

G174 added, “Typical traditional marketing strategies like print and media are not

available to us due to price, so we mostly use social media platforms to communicate

with consumers.” Participant J159 stated, “Social media is our primary medium for

advertising. It seems to be the most effective, and of course cost friendly as well.”
 73

Finally, in keeping with the notion that social media is the best engagement and

marketing platform, S167 stated,

I do not feel as though you can have a healthy business without social media. For

a company in its first 1-5 years, I do not see how anybody could make it. You

need that association with social media and people.

Y123 added, “Rather than take out an ad in a newspaper, radio, or something similar, it

makes more sense to do something as easy as a social media post.”

Correlation to the literature. Data collected from participants showed that social

media is the best marketing solution for their SME compared to traditional marketing

strategies. Taneja and Toombs (2014) noted that SMEs use social media rather than other

traditional marketing platforms due to social media’s inexpensive nature, expediency, and

reach. My findings also aligned with those from Calli and Clark (2015) who observed

that social media is the most economical end effective means for SME leaders to engage

consumers and compete in a global market. He et al. (2014) suggested that social media

offer SMEs an opportunity to increase customer trust and loyalty with the brand at little

to no cost. Furthermore, SME leaders do not need to have advanced technical knowledge

to overcome the restrictions of their limited resources and deliver simple and effective

marketing strategies (Atanassova & Clark, 2015) controlled by the business (Taneja &

Toombs, 2014) through social media.

Seventy-five percent of the participants in the current study mentioned social

media as their preferred platform for engaging consumers predominantly due to the cost-
 74

benefit ratio. SMEs that employ successful social media marketing strategies may build

competitive advantages over industry competitors resulting in increased organizational

performance and brand equity (Calli & Clark, 2015). I concluded that the literature and

participants’ responses confirmed that social media marketing platforms afford SME

leaders the most economical and effective means to engage consumers and positively

impact brand equity.

Correlation to the conceptual framework. Business leaders using social media

to engage consumers should ensure that the exchanges are mutually beneficial and move

away from transactional exchanges in favor of relational exchanges. Lam et al. (2013)

stated that business leaders used the Internet to manage relationships, segment and retain

customers, and grow consumer value, which are fundamental principles of CRM.

Additionally, technology-driven relationship marketing strategies provide business

leaders with the opportunity to remain competitive and impact brand equity (Gurhan-

Canli et al., 2016) through continuous contact with customers and the ability to overcome

geographical boundaries (Al-Weshah et al., 2013). The relationship marketing strategy

and the principles of customer relationship management support the SME leader’s use of

social media as a primary means of customer engagement.

Theme 2: Relationship Strategy

Most participants in the current study mentioned that their social media marketing

and consumer engagement strategies focused on shared values with their target

demographic. Participants said that they use social media to acquire customers, develop
 75

relationships, and diffuse knowledge. Participants noted that the education of consumers

about their brand had been a focal point of their marketing strategy; establishing and

maintaining relationships with their local and regional community members was

paramount to their success. Participant social media posts focused on maintaining the

desired brand image and consumer perception of their brand. For instance, J159 stated,

I use a very personalized way of marketing. I really keep it personal, hometown,

small business owner, oriented. I think that appeals to not only our local residents

but our tourists that have come in and out and looked us up on Facebook and

Instagram.

C149 added,

We focus a lot on our local community. We focus entirely on an experience. We

wanted to be a place where people could come with their friends or family, sit

around a table, nurse a beer, and not feel rushed to leave like you might at a

restaurant. We work really hard to maintain that. We encourage that with all of

our social media posts the best we can.

N133 concluded,

Our social presence was built around remaining local. We think that our product

and our approach fits in with the laid-back vibe here in the city. We want to make

sure that people get a sense of what we are going for through the stories and the

pictures that we put out on social media.

In keeping with the relationship building strategy, R119 added,

 76

We feel the best way to connect is to create an emotional connection. First of all,

prompt the consumer to have an interest in something that is along the lines of

what they consider their lifestyle or the lifestyle that they would want.

G174 provided the following information, “It is important to be responsive to consumer

posts, messages, and questions. You have to be engaged to really understand what is

exciting and what is going to be effective with consumers.” M152 added, “Social media

is a very powerful tool, but it takes a special kind of mind and thought process to utilize it

successfully. You need to find ways to engage your customer base and grow new

customers.” S167 provided the following: “Across the board the bottom line is, if you are

going to do anything you have to stick with simple but loud. Let people become

comfortable with the brand. Be relatable.”

Correlation to the literature. Data supplied from participants demonstrated the

need to create relationships with consumers. The participant responses emphasized the

importance of creating relationships built on brand associations. Yoganathan et al. (2015)

suggested that social media allows SMEs to engage consumers and create mutually

beneficial relationships built on shared values and goals. Social media enables SME

leaders to create simple, efficient, and easy-to-understand associations with the consumer

(Atanassova & Clark, 2015). Sasmita and Suki (2015) argued that positive brand

associations garner competitive advantages that improve the market position for the

brand.
 77

Seven out of eight participants in the current study mentioned strategies

developed around relationship constructs in their responses. Strategies that incorporate

building relationships with consumers may result in increased customer retention,

improved customer satisfaction, and higher customer loyalty (Al-Alak, 2014). I

concluded from the literature reviewed and data collected from participants that SMEs

should develop mutually beneficial relationships with consumers to positively impact

brand equity.

Correlation to the conceptual framework. Consumer brand engagement occurs

when the interactions between the consumer and brand enhance emotive connections

(Kabadayi & Price, 2014) and stimulate desired behaviors (Keller, 2013). Sashi (2012)

suggested that engaged customers enhance sellers’ understanding of customers’ needs,

participate in product development, solicit information on strategies and products, and are

advocates for the brand. Through this understanding of consumer needs and the sharing

of shared values and goals, long-term and mutually beneficial relationships evolve that

may result in increased loyalty and enhance brand equity (Yoganathan et al., 2015). The

relationship marketing theory assists in explaining how a business can foster and build

relationships that positively impact their brand equity.

 78

Theme 3: Constant and Continuous Contact Strategy

The third theme that emerged was the need for SME leaders to remain relevant

and in front of consumers given the highly crowded and competitive market space. In

75% of the interviews, participants detailed the need to continuously post content on

social media platforms and across multiple platforms. Through consistent posting and

contact, the brands remain on top of the consumer’s social media pages and at the

forefront of the consumer minds. Participants suggested that any post is better than no

post at all.

Participant strategies varied in the frequency of contact with consumers. Half of

the participants supported posting daily, and sometimes multiple times per day, while the

other half supported posting often enough to remain relevant in the consumer’s mind.

Regardless of the frequency, all participants stated that their engagement strategies relied

on constant and continuous contact with consumers. Participants noted that as a business

leader creating constant traffic that incites consumers is a driver of their brand success.

Participant J159 stated, “We post daily. We try to do a daily post. On weekends

specifically, I tell people how the weather is, a nice day or rainy day, to stay in front of

customers.” M152 added, “Consistency is the key. The ability to post at least once a day

is what drives success.” Participant Y123’s comments further supported the relevance

strategy: “You lose people’s attention pretty quickly unless it is right in their face all the

time. I try to put something up every day or even every other day to stay relevant.”

Participant C149 noted,

 79

We focus on events. We do events almost every week. We are a tasting room

experience, so we do not do distribution and you have to come to us to get our

product. In order to do that, it requires a lot of word of mouth or people seeing

you online.

Participants further emphasized the need to post across multiple channels. Participant

channels included Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Untappd primarily, with

participation in other channels being minimal. Business leaders tie their use of each

channel to specific audiences and brand messages. To maximize the brand’s consumer

reach, various channels need to be explored and exploited. Participant M152 stated,

“Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook are all tied together. That gives us the ability to create

one post on Instagram and hit the other two at the same time.

J159 added, “We use Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Untappd. Our biggest pushes are

on Facebook and Instagram without question. Untappd, we leave up to our customers.

Twitter is an afterthought since it is automatically fed from Facebook.”

G174 provided the following,

We experimented with Tumblr and Pinterest. In the past, we also used video

streaming platforms such as Periscope to do short films and events. As our social

media people come and go we tend to change those extra activities. Facebook,

Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest remain though.

Correlation to the literature. Participants in this study suggested that only

maintaining a presence on social media is not a viable strategy. Participants noted that
 80

they must continuously post fresh and new content on social media platforms to remain

relevant to the consumer. Al-Weshah et al. (2013).) reiterated the importance of

consistent and continuous contact in creating and maintaining effective relationships with

consumers. Watkins (2014) further suggested that business leaders need to actively

communicate with consumers on social media platforms to have a successful social

media marketing strategy. Through continuous engagement with consumers, SME

leaders are able to establish relationships and create positive associations between the

consumer and the brand (Kuvykaite & Piligrimiene, 2014) that directly impact the brand

equity constructs of loyalty, satisfaction, commitment, and trust (Brodie et al., 2013;

Leckie et al., 2016). Based on the findings from the literature reviewed and participant

responses, I concluded that constant and continuous contact with consumers through

multiple social media marketing platforms is essential to the success of the SMEs’ brand.

Correlation to the conceptual framework. Communication is vital to any

relationship including those between a brand and a consumer. The fundamental principles

of the relationship marketing theory are the value of customer retention over customer

acquisition and the benefit of long lasting mutually beneficial relationships (Kumar,

2014). Agariya and Singh (2011) highlighted communication as a core construct in the

relationship building process between the firm and the consumer. Vieira et al. (2014)

emphasized that constant and continuous communication between the parties in a

relationship facilitates trust building and the quality of the relationship. Vieira et al.

added that the interaction between trust and communication are vital to increase firm
 81

performance and brand equity. Through social media, business leaders can employ RM

initiatives that focus on customer engagement and two-way interactive communications

(Choudhury & Harrigan, 2014). Accordingly, the RM theory helps to explain the

importance of communication in creating relationships with consumers that strengthen

the brand and vitality of the SME in competitive markets.

Applications to Professional Practice

This study contributes to the body of knowledge for SME leader’s adoption of

consumer brand engagement strategies that positively impact their brand equity. Craft

brewers, industry professionals, and SME owners could benefit from the results of this

study by furthering their knowledge and understanding of social media consumer

engagement strategies that positively impact brand equity. Kavisekera and Abeysekera

(2016) posited that it is critical for organizational leaders in the modern business era to

maximize the benefits of social media and improve their social media marketing

strategies. Social media allows business leaders to engage consumers and develop

relationships that positively impact their brand (Jones, Borgman, & Ulusoy, 2015).

The specific business problem is that some leaders of small-medium enterprises

(SMEs) lack the social media consumer brand engagement strategies to affect their

brands’ equity positively. This study includes a review of the literature on relationship

marketing, social media, and brand equity, followed by a case study. The emergent

themes provide small-to-medium business leaders with information for supporting the use

of social media to establish relationships through consumer engagement and increased

 82

brand awareness, loyalty, image, and perceptions of quality. Jones et al. (2015)

emphasized the need for leaders of SMEs to engage consumers and establish

relationships through social media to increase brand equity. Business leaders that either

ignore or fail to adapt successful relationship marketing strategies through social media

may struggle to thrive and compete in the modern business era (Rasul, 2018).

Participants in this study discussed their social media marketing strategies to

engage consumers and increase brand equity. Participants demonstrated their influence in

the social media and consumer engagement strategy development and implementation for

their craft breweries. Business leaders in this study appeared to prefer social media

platforms compared to traditional marketing platforms due to the low or no cost nature of

social media, the ability to control content more easily, customer reach, and ease of

communication with customers. Participants disclosed that social media has significantly

impacted their brand. Huang, Yang, and Lee (2017) stated that successful social media

consumer engagement strategies enable leaders of SMEs to advance their brands and

compete against global organizations.

Implications for Social Change

The implications for positive social change include the potential to positively

affect communities through new employment opportunities, increased revenues,

economic stability, and improved living conditions. SMEs are a vital component to the

economic stability of a community. Furthermore, SMEs ability to increase brand equity

may provide the needed resources within the community to reduce poverty (Ribeiro-
 83

Soriano, 2017). The findings of the study may also provide consumers with improved

information and content that may assist them in understanding and shaping organizational

offerings towards the needs of the community.

Recommendations for Action

In this qualitative case study, I explored the strategies SME leaders of craft

breweries use to engage consumers on social media and positively impact their brand

equity. This study was needed because SMEs are the primary drivers of economic growth

in local communities (Ribeiro-Soriano, 2017) and yet their influence on employment and

economic growth is on the decline (SBA, 2016a). The recommendations from this

research may aid SME leaders, community stakeholders, and future researchers who

study social media and or brand equity. Business leaders could examine the results of this

study and consider incorporating the themes that emerged into their consumer

engagement social media strategies. I identified three themes that may help SME leaders

positively impact brand equity.

Recommendations for Further Research

In this qualitative case study, I explored the strategies some SME leaders of craft

breweries use to engage consumers on social media and positively impact brand equity.

Recommendations for further research include addressing the limitations of this study to

include location, sample population, and individual participation criteria. I used eight

SME leaders of craft breweries located in the Southeastern United States. The findings of
 84

this study call for further exploration and validation across other regions and markets to

ascertain the level of transferability.

A significant limitation to this study was the lack of comprehensiveness in regards

to the region of participants and the type of business explored. SMEs are vital to the

economic growth of communities of all sizes, states, and nations. Future researchers

could expand the geographical area to explore whether or not the same themes would

emerge. A future researcher could attempt to validate the findings of this study by

choosing to explore a different market that provides economic benefits within their

community.

Reflections

The Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) program at Walden University has

been a longer than anticipated journey that has provided many highs and lows. I

encountered obstacles in both my personal and professional lives that hindered my ability

to dedicate time to my scholarly goals. From a scholarly perspective, I also encountered

self-inflicted obstacles that directly impacted progress. Along the way, I had the

opportunity to learn under and alongside knowledgeable faculty and classmates who

helped guide me to towards completion of this study. Every interaction provided focus on

the task at hand and helped focus and orientate me on the goal.

As I began the process of exploring strategies some SME business leaders of craft

breweries use to engage consumers on social media and positively impact brand equity, I

quickly learned how challenging the research process was going to be. I found that
 85

conducting a qualitative case study was filled with challenges I had yet to experience in

my educational process. The primary challenges stemmed around obtaining and

interviewing enough participants to provide a valid and reliable study. I was able to

secure two participants very quickly but struggled after that for a significant amount of

time to secure any more. I emailed, called, sent letters, went to business locations, and

even messaged potential participants through social media with no success. After some

time, I established persons of influence and personal points of contact to help secure

additional participants. Once I obtained enough willing participants, the second challenge

came to fruition attempting to secure interviews.

I enjoyed the opportunity to meet with each participant, hear their strategies, and

analyze the data. During the interview process and after that, I set aside any preconceived

notions and bias I had about why they should use social media, platforms, and strategies

as I attempted to embrace the research process fully. I now have a more holistic

understanding of SMEs and SME leaders strategic use of social media for the outcomes

they intend to achieve as it pertains to brand equity. My experiences and lessons learned

in this process will carry forward and help me in my personal and professional life.

Conclusion

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore what social media

consumer brand engagement strategies leaders of SMEs in the craft beer industry use to

positively affect their brands’ equity. The targeted population for this study was a

minimum of three registered members of the Brewers Association in the Southeastern

 86

United States who have demonstrated experience in developing and deploying strategies

that positively affect their brands’ equity. I used the relationship marketing theory as the

conceptual framework to help guide this study. To ensure the reliability of this study, I

thoroughly documenting the research process. I established validity by employing the

strategies of triangulation and member checking in this study.

Despite the limitations of this study, the results contribute to the literature on

SME use of social media to engage consumers and increase brand equity. To obtain the

data used in this study, I reviewed sources of information, including journal articles and

books, conducted semistructured interviews, and participant social media pages. From the

analysis of those sources, three themes emerged, which includes (a) economics, (b)

relationship strategy, and (c) constant and continuous contact strategy.

The presentation of the findings linked each emergent them back to the literature

reviewed and conceptual framework that guided this study. The predominant theme that

emerged was the need to establish a relationship with consumers. Participants

emphasized that their relationship strategy focuses on targeted engagement with

consumers that share like values and goals as the SME business leaders. The SME

business leaders in this study focused on delivering quality products that met their

consumer base needs and wants. Such consumers can associate with the brand and the

image that the brand portrays, thereby positively impacting the equity for the brand.
 87

References

Aaker, D. (1991). Managing brand equity: Capitalizing on the value of brand name. New

York, NY: The Free Press.

Acharya, A. S., Prakash, A., Saxena, P., & Nigam, A. (2013). Sampling: Why and how of

it? Indian Journal of Medical Specialties, 4, 330-333.

http://dx.doi.org/10.7713/ijms.2013.0032

Adashi, A., Walters, L., & Menikoff, J. (2018). The Belmont Report at 40: Reckoning

with time. American Journal of Public Health, 108(10), 1345-1348.

http://dx.doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2018.304580

Agariya, A., & Singh, D. (2011). What really defines relationship marketing? A review

of definitions and general and sector-specific defining constructs. Journal of

Relationship Marketing, 10, 203-237.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15332667.2011.624905

Aichner, T., & Jacob, F. (2015). Measuring the degree of corporate social media use.

International Journal of Market Research, 57(2), 257-275.

http://dx.doi.org/10.2501/IJMR-2015-018

Al-alak, B. (2014). Impact of marketing activities on relationship quality in the

Malaysian banking sector. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 21, 347-

356. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tretconser.2013.07.001

Al-Weshah, G., Alnsour, M., Al-Hyari, K., Alhammad, F., & Algharabat, R. (2013).

Electronic networks and relationship marketing: Qualitative evidence from

 88

Jordanian travel agencies. Journal of Relationship Marketing, 12, 261-279.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15332667.2013.846245

Amankwaa, L. (2016). Creating protocols for trustworthiness in qualitative research.

Journal of Cultural Diversity, 23, 121-127. Retrieved from

http://www.tuckerpub.com/jcd.htm

Anney, V. (2014). Ensuring the quality of the findings of qualitative research: Looking at

trustworthiness criteria. Journal of Emerging Trends in Educational Research and

Policy Studies, 5, 272-281. Retrieved from

http://www.jeteraps.scholarlinkresearch.com

Argyris, Y., & Monu, K. (2015). Corporate use of social media: Technology affordance

and external stakeholder relations. Journal of Organizational Computing and

Electronic Commerce, 25(2), 140-168.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10919392.2015.1033940

Atanassova, I., & Clark, L. (2015). Social media practices in SME marketing activities: A

theoretical framework and research agenda. Journal of Customer Behavior, 14,

163-183. http://dx.doi.org/10.1362/147539215X14373846805824

Barreda, A., Bilgihan, A., Nusair, K., & Okumus, F. (2015). Generating brand awareness

in online social networks. Computers in Human Behavior, 50, 600-609.

http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1016/j.chb.2015.03.023

Baskarada, S. (2014). Qualitative case study guidelines. Qualitative Report, 19, 1-18.

Retrieved from https://nsuworks.nova.edu/tqr/

 89

Berisha, G., & Pula, J. (2015). Defining small and medium enterprises: A critical review.

Academic Journal of Business, Administration, Law and Social Sciences, 1, 17-

28. Retrieved from http://iipccl.org/?page_id=2388

Berry, L. (2008). Relationship marketing of services perspectives from 1983 and 2000.

Journal of Relationship Marketing, 1, 59-77.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1300/J366v01n01_05

Bianchi, C. (2015). Consumer brand loyalty in the Chilean wine industry. Journal of

Food Products Marketing, 21, 442-460.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10454446.2014.885859

Bianchi, C., Drennan, J., & Proud, B. (2014). Antecedents of consumer brand loyalty in

the Australian wine industry. Journal of Wine Research, 25, 91-104.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09571264.2014.888650

Billington, M., & Billington, P. (2012). Social media tools for leaders and managers.

Journal of Leadership, Accountability and Ethics, 9(6), 11-19. Retrieved from

http://www.na-businesspress.com

Bloomberg, L. D., & Volpe, M. (2012). Completing your qualitative dissertation: A road

map from beginning to end (2nd ed.). Los Angeles, CA: Sage.

Boblin, S., Ireland, S., Kirkpatrick, H., & Robertson, K. (2013). Using Stake’s qualitative

case study approach to explore implementation of evidence-based practice.

Qualitative Health Research, 23, 1267-1275.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1049732313502128
 90

Braun, C., Hadwich, K., & Bruhn, M. (2017). How do different types of customer

engagement affect important relationship marketing outcomes? An empirical

analysis. Journal of Customer Behaviour, 16, 111-144.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1362/147539217X14909732699525

Brodie, R., Ilic, A., Juric, B., & Hollebeek, L. (2013). Consumer engagement in a virtual

brand community: An exploratory analysis. Journal of Service Research, 66, 252-

271. http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1016/j.jbusres.2011.07.029

Brooks, J., & Normore, A. (2015). Qualitative research and educational leadership:

Essential dynamics to consider when designing and conducting studies.

International Journal of Educational Management, 29, 798-806.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/IJEM-06-2015-0083

Brown, J., Crosno, J., & Tong, P. (2019). Is the theory of trust and commitment in

marketing relationships incomplete? Industrial Marketing Management, 77, 155-

169. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2018.10.005

Brutus, S., Aguinis, H., & Wassmer, U. (2012). Self-reported limitations and future

directions in scholarly reports: Analysis and recommendations. Journal of

Management, 39, 48-75. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0149206312455245

Buil, I., de Chernatony, L., & Martinez, E. (2013). Examining the role of advertising and

sales promotion in brand equity creation. Journal of Business Research, 66, 115-

122. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2011.07.030
 91

Calli, L., & Clark, L. (2015, July). Overcoming SME barriers to gaining competitive

advantage through social media. Paper presented at the School of Accounting and

Administration at the Polytechnic Institute, Porto, Portugal.

http://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.1.4136.3046

Campbell, S. (2015). Conducting case study research. Clinical Laboratory Science, 28,

201-205. Retrieved from http://www.ascls.org

Cant, M., & Wild, J. (2016). The use of traditional marketing tools by SMEs in an

emerging economy: A South African perspective. Problems and Perspectives in

Management, 14(1), 64-70. http://dx.doi.org/10.21511/ppm.14(1).2016.07

Caruso, A. (2015). Statistics of U.S. businesses employment and payroll summary: 2012

Report No. G12-SUSB). Retrieved from

https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2015/econ/g12-

susb.pdf

Casidy, R., & Nyadzayo, M. (2019). Drivers and outcomes of relationship quality with

professional service firms: An SME owner-manager perspective. Industrial

Marketing Management, 78, 27-42.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2017.09.011

Chia-Jen, H. (2013). The key success factors on the customer relationship management

systems in travel agencies. Pakistan Journal of Statistics, 29(5), 785-794.

Retrieved from http://www.pakjs.com

 92

Cho, E., & Fiore, A. (2015). Conceptualization of a holistic brand image measure for

fashion-related brands. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 32, 255-265.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JCM-07-2014-1063

Cho, E., Fiore, A., & Russell, D. (2015). Validation of a fashion brand image scale

capturing cognitive, sensory, and affective associations: Testing its role in an

extended brand equity model. Psychology and Marketing, 32, 28-48.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/mar.20762

Choudhury, M., & Harrigan, P. (2014). CRM to social CRM: The integration of new

technologies into customer relationship management. Journal of Strategic

Marketing, 22, 149-176. http://dx.doi.org/10/1080/0965254X.2013.876069

Christodoulides, G., Cadogan, J., & Veloutsou, C. (2015). Consumer-based brand equity

measurement: Lessons learned from an international study. International

Marketing Review, 32, 307-328. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/IMR-10-2013-0242

Cleary, M., Horsfall, J., & Hayter, M. (2014). Data collection and sampling in qualitative

research: Does size matter? Journal of Advanced Nursing, 70, 473-475.

http://dx.doi.org/10.111/jan.12163

Cleff, T., Lin, I., & Walter, N. (2014). Can you feel it? The effect of brand experience on

brand equity. IUP Journal of Brand Management, 11, 7-27. Retrieved from

http://www.iupindia.in
 93

Couto, M., & Ferreira, J. (2017). Brand management as an internationalization strategy

for SME: A multiple case study. Journal of Global Marketing, 30, 192-206.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08911762.2017.1307477

Cronin, C. (2014). Using case study research as a rigorous form of inquiry. Nurse

Researcher, 12(5), 19-27. http://dx.doi.org/0.7748/nr.21.5.19.e1240

Crowe, S., Cresswell, K., Robertson, A., Huby, G., Avery, A., & Sheikh, A. (2011). The

case study approach. BMC Medical Research Methodology, 11, 1-9.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1471-2288-11-100

Davidsen, A. (2013). Phenomenological approaches in psychology and health sciences.

Qualitative Research in Psychology, 10, 318-339.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14780887.2011.608466

Davis, R., Piven, I., & Breazeale, M. (2014). Conceptualizing the brand in social media

community: The five sources model. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services,

21, 468-481. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2014.03.006

De Massis, A., & Kotlar, J. (2014). The case study method in family business research:

Guidelines for qualitative scholarship. Journal of Family Business Strategy, 5, 15-

29. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/jfbs.2014.01.007

Dens, N., & de Pelsmacker, P. (2016). Does poor fit always lead to negative evaluations?

Extension advertising and perceived brand quality. International Journal of

Advertising, 35, 465-485. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02650487.2015.1057924

 94

De Vries, N., & Carlson, J. (2014). Examining the drivers and brand performance

implications of customer engagement with brands in the social media

environment. Journal of Brand Management, 21, 495-515.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/bm.2014.18

Doody, O., & Noonan, M. (2013). Preparing and conducting interviews to collect data.

Nurse Researcher, 20(5), 28-32. http://dx.doi.org/ 0.7748/nr2013.05.20.5.28.e327

Drouin, M., Stewart, J., & Van Gorder, K. (2015). Using methodological triangulation to

examine the effectiveness of a mentoring program for online instructors. Distance

Education, 36, 400-418. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01587919.2015.1081735

El Hussein, M., Jakubec, S., & Osuji, J. (2015). Assessing the FACTS: A mnemonic for

teaching and learning the rapid assessment of rigor in qualitative research studies.

Qualitative Report, 20, 1182-1184. Retrieved from https://nsuworks.nova.edu/tqr/

Elo, S., Kaariainen, M., Kantse, O., Polkki, T., Utriainen, K., & Kyngas, H. (2014).

Qualitative content analysis: A focus on trustworthiness. SAGE Open, 4, 1-10.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/2158244014522633

Fassinger, R., & Morrow, S. (2013). Toward best practices in quantitative, qualitative,

and mixed-method research: A social justice perspective. Journal for Social

Action in Counseling and Psychology, 5(2), 69-83. Retrieved from

http://www.jsacp.tumblr.com
 95

Fleet, D., Burton, A., Reeves, A., & DasGupta, M. (2016). A case for taking the dual role

of counselor-researcher in qualitative research. Qualitative Research in

Psychology, 13, 328-346. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14780887.2016.1205694

Franzak, F., Makarem, S., & Jae, H. (2014). Design benefits, emotional responses, and

brand engagement. Journal of Product & Brand Management, 23, 16-23.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JPBM-07-2013-0350

Fusch, P., & Ness, L. (2015). Are we there yet? Data saturation in qualitative research.

Qualitative Report, 20, 1408-1416. Retrieved from https://nsuworks.nova.edu/tqr/

Galvin, R. (2015). How many interviews are enough? Do qualitative interviews in

building energy consumption research produce reliable knowledge? Journal of

Building Engineering, 1, 2-12. http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1016/j.jobe.2014.12.001

Gambetti, R., Biraghi, S., Schultz, D., & Graffigna, G. (2016). Brand wars: Consumer

brand engagement beyond client-agency fights. Journal of Strategic Marketing,

24, 90-103. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0965254X.2015.1011199

Golafshani, N. (2003). Understanding reliability and validity in qualitative research.

Qualitative Report, 8, 597-606. Retrieved from https://nsuworks.nova.edu/tqr/

Greenwood, S., Perrin, A., & Duggan, M. (2016). Social Media Update 2016. Retrieved

from Pew Research Center website:

http://www.pewinternet.org/2016/11/11/social-media-update-2016/
 96

Gringeri, C., Barusch, A., & Cambron, C. (2013). Examining foundations of qualitative

research: A review of social work dissertations, 2008-2010. Journal of Social

Work Education, 49, 760-773. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2013.812910

Gronroos, C. (1996). Relationship marketing: Strategic and tactical implications.

Management Decision, 34, 5-14. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/00251749610113613

Gurhan-Canli, Z., Hayran, C., & Sarial-Abi, G. (2016). Customer-based brand equity in a

technologically fast-paced, connected, and constrained environment. AMS

Review, 6, 23-32. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s13162-016-0079-y

Hapsari, R., Clemes, M., & Dean, D. (2015). The role of customer engagement in

enhancing passenger loyalty in Indonesian airline industry: Relationship

marketing approach. Asia-Pacific Management and Business Application, 3, 135-

144. Retrieved from http://apmba.ub.ac.id

Harland, T. (2014). Learning about case study methodology to research higher education.

Higher Education Research & Development, 33, 1113-1122.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2014.911253

Harrigan, P., & Miles, M. (2014). From e-CRM to s-CRM: Critical factors underpinning

the social CRM activities of SMEs. Small Enterprise Research, 21(1), 99-116.

http://dx.doi.org/ 10.5172/ser.2014.21.1.99

He, W., Wang, F.-K., & Zha, S. (2014). Enhancing social media competitiveness of small

businesses: Insights from small pizzerias. New Review of Hypermedia and

Multimedia, 20, 225-250. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13614568.2014.889225

 97

He, Y., & Lai, K. (2015). The effect of corporate social responsibility on brand loyalty:

The mediating role of brand image. Total Quality Management, 25, 249-263.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14783363.2012.661138

Hew, J., Lee, V., Ooi, K., & Lin, B. (2016). Mobile social commerce: The booster for

brand loyalty? Computers in Human Behavior, 59, 142-154.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2016.01.027

Hickson, H. (2015). Becoming a critical narrativist: Using critical reflection and narrative

inquiry as research methodology. Qualitative Social Work, 15, 380-391.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1473325015617344

Hlady-Rispal, M., & Jouison-Laffitte, E. (2014). Qualitative research and epistemological

frameworks: A review of publication trends in entrepreneurship. Journal of Small

Business Management, 52, 594-614. http://dx.doi.org/10.111/jsbm.12123

Honer, A., & Hitzler, R. (2015). Life-world-analytical ethnography: A phenomenology-

based research approach. Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, 44, 544-562.

http://dx.doi.org/10/1177/0891241615588589

Houghton, C., Murphy, K., Shaw, D., & Casey, D. (2015). Qualitative case study data

analysis: An example from practice. Nurse Researcher, 22(5), 8-12.

http://dx.doi.org/10.7748/nr.22.5.8.e1307

Huang, H.-C., Yang, H.-C., & Lee, Y.-D. (2017). Global extension by online marketing

for SME: Customer-based brand equity through social media. International

 98

Journal of Innovative Studies in Sociology and Humanities, 2, 6-15. Retrieved

from://www.ijissh.org

Huang, S.-L., & Ku, H.-H. (2016). Brand image management for nonprofit organizations:

Exploring the relationships between websites, brand images, and donations.

Journal of Electronic Commerce Research, 17, 80-96. Retrieved from

http://www.jecr.org

Hudson, S., Huang, L., Roth, M., & Madden, T. (2016). The influence of social media

interactions on consumer brand relationships: A three-country study on brand

perceptions and marketing behaviors. International Journal of Research in

Marketing, 33, 27-41. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijresmar.2015.06.004

Hunt, S., Arnett, D., & Madhavaram, S. (2006). The explanatory foundations of

relationship marketing theory. Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, 21,

72-87. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/10610420610651296

Iruka, C., & Ateke, W. (2014). Customer involvement management practices and

customer retention in the hospitality industry. International Journal of Business

and Social Science, 1(7), 61-72. Retrieved from http://www.ijbssnet.com

Irwin, S. (2013). Qualitative secondary data analysis: Ethics, epistemology and context.

Progress in Development Studies, 13, 295-306.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1464993413490479
 99

Jones, M., Reynolds, K., Arnold, M., Gabler, C., Gillison, S., & Landers., V. (2014).

Exploring consumers’ attitudes towards relationship marketing. Journal of

Services Marketing, 29, 188-199. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-04-2014-0134

Jones, N., Borgman, R., & Ulusoy, E. (2015). Impact of social media on small

businesses. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, 22, 611-632.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSBED-09-2013-0133

Jones, T., Ranaweera, C., Murray, J., & Bansal, H. (2018). A prototyping analysis of

relationship marketing constructs: What constructs to use when. Journal of

Marketing Management, 34, 865-901.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0267257X.2018.1520281

Kabadayi, S., & Price, K. (2014). Consumer brand engagement on Facebook: Liking and

commenting behaviors. Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing, 8, 203-223.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JRIM-12-2013-0081

Karadag, H. (2015). Financial management challenges in small and medium enterprises:

A strategic management approach. Emerging Markets Journal, 5(1), 26-41.

http://dx.doi.org/10.5195/emaj.2015.67

Kavisekera, S., & Abeysekera, N. (2016). Effect of social media marketing on brand

equity of online companies. Management & Marketing, 14, 201-216. Retrieved

from http://www.managementmarketing.ro

Keller, K. (1993). Conceptualizing, measuring, and managing customer brand equity.

Journal of Marketing, 57(1), 1-22. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/1252054

 100

Keller, K. (2013). Strategic brand management (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ:

Pearson.

Kelly, M. S., Harrison, J., Schaughency, E., & Green, A. (2014). Establishing and

maintaining important relationships in school mental health research. School

Mental Health, 6, 112-124. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12310-014-9121-0

Kennedy, B., & Wright, A. (2016). Micro & small enterprises in Ireland: A brand

management perspective. Business and Economic Research, 6, 381-402.

http:///www.macrothink.org

Kietzmann, J., Hermkens, K., McCarthy, I., & Silvestre, B. (2011). Social media? Get

serious! Understanding the functional building blocks of social media. Business

Horizons, 54, 241-251. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2011.01.005

Kihn, L.-A., & Ihantola, E.-M. (2015). Approaches to validation and evaluation in

qualitative studies of management and accounting. Qualitative Research in

Accounting & Management, 12, 230-255. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/QRAM-03-

2013-002

Kim, H.-W., Chan, H., & Gupta, S. (2015). Social media for business and society. Asia

Pacific Journal of Information Systems, 25(2), 211-233. http://dx.doi.org/

10.14329/apjis.2015.25.2.06

Knapp, M. (2017). The practice of designing qualitative research on educational

leadership: Notes for emerging scholars and practitioner-scholars. Journal of

 101

Research on Leadership Education, 12(1), 26-50.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1942775116647365

Kohli, C., Suri, R., & Kapoor, A. (2015). Will social media kill branding? Business

Horizons, 58, 35-44. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2014.08.004

Kornbluh, M. (2015). Combating challenges to establishing trustworthiness in qualitative

research. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 12, 397-414.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14780887.2015.1021941

Kozlenkova, I., Palmatier, R., Fang, E., Xiao, B., & Huang, M. (2017). Online

relationship formation. Journal of Marketing, 81(1), 21-40.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1509/jm.15.0430

Kumar, D. (2014). Relationship marketing: A new dimension of marketing. International

Journal of Research, 1, 1045-1049. Retrieved from

http://www.internationaljournalofresearch.com

Kuvykaite, R., & Piligrimiene, Z. (2014). Consumer engagement into brand equity

creation. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 156, 479-483.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.11.225

Laddha, A., Rathi, P., & Mantri, R. (2015). Impact of social media marketing in business

engagement. International Journal of Scientific Research and Management, 3,

2671-2676. Retrieved from http://www.ijsrm.in

 102

Lam, A., Cheung, R., & Lau, M. (2013). The influence of internet-based customer

relationship management on customer loyalty. Contemporary Management

Research, 9(4), 419-439. http://dx.doi.org/0.7903/cmr.11095

Laroche, M., Habibi, M., & Richard, M.-O. (2013). To be or not to be in social media:

How brand loyalty is affected by social media? International Journal of

Information Management, 33, 76-82.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2012.07.003

Leckie, C., Nyadzayo, M., & Johnson, L. (2016). Antecedents of consumer brand

engagement and brand loyalty. Journal of Marketing Management, 32, 558-578.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0267257X.2015.113.1735

Lin, J.-S., Lee, Y.-I., Jin, Y., & Gilbreath, B. (2017). Personality traits, motivations, and

emotional consequences of social media usage. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and

Social Networking, 20, 615-623. http://dx.doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2017.0043

Lunnay, B., Borlagdan, J., McNaughton, D., & Ward, P. (2015). Ethical use of social

media to facilitate qualitative research. Qualitative Health Research, 25, 99-109.

http://dx.doi.org/10/1177/1049732314549031

Luo, X., Zhang, J., & Duan, W. (2013). Social media and firm equity value. Information

Systems Research, 24, 146-163. http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/isre.1120.0462

Maehle, N., & Supphellen, M. (2015). Advertising strategies for brand image repair: The

effectiveness of advertising alliances. Journal of Marketing Communications, 21,

450-462. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13527266.2013.866594
 103

Malthouse, E., Haenlein, M., Skiera, B., Wege, E., & Zhang, M. (2013). Managing

customer relationships in the social media era: Introducing the social CRM house.

Journal of Interactive Marketing, 27, 270-280.

http://dx.doi.org/10/1016/j.intmar.2013.09.008

Marshall, B., Cardon, P., Poddar, A., & Fontenot, R. (2013). Does sample size matter in

qualitative research?: A review of qualitative interviews in IS research. Journal of

Computer Information Systems, 54, 11-22.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08874417.2013.11645667

Meshi, D., Tamir, D., & Heekeren, H. (2015). The emerging science of social media.

Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 19, 771-782.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2015.09.004

Morgan, R., & Hunt, S. (1994). The commitment-trust theory of relationship marketing.

Journal of Marketing, 58(3), 20-38. Retrieved from

https://www.ama.org/publications/JournalOfMarketing/Pages/Current-Issue.aspx

Murray, A., & Kline, C. (2015). Rural tourism and the craft beer experience: Factors

influencing brand loyalty in rural North Carolina, USA. Journal of Sustainable

Tourism, 23, 1198-1216. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2014.987146

Nisar, T., & Whitehead, C. (2016). Brand interactions and social media: Enhancing user

loyalty through social networking sites. Computers in Human Behavior, 62, 743-

753. http://dx.doi.org/10/1016/j.chb.2016.04.042
 104

Noble, H., & Smith, J. (2015). Issues of validity and reliability in qualitative research.

Evidence-Based Nursing, 18, 34-35. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/eb-2015-102054

Oluseye, O., Tairat, B., & Emmanuel, J. (2014). Customer relationship management

approach and student satisfaction in higher education marketing. Journal of

Competitiveness, 6(3), 49-62. http://dx.doi.org/10.7441/joc.2014.03.04

Oye, C., Sorensen, N., & Glasdam, S. (2016). Qualitative research ethics on the spot: Not

only on the desktop. Nursing Ethics, 23, 455-464.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0969733014567023

Palmatier, R., Dant, M., Grewal, D., & Evans, K. (2006). Factors influencing the

effectiveness of relationship marketing: A meta-analysis. Journal of Marketing,

70(1), 136-153. Retrieved from

https://www.ama.org/publications/JournalOfMarketing/Pages/Current-Issue.aspx

Palmatier, R., Houston, M., Dant, R., & Grewal, D. (2013). Relationship velocity:

Toward a theory of relationship dynamics. Journal of Marketing, 77(1), 13-30.

http://dx.doi.org/0.1509/jm.11.0219

Paniagua, J., & Sapena, J. (2014). Business performance and social media: Love or hate?

Business Horizons, 57, 719-728. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2014.07.005

Park, H., & Kim, Y.-K. (2014). The role of social network websites in the consumer

brand relationship. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 21, 460-467.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2014.03.011
 105

Parker, B. (2015). The influence of brand equity on consumer response toward

environmental product advertisements. Critical Studies in Media Communication,

3, 117-126. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1114/smc.v3il.800

Petrova, E., Dewing, J., & Camilleri, M. (2016). Confidentiality in participatory research:

Challenges from one study. Nursing Ethics, 23, 442-454.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0969733014564909

Petzer, D., & van Tonder, E. (2019). Loyalty intentions and selected relationship quality

constructs: The mediating effect of customer engagement. International Journal

of Quality & Reliability Management, 36, 601-619.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/IJQRM-06-2018-0146

Pich, C., Armannsdottir, G., & Dean, D. (2015). The elicitation capabilities of qualitative

techniques in political brand image research. International Journal of Market

Research, 57(3), 357-394. http://dx.doi.org/10.2501/UMR-2015-033

Ponterotto, J., Mathew, J., & Raughley, B. (2013). The value of mixed methods designs

to social justice research in counseling and psychology. Journal for Social Action

in Counseling and Psychology, 5, 42-68. Retrieved from http://jsacp.tumblr.com

Popp, B., & Woratschek, H. (2016). Introducing branded communities in sport for

building strong brand relations in social media. Sport Management Review, 19(2),

183-197. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.smr.2015.06.001

Quay, J. (2016). Learning phenomenology with Heidegger: Experiencing the

phenomenological ‘starting point’ as the beginning of phenomenological research.

 106

Educational Philosophy and Theory, 48, 484-497.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00131857.2015.1035632

Ramaswamy, V., & Ozcan, K. (2015). Brand value co-creation in a digitized world: An

integrative framework and research implications. International Journal of

Research in Marketing, 33, 93-106.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijresmar.2015.07.001

Rasul, T. (2018). Social media’s growing influence on relationship marketing and

corporate culture. Journal of Developing Areas, 52, 261-268.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1353/jda.2018.0016

Ribeiro-Soriano, D. (2017). Small business and entrepreneurship: Their role in economic

and social development. Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, 29, 1-3.

https://doi.org/10.1080/08985626.2016.1255438

Robinson, O. (2014). Sampling in interview-based qualitative research: A theoretical and

practical guide. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 11, 25-41.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14780887.2013.801543

Roulston, K., & Shelton, S. (2015). Conceptualizing bias in teaching qualitative research

methods. Qualitative Inquiry, 21, 332-342.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1177.1077800414563803

Ruiz-Molina, M., Gil-Saura, I., & Moliner-Velazquez, B. (2015). Relational benefits,

value, and satisfaction in the relationships between service companies. Journal of

 107

Relationship Marketing, 14, 1-15.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15332667.2015.1006011

Saboo, A., Kumar, V., & Ramani, G. (2016). Evaluating the impact of social media

activities on human brand sales. International Journal of Research in Marketing,

33, 524-541. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijresmar.2015.02.007

Sashi, C. (2012). Customer engagement, buyer-seller relationships, and social media.

Management Decision, 50, 253-272.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/00251741211203551

Sasmita, J., & Suki, N. (2015). Young consumers’ insights on brand equity: Effects of

brand association, brand loyalty, brand awareness, and brand image. International

Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, 43, 276-192.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/ijrdm-02-2014-0024

Severi, E., Ling, K., & Nasermoadeli, A. (2014). The impacts of electronic word of

mouth on brand equity in the context of social media. International Journal of

Business and Management, 9(8), 84-96. http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/ijbm.v9n8p84

Shabbir, R., Zhang, J., Pitsaphol, C., & Hassan, W. (2015). The dynamics of value

creation in online brand communities: Strategy map approach. Information

Management and Business Review, 7(1), 48-58. Retrieved from

https://ifrnd.org/journal/index.php/imbr
 108

Shah, P. (2017). Why do firms delete brands? Insights from a qualitative study. Journal

of Marketing Management, 33, 446–463.

http://dx.doi.org.e/10.1080/0267257X.2017.1319405

Shelton, C., Smith, A., & Mort, M. (2014). Opening up the black box: An introduction to

qualitative research methods in anaesthesia. Anaesthesia, 69, 270-280.

http://dx.doi.org/10.111/anae.12517

Sheth, J., Gardner, D., & Garrett, D. (1988). Marketing theory: Evolution and evaluation.

New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.

Sheth, J., & Parvatiyar, A. (1995). The evolution of relationship marketing. International

Business Review, 4, 397-418. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0969-5931(95)00018-6

Smith, B., & Gallicano, T. (2015). Terms of engagement: Analyzing public engagement

with organizations through social media. Computers in Human Behavior, 53, 82-

90. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2015.05.060

Snelgrove, S. R. (2014). Conducting qualitative longitudinal research using interpretative

phenomenological analysis. Nurse Researcher, 22(1), 20-25. Retrieved from

http://journals.rcni.com/journal/nr

So, K., King, C., Sparks, B., & Wang, Y. (2014). The role of customer engagement in

building consumer loyalty to tourism brands. Journal of Travel Research, 55, 1-

15. http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1177/0047287514541008

Soltani, Z., & Navimipour, N. (2016). Customer relationship management mechanisms:

A systematic review of the state of the art literature and recommendations for
 109

future research. Computers in Human Behavior, 61, 667-688.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2016.03.008

Sorsa, M., Kiikkala, I., & Astedt-Kurki, P. (2015). Bracketing as a skill in conducting

unstructured qualitative interviews. Nurse Researcher, 22(4), 8-12.

http://dx.doi.org/0.7748/nr.22.4.8.e1317

Starr, M. (2014). Qualitative and mixed-methods research in economics: Surprising

growth, promising future. Journal of Economic Surveys, 28, 238-264.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/joes.12004

Switala, M., Gamrot, W., Reformat, B., & Bilinska-Reformat, K. (2018). The influence

of brand awareness and brand image on brand equity - an empirical study of

logistics service providers. Journal of Economics & Management, 33, 96-119.

http://dx.doi.org/10.22367/jem.2018.33.06

Tajzadeh-Namin, A. A., & Norouzi, M. (2014). A study on the role of advertising and

sales promotions in creating brand equity and brand loyalty. Indian Journal of

Health and Wellbeing, 5, 416-421. Retrieved from

http://www.iahrw.com/index.php/home/journals

Taneja, S., & Toombs, L. (2014). Putting a face on small business: Visibility, viability,

and sustainability. The impact of social media on small business marketing.

Academy of Marketing Studies Journal, 18, 249-260. Retrieved from

https://www.abacademies.org
 110

Taylor, D., Blount, A., & Bloom, Z. (2017). Examination of student outcomes in play

therapy: A qualitative case study design. International Journal for the

Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 11, 1-4.

http://dx.doi.org/10.20429/ijsotl.2017.110111

Taylor, S., & Land, C. (2014). Organizational anonymity and the negotiation of research

access. Qualitative Research in Organizations and Management: An International

Journal, 9, 98-109. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/QROM-10-2012-1104

Thomas, D. (2017). Feedback from research participants: Are member checks useful in

qualitative research? Qualitative Research in Psychology, 14, 23-41.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14780887.2016.1219435

Tiago, M., & Verissimo, J. (2014). Digital marketing and social media: Why bother?

Business Horizons, 57, 703-708. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2014.07.002

Trainor, K., Andzulis, J., Rapp, A., & Agnihotri, R. (2014). Social media technology

usage and customer relationship performance: A capabilities-based examination

of social CRM. Journal of Business Research, 67, 1201-1208.

http://dx.doi.org/10/106/j/jbusres.2013.05.002

Tsimonis, G., & Dimitriadis, S. (2014). Brand strategies in social media. Marketing

Intelligence & Planning, 32, 328-344.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/MIP-04-2013-0056

Umunna, C. (2013, June 13). Why UK shops need a Small Business Saturday. Telegraph.

Retrieved from http://telegraph.co.uk

 111

U.S. Small Business Administration. (2016a). Firm size data. Retrieved from

https://www.sba.gov/advocacy/firm-size-data

U.S. Small Business Administration. (2016b). Table of small business size standards

matched to North American Industry Classification Codes. Retrieved from

https://www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/files/Size_Standards_Table.pdf

Vankatesh, V., Brown, S., & Bala, H. (2013). Bridging the qualitative-quantitative

divide: Guidelines for conducting mixed methods research in information

systems. MIS Quarterly, 37, 21-54. Retrieved from http://www.misq.org

Vera, J. (2015). Perceived brand quality as a way to superior customer perceived value

crossing by moderating effects. Journal of Product and Brand Management, 24,

147-156. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JPBM-04-2014-0551

Verhage, T., Swen, E., Feldberg, F., & Merikivi, J. (2015). Benefitting from virtual

customer environments: An empirical study of customer engagement. Computers

in Human Behavior, 48, 340-357. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2015.01.061

Vieira, A., Winklhofer, H., & Ennew, C. (2014). The effects of relationship marketing on

share of business: A synthesis and comparison of models. Journal of Business-to-

Business Marketing, 21, 85-110.

http://doi.dx.org/10.1080/1051712X.2014.903455

Vyas, V., & Raitani, S. (2015). A study of the impact of relationship marketing on cross-

buying. Journal of Relationship Marketing, 14, 79-108. http://doi.dx.org/

10.1080/15332667.2015.1041352
 112

Wang, C., & Geale, S. (2015). The power of story: Narrative inquiry as a methodology in

nursing research. International Journal of Nursing Sciences, 2, 195-198.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnss.2015.04.014

Watkins, B. (2014). An integrated approach to sports branding: Examining the influence

of social media on brand outcomes. International Journal of Integrated Marketing

Communications, 6, 30-40. Retrieved from http://www.ijlmc.com

Werder, K., Helms, R., & Slinger, J. (2014, June). Social media for success: A strategic

framework. Paper presented at the 18th Pacific Asia Conference on Information

Systems, Chengdu, China. Retrieved from http://aisel.aisnet.org/pacis2014/92

Wirtz, J., den Ambtman, A., Bloemer, J., Horvath, J., Ramaseshan, B., Van De Klundert,

… Kandampully, J. (2013). Managing brands and customer engagement in online

brand communities. Journal of Service Management, 24, 223-244.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/09564231311326978

Wong, H., & Merrilees, B. (2015). An empirical study of the antecedents and

consequences of brand engagement. Marketing Intelligence and Planning, 33,

575-591. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/MIP-08-2014-0145

Woods, M., Paulus, T., Atkins, D., & Macklin, R. (2016). Advancing qualitative research

using qualitative data analysis software (QDAS)? Reviewing potential versus

practice in published studies using ATLAS.ti and NVivo, 1994–2013. Social

Science Computer Review, 34, 597-617.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0894439315596311
 113

Wright, S., O’Brien, B., Nimmon, L., Law, M., & Mylopoulos, M. (2016). Research

design considerations. Journal of Graduate Medical Education, 8, 97-98.

http://dx.doi.org/10.4300/JGME-D-15-00566.1

Yilmaz, K. (2013). Comparison of quantitative and qualitative research traditions:

Epistemological theoretical, and methodological differences. European Journal of

Education, 48, 311-325. http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1111/ejed.12014

Yin, R. (2013). Validity and generalization in future case study evaluations. Evaluation,

19, 321-332. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1356389013497081

Yin, R. (2014). Case study research: Design and methods (5th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA:

Sage.

Yoganathan, D., Jebarajakirthy, C., & Thaichon, P. (2015). The influence of relationship

marketing orientation on brand equity in banks. Journal of Retailing and

Consumer Services, 26(1), 14-22.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j/jretconser.2015.05.006

Zhang, J., Watson, G., Palmatier, R., & Dant, R. (2016). Dynamic relationship marketing.

Journal of Marketing, 80(5), 53-75. http://dx.doi.org/10.1509/jm.15.0066

Zhang, K., Benyoucef, M., & Zhao, S. (2016). Building brand loyalty in social

commerce: The case of brand microblogs. Electronic Commerce Research and

Applications, 15, 14-25. http://dx.doi.org/10/1016/j.elerap.2015.12.001e

 114

Appendix A: Reference Counts and Percentages

Table A1

Reference Counts and Percentages

No.of References Peer Percentage Percentage

references published reviewed published 2015 - peer reviewed
2015-2019 2019

Literature
Review 107 80 91 75% 85%
Entire
Document 179 135 153 75% 85%
 115

Appendix B: Interview Protocol

Introduction

Good morning (afternoon). Thank you for agreeing to participate in this study.

The purpose of this interview is to explore what social media consumer brand

engagement strategies you have implemented and the impact of those strategies on your

brands’ equity. In addition to this interview, I will collect and analyze content from your

social media pages during this study.

Tape Recorder Instructions

With your permission, I will be tape recording this interview. The purpose of the

recording is to ensure that I capture all the details of the conversation while remaining

attentive. I will transcribe the recording at a later date. I will not include any personally

identifiable information, identifiable information about your organization, or other

sensitive organizational information in any part of the study. The recorded interview,

transcripts, notes, and any additional information you provide will remain confidential

and secured for five years. After that time, I will destroy all recordings, transcriptions,

and other forms of data collected.

Consent Form Instructions

I additionally need you to please read and sign this consent form. This document

states that all information collected will remain confidential as outlined above. The

consent form reiterates that your participation in this study is voluntary and that you may
 116

withdraw at any time. Finally, the consent form contains information about the ethical

guidelines governing this study.

Interview Instructions

Again, thank you for your time and willingness to participate in this study. As

agreed upon, this interview will last no more than 2 hours. I will now begin recording.

Interview Questions

1. What social media platform do you use to engage consumers and positively

affect your brands’ equity?

2. What consumer brand strategies have you implemented on each social media

site to positively affect your brands’ equity?

3. How did you address the barriers to implementing your social media

consumer brand strategies for positively affecting your brands’ equity?

4. How do you measure your social media consumer brand engagement

strategies effectiveness?

5. What strategies do you employ to affect your brand’s image on social media

platforms positively?

6. What strategies have you implemented to affect brand quality issues on social

media platforms?

7. How have you used social media platforms to increase customer loyalty?
 117

8. What other information regarding your consumer brand engagement strategies

through social media would you like to share?

Conclusion

I want to thank you for your time today and your help in completing this study. I

will transcribe the interview, compile my notes, and analyze the results. After completing

my analysis, I would like to ask for your assistance in reviewing my interpretations. This

step in the process, referred to as member checking, is critical to the trustworthiness of

the study. The additional insights, information, and details you provide will make sure the

information presented in the study findings accurately reflects your experiences and

perceptions. Will you participate in the member checking process?

Do you have any final comments on this interview, the study process as a whole,

or other questions you would like to ask?

Thank you. I will contact you in the next week to schedule a time to review my

interpretations of the data collected. In the meantime, if you have any comments or

questions, please feel free to email me.

 118

Appendix C: Interview Questions

1. What social media platform do you use to engage consumers and positively

affect your brands’ equity?

2. What consumer brand strategies have you implemented on each social media

site to positively affect your brands’ equity?

3. How did you address the barriers to implementing your social media

consumer brand strategies for positively affecting your brands’ equity?

4. How do you measure your social media consumer brand engagement

strategies effectiveness?

5. What strategies do you employ to affect your brand’s image on social media

platforms positively?

6. What strategies have you implemented to affect brand quality issues on social

media platforms?

7. How have you used social media platforms to increase customer loyalty?

8. What other information regarding your consumer brand engagement strategies

through social media would you like to share?