Proposed Hypothesis Development
- Develop at least one hypothesis (i.e., an educated guess), which needs to meet the following criteria:
- Your proposed hypothesis is related to marketing. For example, it can be related to an important or interesting marketing problem, contradictory marketing findings, or contradictory marketing ideas being promoted in the business or popular press or social media.
- Your proposed hypothesis must include at least one mediator variable (i.e., mediating effect) or one moderator variable (i.e., moderating effect), in addition to the “independent variable” and “dependent variable.” Relevant information and examples (e.g., hypothesis development, mediator, and moderator) can be found at the end of this page or by searching online.
- Please provide sufficient information to support your proposed hypothesis (e.g., theory, logic, observation, boundary conditions, etc.)
Hypothesis: Increasing the frequency of social media advertisements will have a positive effect on brand awareness, mediated by consumer engagement on social media platforms.
Explanation: Social media advertising is a popular tool used by marketers to increase brand awareness and reach target audiences. However, it is not clear whether the frequency of social media advertisements is directly related to brand awareness or if there is a mediating effect of consumer engagement on social media platforms. Therefore, this hypothesis proposes that increasing the frequency of social media advertisements will have a positive effect on brand awareness, but that this effect will be mediated by consumer engagement on social media platforms.
Mediator variable: Consumer engagement on social media platforms. The hypothesis suggests that consumer engagement on social media platforms will mediate the relationship between the frequency of social media advertisements and brand awareness. Consumer engagement can be measured by various metrics, such as likes, comments, shares, and followers on social media platforms.
Moderator variable: Type of social media platform. It is possible that the type of social media platform used for advertising could moderate the relationship between the frequency of social media advertisements and brand awareness. For example, visual platforms like Instagram may have a stronger effect on brand awareness than text-based platforms like Twitter.
Logic: The hypothesis is based on the assumption that increased frequency of social media advertising will capture more consumer attention and lead to increased engagement on social media platforms, which in turn will lead to increased brand awareness. Consumer engagement on social media platforms is important as it provides an opportunity for consumers to interact with the brand and share their experiences with others, potentially leading to increased brand loyalty and positive word-of-mouth marketing.
Boundary conditions: The proposed hypothesis assumes that the advertisements are of high quality and relevant to the target audience. Poorly executed advertisements or those that are not relevant to the target audience could have a negative effect on brand awareness, even with increased frequency of advertising. Additionally, the hypothesis assumes that consumer engagement on social media platforms is a reliable indicator of brand awareness, which may not always be the case.
Overall, the proposed hypothesis has practical implications for marketers seeking to increase brand awareness through social media advertising. By understanding the mediating effect of consumer engagement on social media platforms, marketers can design more effective advertising campaigns and allocate resources more efficiently to maximize the impact of social media advertising on brand awareness.