earticle

영어

Many companies are now trying to utilize SNS (social network service) by building it as marketing communication platform that delivers marketing messages and builds customer relationship. This study investigates the factors affecting consumers' intention to use of brand's SNS identity page (e.g., fan page in Facebook). It specifically focuses on four social support functions -self-esteem, informational, emotional and social networking support-in virtual space. Research model attempts to explore the impact of social supports on brands' SNS identity page adoption with modified technology acceptance model which includes perceived usefulness, ease of use and enjoyment. Empirical study adopts SEM (structural equation modelling) to test research model. The result indicates that perceived ease of use is influenced by informational support, and perceived usefulness is influenced by informational, emotional, and self-esteem support. And perceived enjoyment is influenced by emotional support. In addition, it reveals that there were no significant effects of social networking support on both perceived usefulness and enjoyment. These findings provide managerial implications for attracting potential and actual customers to brand's SNS identity page. And it also suggests the importance of managing sociability in brand's SNS identity page to make it as marketing communication platform.