Social Media Engagement and Brand Image

Drawing upon social information process theory, this study examines the extent to which social media engagement and eWOM activities (namely opinion seeking, passing, giving) in a higher education context shape the perceived brand image of higher education institutions and, subsequently, their enrollment intention. The study also takes into consideration the moderating effect of prospective groups (undergraduate vs. graduate students) in these relationships. Findings from a sample of 444 prospective students in Vietnam indicate that social media engagement has an indirect effect on perceived brand image through eWOM seeking and passing activities, ultimately impacting enrollment intentions. Further, perceived brand image of undergraduate prospect is influenced more strongly by their eWOM seeking activities on social media, whereas for graduate prospects, future enrollment intentions is determined more strongly by the perception of brand image.