From Engagement to Advocacy: Analyzing the Impact of User-Generated Content on Brand Equity in Evolving Digital Ecosystems.

The seemingly ever-evolving landscapes of modern-day digital environments are today dominated by what is commonly referred to as ‘consumer-generated content,’ or UGC. This paper aims to analyze the dual effect of UGC on brand familiarity, brand commitment, and perceived quality three facets of brand equity. To contribute to filling this gap, this study draws from a survey of social media users and brand managers for a mixed-methods approach to offer an empirical understanding of UGC’s impact on consumer perception and behaviour. The results point to the superiority of UGC over conventional promotional methods and demonstrate the ability of the latter to inspire consumers and strengthen brand associations. Besides the current and previously shown advantages of UGC for marketers, the study outlines the difficulties and limitations of utilizing UGC and provides directions for its convenient effective usage. This research expands the existing literature on digital marketing and brands by providing the framework of interpreting and leveraging UGC in today’s brand communication strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]