Abstract
This quantitative survey-correlational study examined the mediating role of social media marketing in the relationship between brand building and consumer behavior among fresh produce enterprises in Nanchang, China. Using a validated questionnaire administered via Questionnaire Star, data were collected from 285 managers representing marketing, operations, and sales divisions selected through stratified random sampling. Descriptive and inferential statistics, including PROCESS Macro Model 4 with bootstrapping, were applied for analysis. Results revealed that respondents were middle-aged, primarily well-educated professionals who rated their enterprises' brand building, consumer behavior, and social media marketing performance as "very good." However, no significant correlation was found between brand building and consumer behavior, and social media marketing did not show a mediating effect on this relationship. The findings suggest that while enterprises have strong brand-building strategies and satisfactory consumer engagement, their social media efforts, despite broad platform coverage and frequent usage, do not effectively translate branding initiatives into measurable consumer behavior outcomes. This indicates that the quality and relevance of digital content, rather than the intensity of usage, may determine social media's effectiveness as a marketing tool. The study offers valuable implications for managers seeking to optimize brand–consumer alignment through more interactive, content-driven digital strategies.
