L'influenza dello User-Generated Content sulla brand experience: Caso Studio GoPro

Globalization and technological advancement continue to be two major factors reshaping traditional business marketing strategies. With technological progress, companies have been using innovative strategies on platforms that stem from it to further their businesses. In addition, the growing number of smart phone users and internet service penetration significantly contributes to the growth of online communities where businesses can engage their customers. The research project of this thesis evolves from a curiosity in an widespread trend on the Internet: User-generated content (UCG). The primary objective of this work is to evaluate the influence of UGC on consumer brand engagement and discuss its impact on customers. There is little research examining the impact of user-generated content on attitudes and behavior; this thesis attempts to fill this gap and contribute to the literature by evaluating these constructs from a consumer’s perspective. At first, the new scenarios of Web 2.0 are analyzed, with reference to the diffusion of the Social Web and the implications at a more specifically sociological level that it entails. A background on Social Media Marketing and its positive effects on business is explained in detail, with a focus on Social Media platforms and the differences between traditional and social media marketing. Subsequently, the concept of UCG is introduced: an attempt will be made to identify some of its main characteristics and to understand the extent of the phenomenon. Over time, the Internet has become a personalized information space in which consumers can tailor their media exposure to their specific needs (Liang, Lai, and Ku 2006). We are moving into a new era in which consumers are increasingly able to directly influence marketing outcomes by contributing their own UGC. Any kind of content can be regarded as UGC, provided three criteria are met. First, content must have been published. Secondly, the content created must be the work of the content creator. Thirdly, content must be created without reward. Additional chapter has a specific focus on online communities, since these are the main platform where users interact. A brand community is a group of people who share the same interest in a particular brand or product. Creators of UGC feel inherently gratified with a sense of self-esteem because they have created content and become members of an online community that shares the principles, they consider important. In the last chapter it is shown, through a practical case study, a successful example of a company which could be considered as a pioneer in this domain: GoPro. The research methodology approach used to analyze the dataset is through qualitative research. A netnography study on a specific community is performed in order to observe how customers interact and how UGC is helping to create an extraordinary brand experience among its users, which goes beyond the simple use of the product itself. The findings suggest that when UGC is applied to a specific brand, has the power to actively engage people. In this specific case, users are completely immersed into the experience, since they are not just using a product, but this makes them fill explorers, reckless, adventurers. The theoretical and practical implications of this study may serve academics and practitioners in the understanding of the UGC phenomenon and its attitudinal behavioral effects on consumers and potential impact on brand equity.