Abeer A. Mahrous, Ph.D.

Previous research in the information search of pre-purchase literature has indicated that the impact on information search behaviour of using social media as a source of information source should be investigated. This paper attempts to address this gap by examining the implications of social media information searching for pre-purchase search for information on automobiles. A sample of 384 current and prospective buyers was drawn from the Egyptian automobile market. Data were analysed using structural equation modelling. The results suggest that social media-based information searching has an impact on information quality, consideration sets and selection criteria. Accordingly, consumers are tending to use the social media as their initial and major source of information before they make a purchase. Moreover, the incidence of using offline information searches at this point is tending to decline. Some managerial insights into these results are provided.
Keywords: social media, pre-purchase search, automobiles, information sources, emerging markets, pre-purchase information, vehicle purchasing, automobile industry, automotive purchases, information retrieval, Egypt, structural equation modelling, SEM

Social media platforms have shown dramatic growth in the past few years. Social media presents a wealth of marketing opportunities for companies. Companies can use these platforms to do tailored marketing, to build more effective customer relationship management programs and to engage their customers, just to name a few. Understanding social media users' characteristics and behaviour on social media is critical. This paper delineates an exploratory study to understand users' engagement on social media by attempting to segment and classify Facebook users, being the most popular social media platform, segmenting Facebook users will be based on users' motives to log on to Facebook, usage patterns, lifestyle, attitudes towards Facebook and demographic variables. A sample of 290 users was drawn from the Facebook users in Egypt. Data was analyzed using two stages cluster analysis technique. Three different clusters were obtained namely; socialisers, laggards and information seekers, each with different characteristics and Facebook usage patterns. Socialisers and information seekers are the most frequent users of Facebook, while the laggards are the least frequent users of Facebook with an intention of discontinuation. This study provides useful marketing insights and implications to companies in developing their marketing strategies.

Purpose
– This exploratory paper aims to extend the research on customer co-creation behavior into an emerging market. To this end, it empirically examines the influence of e-service quality dimensions on customers’ willingness to participate in online co-creation experience, in conjunction with customer attitude and intention.

Design/methodology/approach
– Data from a sample of 215 customers from the Egyptian telecommunication sector were collected and analyzed using structural equation modeling technique.

Findings
– The findings suggest that, although five e-service quality dimensions (efficiency, system availability, privacy, responsiveness and compensation) affect the attitude toward the Web site, another set of the dimensions (efficiency, fulfillment, compensation and contact) affects customers’ willingness to participate in the co-creation experience. The findings also support that customers’ attitudes toward the Web site affect the intention to use the Web site, which, in turn, affects customers’ willingness to participate in the online co-creation experience.

Practical implications
– In their move toward mass customization, companies face the challenge of engaging a huge number of users. Deep and engaging interactions with customers could be one of the differentiators a company might cultivate to serve the market better. Thus, online co-creation activities might broaden the horizon for a cost-effective approach striving for close ties and a high level of customer engagement.

Originality/value
– Despite the intensive use of the Internet in distributing e-services, little attention has been paid thus far to extend e-service quality models to incorporate customer participation in the online co-creation experience. In particular, this exploratory study identifies the important dimensions of e-service quality that influences customers’ willingness to participate in the online co-creation experience.

Keywords:
Customer experience, Eservice quality