An evaluation of the effects of user and marketer generated content on customer equity drivers in the context of the UK’s online-only fashion industry

This thesis evaluates the effects of user and marketer generated content on customer equity drivers in the context of the UK’s online-only fashion industry. Specifically, it conceptualises and presents a model which allows for the direct comparison of user and marketer generated content upon brand equity, relationship equity, and value equity, which are the drivers of customer equity. The use of mixed methods research strengthens the model, as the focus groups undertaken in phase one of the research add advertising scepticism and fashion involvement to the model as antecedents to user engagement with marketer and user generated content. The findings of the model demonstrate that these antecedents do influence user engagement with fashion-related social media. The model also demonstrates that both marketer and user generated content positively affect all three drivers of brand equity, however user generated content is shown to influence all three drivers more strongly.