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Mapping the Full Scope of Consumer Engagement on Social Media for Efficacy and Consumer Wellbeing

Lead Research Organisation: BOURNEMOUTH UNIVERSITY
Department Name: Faculty of Media and Communication

Abstract

The aim of this project is to map the full scope of consumer engagement on social media and examine its relationship with consumer wellbeing. This project is of high relevance to advertising and digital media researchers, advertisers, publishers, media planning and advertising agencies in that it will supply innovative conceptual and methodological tools to better understand consumers' interests and intentions, and metrics to measure their engagement more accurately on social media than existing metrics, such as 'likes', comments or shares, allow. These outcomes will expand existing scholarship by recognising all forms of consumer engagement and help improve digital advertising effectiveness and its positive impact on consumer wellbeing. To achieve the project aim, the Fellow will expand on her PhD research, where she introduced the Digital Practices Tracing Methodological Framework based on screen recordings. The tool will be further developed to measure motivational and contextual factors and effects on consumer wellbeing. Consumer engagement data collected via the upgraded tool will then allow to develop the new engagement metrics. To deliver this innovative project and produce high-quality research outputs, the Fellow's expertise in digital methods and invisible engagement will be combined with the host institution's leading expertise in post-phenomenological enquiry, consumer engagement and digital media research. Working closely with international academic experts and industry partners will ensure the applicability of the new metrics and therefore the impact of the research outcomes across academia and industry. The collaboration between the Fellow and the host institution will be a mutually beneficial partnership that will enhance the Fellow's research capabilities and bring important research contributions.
 
Description Significant new knowledge generated
The outcomes of this research are beginning to generate knowledge about the link between observable digital behaviours (e.g., searching, liking, sharing) and underlying consumer motivations. By clarifying how invisible and visible forms of engagement relate to purpose and pleasure, the project offers a concise behavioural-motivational framework that can be adopted by other researchers, advertisers, and policymakers. Importantly, the findings deepen understanding of how specific patterns of digital engagement relate to user wellbeing, moving beyond platform metrics toward user motivation-led measures.

New or improved research methods or skills developed
This research has advanced methodological innovation by further refining the Digital Practices Tracing methodology. The method enhancements allow to more effectively identify motivations and intentionality behind specific digital practices. By integrating motivational constructs with behavioural tracking, the methodology enhances its explanatory power and moves beyond descriptive accounts of engagement. Other researchers will be able to employ this improved approach to study digital practices across platforms and contexts. The refined tools and protocols will support more nuanced investigations of social media use.

Important new research questions opened up
The outcomes of this research have opened up an important new research questions. By empirically linking specific digital behaviours to distinct motivations, the project raises new lines of inquiry into how engagement patterns evolve over time and how platforms shape intentional versus automatic use. It invites further investigation into relationships between forms of engagement and wellbeing outcomes. The findings also create opportunities for comparative research examining how different digital environments enhance or suppress purpose-driven engagement.

Particularly noteworthy new research networks/collaborations/partnerships, or combinations of these
An expanded network of industry partners is being established as a result of the work carried out. New additions include major industry bodies such as the Advertising Association, the Conscious Advertising Network, Purpose Disruptors, the Internet Advertising Bureau and ISBA. It is anticipated that these partners will have a key role in offering effective pathways to impact.
Exploitation Route Significant new knowledge generated
The outcomes of this research will generate much needed knowledge about the link between observable digital behaviours (e.g., searching, liking, sharing) and underlying consumer motivations. By clarifying how invisible and visible forms of engagement relate to purpose and pleasure, the project offers a concise behavioural-motivational framework that can be adopted by other researchers, advertisers, and policymakers. Importantly, the findings deepen understanding of how specific patterns of digital engagement relate to user wellbeing, moving beyond platform metrics toward user motivation-led measures. The unification of these elements can give rise to a new domain of study: Consumer Wellbeing Effectiveness Studies dedicated to the conceptualisation and measurement advertising impacts on wellbeing outcomes.

New or improved research methods or skills developed
This research has advanced methodological innovation by further refining the Digital Practices Tracing methodology. The method enhancements allow to more effectively identify motivations and intentionality behind specific digital practices. By integrating motivational constructs with behavioural tracking, the methodology enhances its explanatory power and moves beyond descriptive accounts of engagement. Importantly, this methodology has been significantly adapted, via the addition of a preliminary survey and follow-up interviews, that will afford future researchers with a more fit-for-purpose protocol to better understand how interactions with digital content impact on the experience of wellbeing. Other researchers will be able to employ this improved approach to study digital practices across platforms and contexts. The refined tools and protocols will support more nuanced investigations of social media use and digital navigation in general.

Important new research questions opened up
The outcomes of this research will open important new research questions. By empirically linking specific digital behaviours to distinct motivations, the project raises new lines of inquiry into how engagement patterns evolve over time and how platforms shape intentional versus automatic use. It invites further investigation into relationships between forms of engagement and wellbeing outcomes. The findings also create opportunities for comparative research examining how different digital environments enhance or suppress purpose-driven engagement.

Particularly noteworthy new research networks/collaborations/partnerships, or combinations of these
An expanded network of industry partners is being established because of the work carried out. New additions to the research network include major industry bodies such as the Advertising Association, the Conscious Advertising Network, Purpose Disruptors, the Internet Advertising Bureau and ISBA. It is anticipated that these partners will have a key role in offering effective pathways to impact.
Sectors Creative Economy

Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software)
 
Description Contribution towards more ethical practices concerning the use of AI in consumer insights and digital advertising
Geographic Reach National 
Policy Influence Type Influenced training of practitioners or researchers
URL https://www.linkedin.com/posts/audience-collective_ai-can-write-ads-optimise-media-scale-production-...
 
Description DigiAdGood Co-creation workshop
Geographic Reach National 
Policy Influence Type Contribution to new or improved professional practice
 
Description Introducing invisible engagement and why it matters
Geographic Reach Europe 
Policy Influence Type Contribution to new or improved professional practice
URL https://www.warc.com/content/paywall/article/introducing-invisible-engagement-and-why-it-matters/en-...
 
Title Enhancement of the Digital Practices Tracing Method (DPT) 
Description The team is in the process of adapting the DPT to track the impact on well-being. 
Type Of Material Improvements to research infrastructure 
Year Produced 2025 
Provided To Others? No  
Impact Digital Practices Tracing (DPT), is a novel methodological framework integrating digital methods and post-phenomenological inquiry. This combination allows capturing naturally occurring digital lurking practices and uncovering their underlying motivations. Methodologically, our approach involves tracing the full scope of consumers' digital practices, such as extended browsing, searching content, saving screenshots or skipping posts, and linking these observable practices to emotional states, such as trust, excitement, or frustration (Dennison, 2024). This practice-emotion linkage is supported by well-established theories in psychology, such as the circumplex model of affect (Russell, 1980), which posits that emotional states are reflected in observable actions. Furthermore, research demonstrates that patterns of interaction-such as time spent on specific content, click frequency, or patterns of avoidance-can be effectively used to infer emotional responses (Picard, 1997). Linking behaviours to emotions allows for a more ethical and human-centred approach to evaluating the impact of digital advertising. It moves beyond surface-level metrics, such as click-through rates or a number of 'likes' to focus on how consumers feel and what motivates their actions. By understanding the emotional consequences of digital engagement, in this project, we aim to create a framework and develop metrics that not only enhance advertising effectiveness but also prioritize consumer wellbeing, fostering a healthier more balanced and respectful digital ecosystem. As we are in the early stage of the project's life cycle we have not fully completed the method of the design. We anticipate that this will be completed by the end of February, and ready for data collection in March. 
 
Description Associate Professor Alessandro Caliandro-ConsEngMap4_Eff_Well 
Organisation University of Milan
Country Italy 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution As part of the collaboration, details of a novel methodology to track digital practices were shared, and an applied understanding of the consumer engagement construct.
Collaborator Contribution Ongoing collaboration with Caliandro has shared his expertise in digital methods and digital culture, in particular on digital invisibility and cultures of disconnection.
Impact Collaboration with Caliandro will result in several academic outputs. The first has already been submitted to the International Journal of Research in Marketing. This paper introduces, conceptualises and provides empirical evidence of invisible consumer engagement, defined as a form of behavioural manifestations in the digital environment that has a brand or firm focus beyond purchase, resulting from motivational drivers that go beyond the mediation of visible social media metrics and therefore are not publicly visible or shared. The results indicate that invisible engagement practices, compared to visible ones, can provide a more authentic illustration of consumers' true interests and intentions.
Start Year 2024