How Consumer Participation Shapes Hot and Cold Engagement among Generation Z on Facebook?

Abstract

Rapid growth in social media has intensified the complexity of managing consumers’ online participation, yet limited research has examined how different forms of participation translate into meaningful brand outcomes. Focusing on Facebook brand communities among Generation Z users, this study investigates how two types of consumer participation, consumer-consumer interaction (CCI) and consumer-brand interaction (CBI), shape consumer-brand engagement (CBE), conceptualized as cold and hot engagement, and how these engagement dimensions subsequently influence post-consumption behavioral intention. Employing online survey data from 233 Gen Z users analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), the results show that CCI is the dominant driver of both cold and hot engagement, whereas CBI primarily strengthens cold engagement. In turn, hot engagement enhances ongoing search behavior and repurchase intention with slightly stronger effects. Theoretically, by distinguishing engagement intensity and clarifying the asymmetric roles of peer versus brand-initiated participation, this study extends engagement research and elucidates the mechanisms through which online participation translates into favorable brand outcomes in social media contexts. Managerially, the findings also provide actionable insights for firms seeking to strategically manage consumer participation in fast- evolving social media environments, particularly in emerging markets.