TY - JOUR

T1 - Differentiating customer engaging behavior by targeted benefits

T2 - an empirical study

AU - Braun, Corina

AU - Batt, Verena

AU - Bruhn, Manfred

AU - Hadwich, Karsten

PY - 2016

Y1 - 2016

N2 - Purpose: Relationship marketing scholars and managers have recognized the potential of customer engagement to enhance business performance and customer value. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to examine the effects that different types of customer engagement behaviors have on their perceived benefits. Design/methodology/approach: The authors conducted two empirical studies. In the first step, 69 in-depth interviews were held to identify important customer engagement behaviors and targeted benefits. Then, in the second step, a quantitative study with 255 participants was used to match the identified customer engagement behaviors with the targeted benefits. Findings: The results reveal that there are three aggregated types of customer engagement behaviors (“value creation-focused customer engagement”, “online-focused customer engagement” and “customer-to-customer interaction-focused customer engagement”). These types of customer engagement behaviors lead to different targeted benefits (social, relationship, autonomous, economic, altruistic and self-fulfillment benefits). Research limitations/implications: A consideration of the influencing factors of the different customer-engagement-behavior types, including customers’ motives for their engagement with a company, would potentially enhance the findings. Furthermore, a closer investigation of the relationship between socio-demographic characteristics and customer engagement types can also provide deeper insights into the reasons for engaging with a certain firm or brand. Practical implications: The findings provide managers with information on how to segment customers according to their customer engagement type and associated benefits and thereby enable them to manage customer engagement behaviors more profitably. Originality/value: The results make a key contribution to the emerging research field of customer engagement by gaining deeper insights into the benefits associated with different customer engagement behaviors. It becomes clear that different customer engagement types aim at receiving various benefits.

AB - Purpose: Relationship marketing scholars and managers have recognized the potential of customer engagement to enhance business performance and customer value. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to examine the effects that different types of customer engagement behaviors have on their perceived benefits. Design/methodology/approach: The authors conducted two empirical studies. In the first step, 69 in-depth interviews were held to identify important customer engagement behaviors and targeted benefits. Then, in the second step, a quantitative study with 255 participants was used to match the identified customer engagement behaviors with the targeted benefits. Findings: The results reveal that there are three aggregated types of customer engagement behaviors (“value creation-focused customer engagement”, “online-focused customer engagement” and “customer-to-customer interaction-focused customer engagement”). These types of customer engagement behaviors lead to different targeted benefits (social, relationship, autonomous, economic, altruistic and self-fulfillment benefits). Research limitations/implications: A consideration of the influencing factors of the different customer-engagement-behavior types, including customers’ motives for their engagement with a company, would potentially enhance the findings. Furthermore, a closer investigation of the relationship between socio-demographic characteristics and customer engagement types can also provide deeper insights into the reasons for engaging with a certain firm or brand. Practical implications: The findings provide managers with information on how to segment customers according to their customer engagement type and associated benefits and thereby enable them to manage customer engagement behaviors more profitably. Originality/value: The results make a key contribution to the emerging research field of customer engagement by gaining deeper insights into the benefits associated with different customer engagement behaviors. It becomes clear that different customer engagement types aim at receiving various benefits.

KW - Management studies

KW - benefits

KW - co-creation

KW - online engagement

KW - customer-to-customer interaction

KW - customer engagement behaviour

KW - Benefits

KW - co-creation

KW - Online engagement

KW - Customer-to-customer interaction

KW - Customer engagement behavior

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84994452843&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1108/JCM-02-2016-1711

DO - 10.1108/JCM-02-2016-1711

M3 - Journal articles

VL - 33

SP - 528

EP - 538

JO - Journal of Consumer Marketing

JF - Journal of Consumer Marketing

SN - 0736-3761

IS - 7

ER -