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  • Journal of Marketing Research (JMR)

Does 'Liking' Lead to Loving? The Impact of Joining a Brand's Social Network on Marketing Outcomes

By: Leslie K. John, Oliver Emrich, Sunil Gupta and Michael I. Norton
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Abstract

Does “liking” a brand on Facebook cause a person to view it more favorably? Or is “liking” simply a symptom of being fond of a brand? We disentangle these possibilities and find evidence for the latter: brand attitudes and purchasing are predicted by consumers’ preexisting fondness for brands and are the same regardless of when and whether consumers “like” brands. In addition, we explore possible second-order effects, examining whether “liking” brands might cause consumers’ friends to view that brand more favorably. When consumers see that a friend has “liked” a brand, they are less likely to buy the brand relative to a more meaningful social endorsement: learning that a friend likes a brand, in the offline sense. Taken together, five experiments and two meta-analyses (N > 14,000) suggest that turning “liking” into improved brand attitudes and increased purchasing by either consumers or their friends may require more than just the click of a button.

Keywords

Brands; Marketing Effectiveness; Brand Evaluation; Peer Influence; Social Media; Brands And Branding; Social And Collaborative Networks

Citation

John, Leslie K., Oliver Emrich, Sunil Gupta, and Michael I. Norton. "Does 'Liking' Lead to Loving? The Impact of Joining a Brand's Social Network on Marketing Outcomes." Journal of Marketing Research (JMR) 54, no. 1 (February 2017): 144–155.
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About The Authors

Leslie K. John

Negotiation, Organizations & Markets
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Sunil Gupta

Marketing
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Michael I. Norton

Negotiation, Organizations & Markets
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More from the Authors
  • 'Repayment-by-Purchase' Helps Consumers to Reduce Credit Card Debt By: Grant E. Donnelly, Cait Lamberton, Stephen Bush, Zoe Chance and Michael I. Norton
  • Lifting the Veil: The Benefits of Cost Transparency By: Bhavya Mohan, Ryan W. Buell and Leslie K. John
  • Work Values Shape the Relationship Between Stress and (Un)Happiness By: George Ward, Hanne Collins, Michael I. Norton and Ashley V. Whillans
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