Unveiling the effect of social media marketing activities on logistics brand equity and reuse intention

The rapid growth of the internet and social media has transformed marketing practices, making social media a dominant channel for brand communication and consumer engagement in China. With over a billion internet users and widespread use of platforms like WeChat and QQ, logistics firms increasingly rely on social media to interact with customers, shape brand perceptions, and influence purchase and reuse behaviors. While prior logistics research has focused on service quality and satisfaction, there is limited work on how social media marketing activities influence brand equity and reuse intention in logistics, particularly within the stimulus–organism–response (S-O-R) framework. This study addresses this gap by examining the effects of entertainment, interaction, trendiness, customization, and electronic word-of-mouth (as stimuli), alongside trust, on brand equity (organism) and reuse intention (response) in the Chinese logistics industry. The research question is: What is the influence of social media marketing activities on brand equity and reuse intention in the logistics service industry in China? The study aims to clarify direct and mediated pathways through brand equity and to provide evidence-based guidance for logistics providers operating in a culturally specific and digitally intensive market.

The study is grounded in the stimulus–organism–response (S-O-R) model (Mehrabian and Russell, 1974), which posits that external stimuli evoke internal cognitive/affective states that lead to behavioral responses. In this context, social media marketing activities (entertainment, interaction, trendiness, customization, and electronic word-of-mouth) and trust are conceptualized as stimuli that influence brand equity (the organism), which in turn shapes reuse intention (the response). Prior literature indicates that social media marketing can enhance brand awareness, image, loyalty, and purchase intention across industries, but findings vary by context and cultural setting. Entertainment can attract and engage users, though its role may be context-dependent; interaction fosters two-way communication and strengthens brand relationships; trendiness signals up-to-date, relevant content that can elevate brand perceptions; customization tailors offerings to individual needs, driving satisfaction and loyalty; electronic word-of-mouth amplifies reach and credibility; and trust underpins positive brand associations and ongoing engagement. The study formulates hypotheses that each SMA component and trust positively affect brand equity; that trust also directly affects reuse intention; that brand equity positively affects reuse intention; and that brand equity mediates the relationships between SMA components/trust and reuse intention. The review highlights gaps regarding the mechanisms linking SMAs to reuse intention in logistics and the underexplored, potentially limited role of entertainment in this sector.

Design and sample: A cross-sectional survey targeted Chinese consumers aged 18 and above with prior logistics service use. Using G*Power with f=0.15, power=0.80, and seven exogenous variables, the minimum sample size was 103; the study obtained 932 valid responses (from 1,613 distributed questionnaires; 95.08% response rate) via purposive sampling on WeChat and QQ from November 22, 2022 to February 4, 2023. Ethical approval was granted (BS-NIT-2022-1101); all participants provided written informed consent. Measures: The questionnaire comprised demographics and constructs: entertainment, interaction, trendiness, customization, electronic word-of-mouth, trust, brand equity, and reuse intention. Thirty-six items adapted from prior literature were measured on 7-point Likert scales (1=strongly disagree to 7=strongly agree). The instrument was developed in English, translated into Chinese by a professional company, and back-translated to ensure accuracy. Screening questions ensured respondents had logistics experience. Common method bias and normality: Procedural and statistical controls were applied. A full-collinearity test showed VIFs below 5 for all constructs (ENT 2.472; INT 2.469; TRN 2.802; CUS 2.849; WOM 2.501; BE 2.467; TR 2.796; RI 3.535), and a single factor explained 49.99% of variance (<50%), indicating no substantial CMB. Multivariate normality tests (Mardia’s skewness and kurtosis) indicated non-normality (p<0.05), justifying PLS-SEM. Analysis: Measurement model assessment evaluated reliability and validity (Cronbach’s alpha, rho_a, rho_c all >0.70; AVE >0.50; all item loadings >0.5; HTMT <0.90). Structural model estimation used SmartPLS 4.0 to assess direct and mediating effects, with R-squared values for endogenous constructs. Necessary condition analysis (NCA) complemented PLS-SEM to identify factors that are necessary (but not sufficient) conditions, including bottleneck analysis to quantify minimum levels of antecedents required for target outcomes.

Sample: N=932; balanced gender (47.4% male), broad age distribution, highly educated (75.3% bachelor’s+). Measurement model: Reliability and validity established (all alpha and composite reliabilities >0.87; AVE >0.68; HTMT <0.90; VIFs <2.85 in measurement; full-collinearity VIFs <5). Model fit and explanatory power: R-squared for brand equity (BE)=0.582; for reuse intention (RI)=0.629, indicating moderate-to-substantial explanatory power. Direct effects (PLS-SEM, Table 6): - ENT → BE: β=0.019, p=0.347 (ns). Hypothesis H1 rejected. - INT → BE: β=0.138, p=0.004 (supported). - TRN → BE: β=0.111, p=0.015 (supported). - CUS → BE: β=0.119, p=0.006 (supported). - WOM → BE: β=0.169, p<0.001 (supported). - TR → BE: β=0.336, p<0.001 (supported). - TR → RI: β=0.514, p<0.001 (supported). - BE → RI: β=0.345, p<0.001 (supported). Mediation via brand equity: - ENT → BE → RI: β=0.007, p=0.347 (ns) (HM1 rejected). - INT → BE → RI: β=0.048, p=0.007 (HM2 supported). - TRN → BE → RI: β=0.038, p=0.020 (HM3 supported). - CUS → BE → RI: β=0.041, p=0.010 (HM4 supported). - WOM → BE → RI: β=0.058, p=0.001 (HM5 supported). - TR → BE → RI: β=0.116, p<0.001 (HM6 supported). Necessary condition analysis (NCA): For brand equity, effect sizes d indicated entertainment and customization within 0.1–0.3 (small-to-moderate) as necessary conditions; interaction, trendiness, trust, e-WOM, and BE for RI had d<0.1. Bottleneck analysis showed that to achieve 50% BE, customization must be ≥64.4% and trust ≥32.2%; to achieve 50% RI, trust must be ≥32.2%. Overall: Interaction, trendiness, customization, e-WOM, and trust significantly enhance brand equity; entertainment does not. Both trust and brand equity significantly increase reuse intention. Brand equity mediates the effects of interaction, trendiness, customization, e-WOM, and trust on reuse intention, but not entertainment.

The findings answer the research question by demonstrating that specific social media marketing activities—interaction, trendiness, customization, and electronic word-of-mouth—along with trust, are key drivers of logistics brand equity, which in turn fosters reuse intention. Trust also exerts a strong direct effect on reuse intention, underscoring its centrality in logistics, where reliability and consistency are paramount. The non-significant role of entertainment suggests that, unlike in hedonic sectors, entertainment-driven content does not meaningfully build brand equity in logistics, a utilitarian service context where customers prioritize service quality, responsiveness, and reliability. The mediation results clarify the mechanism: SMAs and trust shape brand equity, which subsequently elevates intentions to reuse services, aligning with the S-O-R framework. NCA adds nuance by indicating that certain minimum levels of customization and trust are necessary to reach moderate brand equity, and that trust is a necessity threshold for moderate reuse intention. These insights emphasize the importance of substance over entertainment in logistics-focused social media strategies and validate brand equity as a pivotal mediator linking digital engagement efforts to behavioral outcomes.

This study integrates the S-O-R model to examine how social media marketing activities and trust shape brand equity and reuse intention in the Chinese logistics sector. Using survey data from 932 consumers and PLS-SEM complemented by NCA, the study shows that interaction, trendiness, customization, e-WOM, and trust significantly enhance brand equity; entertainment does not. Trust and brand equity both positively influence reuse intention, and brand equity mediates the effects of interaction, trendiness, customization, e-WOM, and trust on reuse intention. NCA indicates threshold levels of customization and trust needed to achieve moderate brand equity, and of trust to achieve moderate reuse intention. Practically, logistics providers should prioritize interactive engagement, up-to-date and relevant content, personalization, and the stimulation of positive e-WOM, while systematically building trust. Future research should extend these findings across contexts and over time, and further probe the limited role of entertainment in utilitarian services.

The study is cross-sectional and cannot capture dynamics over time; longitudinal designs are recommended. Potential moderators (e.g., demographics such as age, gender, occupation, income) were not modeled and could condition effects. Trust was modeled as an exogenous predictor; alternative causal directions and reciprocal relationships with brand equity and SMAs merit testing. The entertainment construct’s non-significance suggests deeper examination of content types, channels, and context fit. Sampling relied on purposive, online channels (WeChat/QQ); broader and mixed-mode sampling, including offline recruitment (e.g., via logistics partners), could enhance generalizability.