Εstablishing relationships between brands and customers via strategic social media chatbots for telecom goods and services

Abstract The study investigates how customer engagement and results in customer-brand relationships are impacted by perceptions of novel experiences and self-congruence, primarily through social media chatbots in the telecom industry. Using the “three-factor theory of anthropomorphism”, it investigates customer satisfaction and involvement. Three hundred fifty-three respondents from Greek telecommunications companies answered a 22-question structured survey disseminated online through Survey Monkey using convenience sampling. Regarding moderating relationships, the data analysis test 19 hypotheses, of which 16 are supported and three are not supported. The study finds a linearly positive relationship between information-seeking and a nonlinearly positive relationship between perceived contingency and consumer engagement in entertainment and social interaction. Furthermore, brand relational outcomes like brand intimacy and purchase intentions are mediated by consumer engagement in the relationship between perceived contingency and brand. These conclusions are supported by statistical linear regression analysis, which provides insightful information for managers and marketing academics. The study challenge existing assumptions about the role of self-congruence in consumer engagement with brand chatbots.