Social media marketing and performance of high-tech brands

In the rapidly evolving digital landscape, social media marketing is significant in shaping consumer behavior, yet its impact on brand image, perceived product quality, and purchase intention is less explored, particularly in the setting of emerging economies such as Nigeria. Taking Apple products as a case study, this study examines the impact of three aspects of social media marketing—content type, engagement level, and exposure frequency—on Nigerian consumers' attitudes and intentions. With a quantitative design, data were collected via a structured survey from 261 Nigerian social media users. Linear regression analysis was employed to examine relationships between independent variables (content type, engagement level, exposure frequency) and dependent variables (brand image, perceived quality, purchase intention). Model validity was examined with goodness-of-fit tests (R-squared, F-statistics) and regression diagnostics (Durbin-Watson test) to ascertain robustness. Results indicate that content type has a consistently positive influence on brand image (β = 0.168, *p* < 0.01), perceived quality (β = 0.591, *p* < 0.001), and purchase intention (β = 0.671, *p* < 0.001). Engagement level enables brand image (β = 0.224, *p* < 0.001) but negatively impacts perceived quality (β = -0.223, *p* = 0.012) and purchase intention (β = -0.485, *p* < 0.001). Exposure frequency does not affect brand image but has a negative effect on purchase intention (β = -0.210, *p* = 0.036), which is a sign of ad fatigue. The findings stress the value of quality and pertinent content for generating brand credibility and consumer intent, while cautioning against overexposure and untargeted interaction. To Nigerian tech-savvy consumers, marketers need to prioritize content relevance and strategic engagement in order to establish emotional connections and long-term loyalty, minimizing risks of saturation and diminishing returns. This study offers actionable insight for optimizing social media strategies in dynamic, under-researched markets.