Purpose This paper aims to explore the motivations of digital moms to develop relationships with brands in the online environment. Design/methodology/approach Following a qualitative, interpretative approach, this paper uses several data collection methods such as netnography, focus groups and in-depth interviews to fully understand the motivations of digital moms. Findings The results suggest that eight motivations influence consumers to engage with and follow brands on their social networking sites: information, entertainment, knowledge-seeking, social influence, social interaction, brand-relationship maintenance, communication and self-expression. A proposed framework that categorizes these motivations based on the level of engagement, and the type of user is discussed along with the new functions that brands fulfill in the online environment. Research limitations/implications These findings have practical implications for managers seeking to design and implement improved branding strategies to develop stronger, more meaningful relationships with their customers. The location of participants of this study can be considered as a limitation, as the different life situations or contexts of other Internet users may alter the results. Originality/value This study recognizes important changes in consumer behavior elicited by online technologies. Several qualitative data collection methods are used to identify and provide a more comprehensive understanding of the motivations of digital moms to interact with brands online. A major contribution of this research is the establishment of a link between consumer-brand relationship theory and uses and gratifications theory.

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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand the ritual, roles and symbolic meanings of family grilling consumption experiences in northeast Mexico. Design/methodology/approach This study adopted a phenomenological approach and conducted 73 in-depth interviews and in situ observations during family grilling experiences. Findings Based on an examination of the phases, symbolic meanings, and ritual elements of grilling events in Mexico, the results of this study identify a third type of family food consumption ritual, the escape ritual, which has different characteristics than routine and festive family food consumption rituals. Practical implications The findings indicate the emergence of a more sophisticated family grilling experience that uses new accessories and products. Companies could align their marketing strategies for grilling products and segment their communication messages based on the roles of participants and the symbolic meanings identified in this study. Originality/value This research studies an experience in light of both ritual and escapism literature.

Social media sites have attracted users since their introduction, and today people use them in their daily activities. For this reason, there is an increased interest in studying social media sites and how people use them. However, there has been little research that considers the motivations in using social networking sites and the factors that infl uence this usage patterns. The purpose of this empiric research paper is to construct a valid instrument that can shed light on why people are using social media on a daily basis, based on the premises of the uses and gratifi cations theory. Results from the Cronbach alpha, as well as the estimated model suggested that in general, it represented a good instrument when trying to measure the motivations of social media usage.

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