Influence of Different Types of Online Interaction on Brand Attitudes: A Cross-Cultural Analysis

Abstract

The online purchasing process usually follows the same pattern: Search the web; read recommendations and reviews; decide. Thus, reviews and recommendations are central to the online purchasing process, since they contain information about the functionality of the brand and the experiences other consumers made. Consequently, some researchers postulate a development from manager-ruled to customer-ruled brands and an empowerment of consumers.

Our research focuses on the impact of consumer-to-consumer interactions in the online environment. Specifically, we use a cross-cultural setting to analyze the influence of different types of online interactions (public vs. private, and active vs. passive) on brand attitudes (cognitive and affective). We also propose that the relationship between these two key constructs is partially mediated by different levels of brand commitment (high vs. low), mainly in interplay with active and passive online interaction. In addition, we expect a number of different contextual factors to moderate this relationship, such as the type of brand (functional vs. emotional), the valence of online interaction (positive vs. negative), and the self-construal (independent self vs. interdependent self).

Hypotheses are developed and tested in a 2 (online interaction: public vs. private) × 2 (online interaction: passive vs. active) × 2 (valence: positive vs. negative) × 2 (brand type: functional vs. emotional) between-subjects design. Experiments are conducted with respondents from collectivistic cultures with predominantly interdependent self-construal, and respondents from individualistic cultures with predominantly independent self-construal.

Based on the above research framework, we address the following questions: (1) Do different types of online interaction—depending on their content and intensity—vary in their influence on brand attitudes? (2) And does the influence of different types of online interaction differ over brand categories and cultures with an independent and interdependent self-construal?

Our research offers a number of insights to marketing managers, such as how to position brands differently in an online environment according to the ratio of emotional and rational content consumers might share in their interaction about brands, and whether to adapt online positioning based on cultural settings.