Investigating the Impact of Rewarded Social Media Engagement, Trust, Perceived Switching Cost and Loyalty on Loyalty Members in Sports Industry

Abstract

Social media has changed the way people interact with companies and one another as well as become a powerful tool for enhancing touchpoints with customers. While many studies on loyalty, loyalty/reward programmes exists, there is still a gap in our understanding of how social media, rewarded engagement and loyalty programmes (LPs) work together. Against this backdrop, this chapter aims to increase our understanding of the role of rewarded social media engagement in LPs and customer loyalty amongst members versus non-members. To explore the relationship and to differentiate between members and non-members, this study explores rewarded social media engagement, trust, perceived switching cost (PSC) and loyalty. This chapter discusses whether rewarded social media engagement, trust and PSC and overall loyalty are higher in the LPs members versus non-members. The study uses online surveys of members and non-members to examine their behaviour towards social media engagement and loyalty to LPs while adding to the body of knowledge on LPs, social media communication and rewarded engagement. The main findings highlight that rewarded customer engagement (CE) in the social media context, trust, PSC and loyalty towards the programme and the company are higher in the programme members than non-members in the sports industry.