Unleashing social commerce: the power of persuasion knowledge on social commerce information sharing in positive brand behaviour

Purpose The study aims to examine the role of social commerce in shaping persuasion knowledge (first-tier consequence) and driving positive brand-related outcomes (second-tier consequence). It leverages uses and gratifications theory and persuasion knowledge theory to better understand the theorised relationships. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a synergistic quantitative approach, a novel method in this field, to examine data obtained from 335 active social commerce users. Relationships among the exogenous and endogenous variables are analysed using structural equation modelling, spotlight analysis and probabilistic analysis to validate the proposed model. Findings Results show that social commerce, influenced by contextual factors like media richness and content trustworthiness, significantly encourages positive, persuasive communication. This fosters the development of favourable persuasion knowledge, which leads to positive brand behavioural outcomes. Spotlight analysis revealed that at high levels of media richness and content trustworthiness, social commerce information sharing exerts a stronger effect on persuasion knowledge. At lower and medium levels, this effect is weaker. Content trustworthiness and media richness play a crucial role in promoting brand co-creation, boosting brand advocacy and increasing resistance to brand switching. Practical implications The use of probabilistic analysis provides valuable insights for scholars and practitioners, helping them understand how to leverage the impact of social commerce on brand dynamics. Originality/value The study contributes to social commerce, persuasion knowledge and branding literature by providing unique insights into developing favourable persuasion knowledge and its effects on brand behavioural outcomes within social commerce. It highlights the importance of social commerce and its contextual factors as key drivers of persuasive communication. The use of probabilistic analysis provides valuable insights for scholars and practitioners, helping them understand how to leverage social commerce’s impact on brand dynamics.