2013journal article|198 citations

Antecedents and consequences of trust in a social media brand: A cross-cultural study of Twitter

Iryna Pentina, Lixuan Zhang, Oksana Basmanova

Comput. Hum. Behav., vol. 29, pp. 1546-1555

Plain Language Summary

This cross-cultural study examines what drives consumer trust in brands on Twitter, comparing US and Chinese users. Privacy and security perceptions, along with peer recommendations, influence brand trust, but their relative importance varies across cultures. US consumers weigh privacy more heavily, while Chinese consumers are more influenced by social referrals. Brand trust on social media drives loyalty and positive word-of-mouth across both cultures.

Key Findings

Brand trust on Twitter is influenced by perceived privacy, perceived security, and word-of-mouth referrals
Cultural differences between US and Chinese users significantly affect the antecedents of brand trust on social media
Brand trust on social media leads to increased brand loyalty and positive word-of-mouth intentions
US users emphasize privacy concerns more, while Chinese users are more influenced by social referrals