Sustainable Customer Retention: A Study on Social Media Marketing Activities, Brand Equity and Smartphone Purchase Intention among Generation Y

This study looked into the social media marketing activities (customization, electronic word of mouth, entertainment, information richness, interactions and trendiness) for a mobile brand that led to consumer-level brand equity, relationship equity and value equity. These consumer-level equities facilitate generating the intention to purchase a mobile brand. This study adopted a cross-sectional design and collected quantitative rata from a total of 288 respondents through an online survey. This study used partial least squares structural equation modelling to test the associations hypothesized. The outcomes indicated that electronic word of mouth, information richness and trendiness significantly influenced brand and relationship equities among the study sample. Meanwhile, customization, electronic word of mouth and information richness significantly influenced mobile value equity. Additionally, brand, relationship and value equities significantly influenced the intention to purchase a mobile brand. Brand equity of the mobile significantly mediated the relationship between trendiness and purchase intention. Similarly, relationship equity significantly mediated the correlations of information richness and trendiness with purchase intention. Customization and electronic word of mouth were significantly mediated by value equity for the intention to purchase a mobile brand. Apparently, brand and relationship equities emerged as the most significant contributors to purchasing a mobile brand.