The Effect of Social Media Mix on Brand Switching Intention: The Mediating Role of Risk Perception

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of social media mix combinations on the brand switching intentions of consumers by integrating signaling, social exchange and uncertainty reduction theories and existing literature. The study measures the effect of social media mix combinations on brand switching intentions through the mediating effect of perceived risk. This study implemented an experimental design and the manipulated experimental condition was social media mix with three intensity levels (SoloMix, ComboMix and FullMix). The results indicate that higher levels of social media mix intensity leads to decreasing levels of perceived risk regarding the new brand purchase, which in return increases the brand switching intention of consumers. The study contributes to the existing literature by providing an understanding of the earned media’s relative marginal contribution on triggering brand switching behavior in comparison with brand generated media and explores the role of perceived risk in this relationship