SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING AND BRAND EQUITY IN THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY: EVIDENCE FROM IMO STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study investigated the effect of social media marketing strategies on brand equity within the
hospitality industry in Imo State, Nigeria. In the face of increasing digitalization and changing
consumer behavior, hospitality businesses are turning to social media as a vital tool for brand
positioning and customer engagement. The study operationalised social media marketing using
five key constructs: content quality, interactivity, platform diversity, user-generated content
(UGC), and engagement metrics. These constructs were investigated within the framework of
Keller’s Customer-Based Brand Equity Model, Social Exchange Theory, and Social Network
Theory, which collectively underscore the psychological and relational mechanisms
underpinning brand development in the digital space. A quantitative research design was
adopted, involving the development, validation and administration of a structured questionnaire
titled “Social Media Marketing and Brand Equity Questionnaire” to 260 hospitality consumers
across hotels and related service firms in Imo State. The reliability of the instrument was
assessed using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient, yielding a reliability index of 0.85, indicating a high
level of internal consistency. Data were analysed using multiple regression and Structural
Equation Modeling (SEM) techniques. The findings reveal that all five constructs significantly
influence brand equity, with user-generated content and content quality emerging as the most
impactful variables. The study offers both theoretical and practical contributions: it deepens the
understanding of social media’s role in brand equity formation in emerging economies, and it
provides actionable insights for hospitality marketers seeking to strengthen brand-customer
relationships in competitive digital environments.