Effects of design characteristics on corporate blog acceptance

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to identify corporate blog design characteristics that positively influence the view of actual and potential corporate blog users. Moreover, based on the technology acceptance model (TAM), the paper examines the specific mechanism through which corporate blog design characteristics influence the acceptance of corporate blogs and assess the cross-country applicability of the developed framework. Design/methodology/approach – Based on primary data of 992 individuals in three countries (Germany, Russia, and the USA), the paper tests the identified design characteristics and the proposed framework using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), multi-group confirmatory factor analysis, and structural equation modeling. Findings – The results show the applicability of the TAM in the context of corporate blogs. Blog management and usability were found to be key determinants of perceived ease of use. Entertainment value as well as content value and interaction positively affect perceived enjoyment. Content value as well as blog management and usability are the key determinants of perceived usefulness of corporate blogs. Mediation tests revealed a partial mediation of the distal corporate blog design characteristics on attitude and usage intention by the proximal TAM elements. Research limitations/implications – The sample was self-selected from internet users and a limited number of countries. Associations with and understanding of the term “corporate blog” might vary between internet users as well as between the three focus countries. Practical implications – Based on the research, companies are better able to adapt corporate blogs to target group characteristics and thus can better reach communication goals. The research can be used both for the establishment of new corporate blogs as well as for the adaptation of existing corporate blogs. Originality/value – This study contributes to the existing literature by identifying and examining design characteristics that affect individuals' perceptions of corporate blogs. Furthermore, this is the first large-scale cross-country study in this research context that identifies the mechanism through which firms can actively influence the perceived usefulness, ease of use, and enjoyment of corporate blogs, which is important to better understand individuals' acceptance of corporate blogs in different national contexts.

Impacts of brand familiarity and brand responses on perceived brand credibility, similarity, and blog recommendation intention: a study of corporate blogs

“…The goals of corporate blogs are to assist customers’ search for product information, help customers learn about corporate promotional campaigns, and respond to various issues regarding the corporation or its products/services (Cho and Huh, 2010; Koenig and Schlaegel, 2014). Especially, corporate blogs are popular marketing tools for fashion brand retailers, representing a significant source for the women’s fashion industry’s sales (Kim et al , 2020).…”

“…Kusumasondjaja et al (2012) emphasized that blogs became a popular medium for people to find more information about brands and have direct communication between consumers and brands. Corporate blogs are also known to increase a shared understanding of brands and products and a sense of group cohesiveness, which may influence consumers’ brand trust and credibility (Koenig and Schlaegel, 2014). Although, corporate blogs can be useful in targeting customers and enhancing brand loyalty with consumers, the effectiveness of corporate blogs has received less attention from researchers and often debatable.…”

Exploiting the Distinctiveness of Blogs to Overcome Geographic Isolation

“…As blog authors, students must develop an understanding of the meaning making capacity of tags in order to create both easy to negotiate and powerful texts for their readers. Importantly, the ease with which a blog (and other online texts) may be used impacts on the likely adoption of the blog by the reader (Koenig & Schlaegel, 2014). Further, factors such as organization of content and adoption of navigation devices impact on the usability of such texts (Djonov, 2008).…”

“…Multimedia in blogs is as commonplace as alphabetic text, and the inclusion of multimodal meaning making resources in blogs provide both food for thought and entertainment (Stocker & Tochtertmann, 2008). Offering interesting and entertaining content helps create an attractive blog for readers (Huang, Chou, & Lin, 2008;Stocker & Tochtertmann, 2008) which in turn impacts positively on reader intent for participation (Koenig & Schlaegel, 2014). Further, the common inclusion of multimedia in blogs suggests that it is almost a standard and expected element of the medium; in other words, blogs that do not include multimedia content might be perceived as inferior or less potent as a text.…”