Passion at first sight: how to engage users in social commerce contexts

This study analyzes the role of passion in engaging users and how it affects participation in social commerce contexts. Based on extant marketing research, the engagement-generation process is studied in three stages: cognitive (social presence and interactivity), affective (enjoyment and sPassion) and behavioral (spread of sWOM). The results empirically confirm that the cognitive experience and emotional feelings derived from the process boost user participation. At the core of the process, sPassion positively affects the spread of sWOM. Introduction of the new concept sPassion brings new challenges and opportunities to marketing research, helping to develop the concept of engagement and furthering research on WOM valence. Knowing how sPassion is formed and what factors are key to its creation will enable companies to understand the necessary steps to enhance user participation in social commerce contexts.