Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine how various motivations, including entertainment, social interaction, personal identity, information seeking, remuneration and empowerment, influence Generation Z users’ engagement with branded content on TikTok. Using the theoretical framework of consumer online brand-related activities (COBRAs) and uses and gratifications (U&G) theory, this study analyzes the impact of interactive features of social networks on purchase intent. Design/methodology/approach The consumer behavior of Generation Z TikTok users was analyzed using partial least squares structural equations. A total of 403 active Generation Z users residing in Puerto Rico were included in this study. Findings This study makes significant theoretical contributions by analyzing consumer behavior in TikTok. It reveals that “Media Engagement,” stimulated by hedonic gratifications, evolves toward utilitarian gratifications, showing a progression in user brand engagement. Furthermore, it identifies usage motivations for TikTok, leading to the contribution of branded content (UGC) and demonstrates a clear link between usage motivations and consumer actions. This finding identifies three new gratifications that extend our understanding of how social media platforms, specifically TikTok, influence brand engagement through COBRAs. Originality/value This study is original in that it presents a novel approach to the study of TikTok marketing, highlighting how Generation Z’s motivations, such as entertainment and social interactions, influence its interactions with branded content. Using the COBRAs model and the U&G theory, this study reveals a transition from hedonic to utilitarian gratifications, directly linking usage motivations to consumption actions and content creation. This analysis offers a unique perspective in academic research, identifying new types of gratifications and their impact on brand engagement and purchase intent.
Santos-Corrada et al. (Sun,) studied this question.
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