The Effects of Social Media Advertising on Consumers’ Brand Loyalty: With Special Reference to the Apparel Retailers
L. K. R. D. Kulawardena *
Department of Commerce, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Nugegoda, Sri Lanka.
R. A. S. Kalpana
Department of Commerce, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Nugegoda, Sri Lanka.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The apparel industry faces increased competition from newcomers and imports, making it crucial for local companies to maintain brand loyalty. This research aimed to determine the most significant features of social media advertising (informativeness, entertainment, irritation, credibility) that influence apparel consumers' brand loyalty. The findings showed that social media advertising significantly impacts consumer brand loyalty in the Sri Lankan apparel retail industry. There was no significant relationship between informativeness and brand loyalty, but there were significant relationships between entertainment, irritation, and credibility. The data did not support a positive relationship between informativeness and brand loyalty, but entertainment had the greatest impact. The researcher has notified the Sri Lankan apparel retail industry to act on the findings and suggests future research in another industry to determine if these dimensions are correlated with the dependable variable.
Keywords: Social media advertising, brand loyalty, apparel retailers, consumer behavior, competition, Informativeness; entertainment, Irritation, credibility