SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT, BRAND IMAGE AND CUSTOMER BEHAVIOUR: EVIDENCE FROM MALAYSIA’S CONTAINER FOOD COURTS

Container Food Courts, eco-friendly culinary spaces created from repurposed shipping containers, have emerged as a popular trend in Malaysia’s urban areas, offering diverse gastronomic options within casual, open-air environments that appeal especially to digitally connected consumers. However, empirical evidence on the key factors shaping Customer Behaviour (CB) within this unique context remains limited. Grounded in the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), this study investigates the influence of Social Media Advertising Content (SMAC), Social Media Sales Promotion Content (SMSPC), and Brand Image (BI) on CB towards Container Food Courts in Malaysia. A structured online questionnaire was administered to 161 respondents with prior experience of visiting container food courts, and the data were analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 26. The results reveal that SMAC, SMSPC, and BI significantly and positively influence CB, with BI identified as the strongest predictor. These findings highlight the critical role of brand value, visual identity, and promotional content in shaping consumer perceptions and behavioural intentions. The study advances the theoretical application of TPB by illustrating how its constructs operate in a digitally mediated, informal food service context. Practically, the results offer actionable insights for food court operators and marketers in creating targeted digital strategies to build trust, foster engagement, and drive customer loyalty. Additionally, the findings provide a foundation for policymakers to consider ethical and regulatory frameworks for social media marketing within the food and beverage sector. Overall, this research contributes to a more nuanced understanding of digital marketing and consumer behaviour in Malaysia’s evolving urban dining landscape.