The Role of Brand Personality In Setting Expectiations for Engagement On Social Media

In recent years, business has leapt on to the social media marketing bandwagon. However, many have learned that social media marketing is not equally beneficial for all brands, and that there is a difference between aiming for more followers versus aiming for more engagement and deeper relationships. Recently, the shift has been toward engagement as the ultimate social media goal, rather than mere followers. But just as all brands do not need to be on social media, do all brands have to aim toward high engagement? This study attempts to answer this question by considering communication based on brand personality type. Aaker (1997) outlined five distinct dimensions of brand personality, and a pilot test was conducted to first evaluate the manipulation checks before launching an experimental study. Results of the pilot test revealed that manipulation checks work as intended, except for the Competence condition. This in line with the literature, which suggests that addressing all five dimensions of brand personality simultaneously is challenging. However, the pilot test results provide guidance in adjusting the Competence scenario for the main experiment