The effect of social media marketing on consumers' purchase intention of organic food: the role of perceived value, trust and social identity

The purpose of the study is to investigate the effect of social media marketing on consumers' purchase intention of organic food through perceived value, trust and social identity. Four dimensions of social media marketing comprising informativeness, interaction, customisation and electronic word-of-mouth are examined as antecedents to perceived value. Perceived value is placed as antecedent to trust and social identity, which influence purchase intention. Through quantitative method, a self-administered questionnaire survey was used to collect data from 502 organic food consumers in Malaysia. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was applied for data analysis. Results highlight that informativeness, interaction, and electronic word-of-mouth have positive effects on perceived value. Customisation has no significant effect on perceived value. Perceived value has positive effect on trust and social identity, which leads to subsequent positive influence on purchase intentions. The findings may assist organic food retailers or producers in developing and implementing effective social media marketing strategies.