WHAT DRIVES USERS OF SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES TO FORWARD FASHION BRAND ADS? EXPLORING THE EFFECTS OF BRAND EQUITY DIMENSIONS

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to explore the influence of consumer-based brand equity dimensions (CBBE), namely brand awareness, brand associations, perceived quality, and brand loyalty, on the intention of users on social networking sites to forward fashion brand advertisements to their contact groups. Design/Methodology/Approach - Quantitative empirical design with a convenient sampling procedure was employed in the research to collect data, using the structured questionnaire created based on the existing scientific literature. To test the hypotheses, structural equation modelling was performed using SmartPLS software. Findings and implications - The research found brand loyalty to have a significant positive impact on forwarding intention, providing an additional insight from a scientific standpoint and prompting practical considerations for marketing managers. Other dimensions of consumer-based brand equity proved to have no significant impact on the dependent variable in the context of social networking sites for fashion brands. Limitations - Limitations of this study are related to the size of the sample and the sampling method, consequently, its findings could not be generalized. Additionally, the concept of brand awareness could be further deconstructed into brand recognition and brand recall to assess the effects individually. Originality - This research study contributes to the existing knowledge on consumer behavior by empirically examining the influence of consumer-based brand equity dimensions on consumers' forwarding intentions for fashion ads in the context of social networking sites.