Introducing COBRAs

TLDR

Social media platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter enable users to interact, express, share, and create brand‑related content, and these online brand‑related activities (COBRAs) have significant consequences for firms. The article seeks to understand consumers’ motivations for engaging in COBRAs in order to anticipate and manage their impact on firms. The authors conducted instant‑messaging interviews with individuals who participate in COBRAs to explore their motivations. The study identifies motivations across consuming, contributing, and creating COBRA types, offering marketers insights into consumer behavior in a social‑media‑dominated era. This article appears in the International Journal of Advertising 40th‑anniversary collection and is authored by Muntinga, Moorman, and Smit from the University of Amsterdam.

Abstract

AbstractSocial media websites such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter provide unlimited means for internet users to interact, express, share and create content about anything, including brands. Such consumers' online brand-related activities (COBRAs) have significant consequences for firms. To effectively anticipate and direct these consequences, understanding people's motivations to engage in brand-related social media use is imperative. This article makes a first effort to come to such an understanding. Instant messaging (IM) interviews were conducted with people engaged in COBRAs about their motivations to do so. Reporting motivations for the full spectrum of COBRA types (consuming, contributing and creating), the authors provide marketers and brand managers with valuable insights into consumer behaviour in a social media-dominated era. This article is part of the following collections: International Journal of Advertising: 40th anniversary Additional informationNotes on contributorsDaniël G. MuntingaDaniël G. Muntinga is a PhD student at ASCoR, University of Amsterdam. His research interests include online consumer behaviour and branding, and sponsorships.Marjolein MoormanMarjolein Moorman is an Associate Professor of Political Communication at ASCoR, University of Amsterdam. Her research interests include media context effects, advertising effect measurement and political advertising and branding.Edith G. SmitEdith G. Smit is a Full Professor of Media and Advertising at ASCoR, University of Amsterdam, and Programme Director of Persuasive Communication at the same university. Her research interests include marketing and communication with an emphasis on branding and advertising.