Abstract
This study develops and examines a proposed conceptual model of customer engagement (CE) with brand social media pages (BSMPs) in the hospitality context. Based on limitations in the previous literature, the study investigates several consequences of CE with hotel BSMPs: customer-perceived value (CPV) (functional, social, and entertainment), customer-brand relationship strength (CBRS) (commitment, self-connection, and intimacy), and hotel booking intention. The current paper also examines the mediating role of CPV in the relationship between CE and CBRS, as well as assesses, for the first time, the moderating effect of brand reputation on the relationships among these constructs. Using partial least squares-structural equation modeling, the study analyzes data on 396 social media users who are hotel customers. The findings support all the hypotheses related to direct relationships between CE, CPV, CBRS, and hotel booking intention, besides the mediating effect of CPV. This research addresses a knowledge gap and provides valuable practical implications.
•Both customer engagement and customer-perceived value have positive effects on customer-brand relationship strength.•Customer-perceived value significantly mediates the link from customer engagement to customer-brand relationship strength.•Brand reputation moderates the positive influence of customer-perceived value on customer-brand relationship strength.