Loyalty to Digital Celebrity: Roles of Emotional Engagement, Cosmopolitanism, and Self Esteem

DOI

10.2991/aebmr.k.211119.039How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Emotional engagement; Cosmopolitanism; Self-esteem; Behavioral loyalty; Purchase intention

Abstract

Fans and celebrities can communicate with one another in a variety of ways through digital social platforms. Therefore, marketers and digital celebrities have seized this opportunity to advertise products and services to consumers and fans. This study explores how behavioral loyalty predicts fans’ purchase intentions by examining the effect of emotional engagement, cosmopolitanism, and self-esteem on behavioral loyalty and in turn on purchase intention. A survey was distributed to around 300 Vietnamese social network users who follow digital celebrities, and valid data was examined using quantitative modeling. Using the SMART PLS 3 model, the results show that lower levels of self-esteem, emotional engagement, and cosmopolitanism are linked to higher levels of behavioral loyalty and purchase intention.

Research purpose:

This study aims to explore how emotional engagement between followers and digital celebrities, cosmopolitan and social self-esteem affect fans’ behavioral loyalty. Additionally, this study examines whether fans’ behavioral loyalty can enhance the positive effect of their purchase intention on goods and services suggested by digital celebrities.

Research motivation:

With the rise of social media, new forms of digital celebrity groups, such as bloggers and “insta-celebrities,” have arisen but there is a paucity of studies on the impacts of their social network advertising despite the growing commercial power of digital superstars. This study tries to fill this gap.

Research design, approach and method:

A survey was distributed to around 300 Vietnamese social network users who follow digital celebrities, and valid data was examined using quantitative modeling with the SMART PLS 3 model.

Main findings:

This study found that the behavioral loyalty between followers and their digital celebrities positively affects followers’ purchasing intentions. Moreover, cosmopolitans did have a positive impact on fans’ behavioral loyalty, conforming with our hypothesis. Finally, people who believe they have virtual friends on the internet are more prone to become emotionally involved with them and, as a result, develop behavioral loyalty.

Practical/managerial implications:

Marketers should consider internet superstars to be long-term collaborators rather than short-term sales boosters. They should also create initiatives to nurture digital celebrities as the brand’s representatives. Efficient communication between digital superstars and their fans is also critical for increasing behavioral loyalty. Digital celebrities may also personalize their fan approach to promote behavioral loyalty.

Copyright

© 2021 The Authors. Published by Atlantis Press International B.V.

Open Access

This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC license.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - My-Trinh BUI
AU  - Huong-Linh LE
PY  - 2021
DA  - 2021/12/07
TI  - Loyalty to Digital Celebrity: Roles of Emotional Engagement, Cosmopolitanism, and Self Esteem
BT  - Proceedings of the International Conference on Emerging Challenges: Business Transformation and Circular Economy (ICECH 2021)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 415
EP  - 423
SN  - 2352-5428
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/aebmr.k.211119.039
DO  - 10.2991/aebmr.k.211119.039
ID  - BUI2021
ER  -