Consumers’ technology-facilitated brand engagement and wellbeing: Positivist TAM/PERMA- vs. Consumer Culture Theory perspectives

In recent years, growing attention has been devoted to consumer engagement with brands through emerging technological (e.g., social media/artificial intelligence-based) platforms. However, despite important advances, much remains unknown regarding the effect of consumers’ technology-facilitated brand engagement (CTFBE) on their wellbeing, thus posing an important research gap. To explore this gap, we first define CTFBE as a consumer’s boundedly volitional resource investment in technology-mediated brand interactions. We next outline two approaches to CTFBE and its effect on wellbeing. First, adopting a positivist approach, we propose a framework that incorporates the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM)-informed CTFBE antecedents of consumer-perceived technology usefulness and -ease-of-use, in addition to goal salience and network position. In turn, we contend that CTFBE affects the PERMA-based consumer wellbeing facets of Positive Emotions, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishments. Second, in adopting Consumer Culture Theory (CCT), we address CTFBE-related wellbeing from sociological, anthropological, and cultural perspectives. We outline CCT’s importance for CTFBE1Even though CCT research does not endorse the engagement construct and instead investigates other related processes, for the sake of exposition in this paper we use the term engagement and its related acronym of CTFBE (i.e., consumers’ technology-facilitated brand engagement) in our CCT-informed discussions.1 in the following areas: (i) brand/consumption communities, (ii) consumption myths, rituals, and practices, and (iii) consumption and identity issues. Finally, we introduce the papers contained in this Section and offer an agenda for further research.