The Power of User-Generated Content: Elevating Consumers' Brand Perception, Purchase, and Post-Purchase Behavior in the Food and Beverage Industry

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Nanda Kishore Shetty, Pooja Singh, Yashaswini M, Yogita Hiremath

Abstract

The aim of this research is to assess the importance of user-generated content (UGC) in the food and beverage sector, examining its impact on brands, consumers, and loyalty. User-generated content (UGC) has proven to be an effective and useful tool for brands seeking to reach people, particularly as conventional advertisement becomes less effective. The qualitative part incorporates interviews with business owners, food bloggers, and customers of such businesses, and the quantitative part includes surveys, to gain a rounded view of the problem. Important findings uncovered that UGC has a high level of 86% trust amongst consumers. UGC is more widely accessible to consumers on Instagram and YouTube, where interesting and easy-to-connect-with content has been able to help retain consumers. UGC also has a positive economic effect, as businesses have reported increased sales when consumers are effectively engaging with the content. It is clear from the research that brands need to change their marketing approaches in order to take advantage of the UGC effect, especially those that target younger people who are more willing to engage with them. This paper has specific relevance in terms of enabling businesses to utilize UGC in an efficient manner; it also makes a general contribution through a series of recommendations that are aimed at enhancing the marketing image of the businesses and fostering customer loyalty in view of the ever-changing digital environment.

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How to Cite
Nanda Kishore Shetty, Pooja Singh, Yashaswini M, Yogita Hiremath. (2024). The Power of User-Generated Content: Elevating Consumers’ Brand Perception, Purchase, and Post-Purchase Behavior in the Food and Beverage Industry. European Economic Letters (EEL), 14(4), 2025–2039. https://doi.org/10.52783/eel.v14i4.2346
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