Social Media marketing and restaurants’ brand equity after COVID-19: A revitalizing model

The COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped the establishment of long-term brand equity through social media marketing (SMM) due to the imperative of swiftly adapting to dynamic digital landscapes and heightened competition. This study investigates the impact of SMM on customer-based brand equity (CBBE) for restaurants in the post-COVID-19 era, by reevaluating the SMM model and postulating the effect of electronic word-of-mouth (e-WOM) as a mediating variable rather than an independent one. The study adopts a deductive approach and a descriptive methodologvisualisey where a quantitative survey-based strategy utilizing a five-point Likert scale questionnaire was employed. The validated questionnaire was distributed online to active social media users following local restaurant social media accounts; a convenience sample was utilized. After filtering and screening, 618 responses were analyzed using partial least squares (PLS)-SEM to test the proposed hypotheses. Our findings emphasize that interaction is the most influential factor in shaping restaurants’ CBBE, followed by trendiness and customization. In contrast, entertainment does not significantly affect CBBE. Additionally, e-WOM mediates the relationship between SMM and CBBE. Repositioning e-WOM in the model enhances our comprehension of its impact compared to its previous position, as it cannot be completely controlled by restaurants. In-depth discussions and managerial and theoretical implications are provided.