The Impact of social media marketing content on brand advocacy in higher education: A Case study of the Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality at HUFLIT, Vietnam

Abstract

This study investigates the complex dynamics between social media marketing content and higher education brand outcomes in the tourism and hospitality sector by examining the impact of firm-generated content (FGC) and user-generated content (UGC) on brand advocacy (BA) through the mediating mechanism of emotional attachment (EA), while considering the moderating influence of Brand credibility (BC). Employing quantitative research design, data were collected from 223 valid samples (out of 253 initial responses) consisting of students and alumni from the Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality at HUFLIT through a stratified online survey. Data analysis conducted via SPSS 24.0, which showed that both FGC and UGC strongly influence learners’ emotional attachment, which in turn promotes brand promotion. Additionally, the findings show that brand credibility successfully moderates the relationships between UGC and emotional bonds and highlights the important mediating role of emotional attachment. These findings provide higher education institutions with important insights on how to use multi-source digital content to foster deep brand loyalty within a specialized academic community.