COBRA (consumer theory)

{{Short description|Framework to understand online behaviour of consumers}}

COBRA (consumers' online brand related activities) is a theoretical framework related to understanding consumer's behavioural engagement with brands on social media.{{Cite journal|last=Shao|first=Guosong|s2cid=17291486|date=2009|title=Understanding the appeal of user-generated media: a uses and gratification perspective|journal=Internet Research|language=en|volume=19|issue=1|pages=7–25|doi= 10.1108/10662240910927795|issn=1066-2243}}

{{Cite journal|last1=Muntinga|first1=Daniël G.|last2=Moorman|first2=Marjolein|last3=Smit|first3=Edith G.|date=2011|title=Introducing COBRAs: Exploring motivations for brand-related social media use|journal=International Journal of Advertising|language=en|volume=30|issue=1|pages=13–46|doi= 10.2501/IJA-30-1-013-046|s2cid=82881875|issn=1759-3948}} COBRA in literature is defined as a “set of brand-related online activities on the part of the consumer that vary in the degree to which the consumer interacts with social media and engages in the consumption, contribution, and creation of media content”. (Schivinski, Christodoulides, & Dabrowski, 2016, p. 66).{{Cite journal|last1=Schivinski|first1=Bruno|last2=Christodoulides|first2=George|last3=Dabrowski|first3=Dariusz|s2cid=167329509|date=2016-03-01|title=Measuring Consumers' Engagement With Brand-Related Social-Media Content|journal=Journal of Advertising Research|language=en|volume=56|issue=1|pages=64–80|doi=10.2501/JAR-2016-004|issn=0021-8499}}

Conceptually, the COBRAs concept draws from the work of Shao (2009).{{Cite journal|last=Shao|first=Guosong|s2cid=17291486|date=2009-01-30|title=Understanding the appeal of user-generated media: a uses and gratification perspective|journal=Internet Research|volume=19|issue=1|pages=7–25|doi=10.1108/10662240910927795|issn=1066-2243}} The author explored boundaries, in which consumers engage with user-generated media. Shao (2009) suggested that people engage with such media in three ways: by consuming, by participating, and by producing brand-related media.

The concept was further investigated in a qualitative research conducted by Muntinga, Moorman, and Smit in 2011. In their study, the researchers had analyzed data from 20 consumers and suggested three dimensions of analysis: consumption, contribution, and creation.

To validate the COBRAs framework, Schivinski, Christodoulides, and Dabrowski (2016) developed a survey instrument to measure the consumer’s engagement with brand-related social-media content, based on three dimensions (i.e., consumption, contribution, and creation) established by Muntinga, Moorman, and Smit (2011). Examples of the application of COBRAs follows:

Consumption: when consumers see a picture or watch a YouTube video displaying a specific brand, e.g., Harley Davidson or Coca-Cola. In doing so, consumers are consuming brand-related media;{{Cite journal |last1=Woodside |first1=Arch G. |last2=Sood |first2=Suresh |last3=Miller |first3=Kenneth E. |date=February 2008 |title=When consumers and brands talk: Storytelling theory and research in psychology and marketing |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/mar.20203 |journal=Psychology and Marketing |language=en |volume=25 |issue=2 |pages=97–145 |doi=10.1002/mar.20203|url-access=subscription }}

Contribution: when consumers engage with online brand-related media by commenting on a post or “Liking” a piece of content, they are moving from the stage of “observer” to a “media contributor”.

Creation: when consumers decide to upload a picture of a brand or product on Facebook, they are creating brand-related content.