Impact of Social Media on Brand Loyalty: A Study of Telecommunication Companies in Sri Lanka

Abstract

The mobile telecommunication sector in Sri Lanka is very much competitive and this competitive trend is increasing. The subscribers now have various alternatives to choose according to their convenience. Therefore, to maintain the leading position in the market, mobile operators have to identify the factors related to customer satisfaction and loyalty. This paper aims to investigate the relationship between brand community presence on social media platforms and its impact on consumer brand loyalty while empirically analyze the ability of a brand to constantly interact with consumers on social media, and its impact on their loyalty. The study as a causal research will be conducted to understand the significance and impact of social media of telecommunication companies in Sri Lanka on Facebook on customer loyalty on the online platform. Accordingly, brand community and interactivity will consider as the independent variables where brand loyalty be the dependent variable in the conceptual model of the study. The population of the study is represented by the customers of mobile service providers working in the Sri Lankan market (Dialog, Moabitel, Etisalat, Airtel and Hutch). This study will contribute to determine how the social media platforms shape brand loyalty online and to what degree they are effective in making consumers forever be faithful to the brand. Hence, the study will provide a valuable contribution to the mobile service providers in Sri Lanka for decision making on their brand loyalty.