Using Online Social Networks to Globalize and Popularize Product Brands in Different Cultural Areas: A Relational Network Model

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influential factors of online social network advertising in three different cultural areas, being China, India, and the US. This study uses the social capital theory (SCT), and Guanxi theory, as two types of relation theories then collects data from the virtual community (or online social network, VC) members of three different areas, a total of 730 valid surveys were completed for model testing. The findings show that (1) building the relationship dimension of the SCT (trust, identification, and the norm of reciprocity) for the VC members in China and the US societies is more useful than the India society, to spread the brands through the VC; (2) good guanxi for the VC members in China’s society is more useful than the Indian and the US societies to spread brands through VC. The result demonstrates that culture differentiation should be consider when researchers investigate the impact of VC advertising contact and attention, attitude towards VC advertising, and purchase intention in VC context.