Social media marketing and customer relationships: an exploratory investigation

Social media is a global phenomenon that companies should not ignore and must englobe in their marketing strategies, in order to build stronger relationships with consumers and improve performance. The main purpose of the study is to present the fundamentals of social media marketing theory and its applications and influence with relation to customer relationship management and customer brand loyalty. In the first chapter the concept of social media is described and its contents discussed, social media marketing definition it is provided, as well as its main objectives and adoption in company marketing strategies. The analysis proceeds with a special focus on community management and engagement, social commerce and the effects of the phenomenon on reputation and relationship management. The following chapters provide a critical review of customer brand loyalty and customer relationship management theory, analyzing the effects and the role played by social media adoption. An empirical study conducted on Decathlon Parma customers it is finally presented in order to investigate the dimensions and the extent of social media marketing application and its relationships with customer brand loyalty, customer satisfaction, trust and further digital constructs such as word-of-mouth and engagement.