A Study on the Effect of Social Networking Marketing on the Purchase Intention in the Airline

Abstract

Purpose: This study focused on SNS, which has been in the spotlight as a marketing tool as the number of people using SNS, to find out about the relationship between the characteristics of airline SNS marketing and the impact on brand attitude and purchasing intention. It will also identify the relationship between each factor and, in conclusion, identify the influence of SNS characteristics as marketing tools of airlines and provide direction and theoretical implications so that they can be used as effective marketing tools based on this. Research design, data: Airline SNS characteristics factors were derived from three main components: interactivity, entertainment, and convenience, four hypotheses were set up, and the SPSS Win 18.0 program and AMOS 22.0 were used to analyze the relationship between factors in a total of 333 questionnaires. Results: The airline's successful SNS marketing directly affects the airline's brand image and airline's brand attitude, and a good brand image forms a positive brand attitude for consumers and also suggests that this can lead to purchasing intentions. Conclusions: Airlines that want to successfully market SNS should pay attention to SNS characteristics and consider them in-depth, and pay attention to SNS as an important marketing tool.

1. Introduction

The development of social network services (SNS) has changed people's lifestyles and consumption patterns, which have led to a major change to the corporate marketing strategy. It has caused organizational changes in the existing online community, and offline-oriented companies as well as online-based companies are actively working to interact with consumers by introducing online platforms (Byun, 2018).

According to the results of the survey on Internet use released by the Ministry of Science and ICT in 2019, the Internet access rate of households was 99.7%, and most households had access to the Internet, and the use of the Internet by senior citizens aged 60 or older also increased significantly to 88.8%. Meanwhile, the director of the Internet Convergence Policy Division at the Ministry of Science and ICT, said that the age gap and gender gap in the nation's Internet usage rates have greatly eased over the past decade, and the utilization rate of those in their 50s and older have also increased significantly.

Instead of simply advertising products and services using SNS, the company communicates with customers and further analyzes the characteristics of customers and uses them for marketing strategies. By doing so, the company naturally builds intimacy and credibility with customers, rather than simply providing publicity or information. In addition, compared to marketing using other advertising means, marketing using SNS can have a great effect at a relatively low cost, which is a very attractive marketing tool for companies (Chen & Shang, 2018).

The marketing of airlines using SNS provides various information such as their services and destinations. It not only stimulates consumers' potential needs by presenting images of beautiful destinations but also provides information related to the excellence of overall aviation services during flights, including in-flight screenings (Kim & Oh, 2014).

Due to the widespread use of mobile devices and the growth of IT networks, consumers are purchasing air products directly from existing travel agencies through applications (Kim & Park, 2017). Consumers who have had a passive attitude in the past are seeing and feeling directly through the development of SNS, communicating with airlines with an active attitude, making their own opinions, and changing attitudes (Kim & Park, 2019). Following this trend, domestic airlines are increasing their competitiveness through communication with consumers through rapid and diverse SNS marketing activities.

This study seeks to establish how interaction, convenience, and entertainment among the characteristics of airline's SNS marketing affect the airline's brand image and airline's brand attitude. It was also intended to analyze the impact of factors in SNS marketing by identifying the relationship between the airline's brand image and the airline's brand attitude, and how the airline's brand image and airline's brand attitude affect the intention to purchase (Kim & Shim 2018). Through this, we wanted to provide theoretical and practical implications for airlines to refer to in SNS marketing activities.

2. Literature Reviews

2.1. SNS Marketing

According to Becker and Lee (2019), SNS is defined as a web-based service that enables individuals to publicly build their personal information within a particular system and to present a list of other users who relate to them, and to view a list of the networks that these other users have and another network of relationships that people in the system have.

In a study conducted by Ha (2018), SNS said that due to the activation of online information and communication technologies and mobile devices, users are developing based on the mobile environment. It also defined it as an interactive and real-time communication service that enables real-time communication with users.

The development of information and communication technology is changing the human way of life and the overall environment of enterprises very rapidly. As a result, the emergence of information and society is drawing keen attention not only for the advancement of simple technological civilization but also for the use of the Internet as a diverse means of communication throughout society (Hwang & Shin, 2012). The2 rapid spread of SNS indicated the need for new ways of thinking, approaches, and utilization in all areas, including promotion and marketing of organizations and governments, changes in sales methods, the formation of profiles, methods of obtaining and providing information, and image creation. Already, many individual users and businesses are actively using SNS for various purposes and areas (Khoa, 2020). In the case of Facebook alone, the monthly number of users is 2.5 billion (as of 2020), which is used by many people around the world, and the usage rate of SNS is rapidly spreading. The rapid spread of SNS also means that it can be used extensively not only for individuals and businesses but also for the government, such as marketing, providing and acquiring information, and creating images.

Kim (2016) said that every SNS has three common elements. The first is that each public or the semi-public user should be able to create a profile or content. The second is that users with common interests should be added to the list established relationships to maintain the network, while the third said that users should be able to share information through interaction with each other based on the relationship formation.

Kim (2018) studied the relationship between web advertising attributes and brand attitudes and purchase intentions, and divided web page advertising attributes into five dimensions: information, entertainment, individuality, interaction, and inconvenience. Kim et al. (2015) classified the characteristics of SNS into five categories: information entertainment, information brevity, information generation, information maximum reliability, and information serviceability. The study found that the four factors of information enjoyment, information brevity, information generation, and information serviceability had a significant effect on the acceptance attitude of technology and that the latest information did not affect it. It was also said that perceived usefulness affects information trust, and information trust affects behavior.

Kim et al. (2012) identified the information characteristics of SNS, analyzed and studied the relationship between the usefulness of information and the intention to spread information, and extracted five factors of accuracy, ambivalence, novelty, diversity, and experience in SNS.

Based on prior research by Lee (2013), Lee (2016), Lee et al. (2019), and Lee (2019), the three components of SNS characteristics that are expected to have a positive impact on airline's SNS marketing are interactive convenience, judging that it is important to enable interactive communication between businesses and consumers on social networking sites, to increase customer's intention to use, and that time and space can be conveniently at any time.

Shin et al. (2015) state that interactions are all acts that humans do with others in a given environment or exchange between human beings and their existence. Su et al. (2015) argued that entertainment is an important factor in determining the value of the media as well as the existing media, and emphasized that entertainment and advertising value in advertising have a significant impact through the cognitive valuation of the advertisement.

Convenience allows users to more effectively receive information and services related to the products they want to obtain through SNS, is a characteristic that gives them time and effort to find information, and implies the convenience of searching, just as users can find the information they are curious about online with minimal clicks and searches. It also includes features that not only make it easy to browse information but also guide users not to get lost online (Yang & Ahn, 2013).

The advantages of marketing using SNS are that it can communicate with consumers, as well as the effects of oral advertisements and the increase in brand loyalty. SNS marketing can reduce the cost of using TV commercials or media such as newspapers and magazines for the delivery of one-sided messages as two-way communication is possible, and can gain the effect of utilizing the interaction between businesses and consumers through consumer participation and dialogue.

Yoo and Cho (2019) found that the characteristics of SNS had a significant impact on the company's image and intention to purchase and that marketing using SNS could positively improve the company's image and develop into a promotion strategy that could stimulate consumers' purchasing intentions and lead to purchasing behavior.

According to the research results, three factors of SNS's nature of the interaction, information provision, and information reliability were found to have no effect on purchasing intent, and only benefits had a significant impact on purchasing intent. This did not have a positive effect on the users of the company's SNS because the factors of interaction, information availability, and information reliability were evaluated against the company. Unlike previous studies related to social networking sites, this study added benefits to the characteristics of social networking services, which were of academic significance and gave implications to other researchers (Kim & Park, 2019).

As such, marketing using SNS has recently emerged as a medium that can form a strong bond with customers at a relatively low cost. For this reason, marketing is one of the most effective media available for airlines. Korea's domestic aviation market is in a very competitive situation with the emergence of new and diverse new airlines as demand increases gradually every year. Airlines spare no effort to increase the brand's market share and recognition with a wide range of marketing. New airlines continue to emerge and consumers can choose and consume airlines more independently. During this fierce competition, marketing through SNS can reach consumers more diverse and effective (Lee, 2020).

2.2. Brand Image

Hwang and Shin (2012) described the brand image as a feeling consumers feel about a particular corporate brand, a belief in a brand, and says that the overall impression consumers have about the brand is formed by a combination of various associations related to the brand.

Kim (2018) said that brand image can be regarded as an internal or external characteristic that determines the generalized type or brand-related reactions of consumers to the brand's trademark.

Brand image can be said to be the concept of brand image throughout the comprehensive meaning, which includes consumers' very subjective feelings, associations, and ideal judgment, which are formed by the various attributes associated with the service, product, and brand (Kim, 2016).

Based on prior research by Lee (2013) and Lee (2016), Kim (2018) this study defined the brand image as the overall impression consumers have in their minds regarding a particular brand or the combination of various associations related to that brand. Brand image can be seen as an intangible asset, and companies are trying to form a positive brand image, manage it, and make it recognizable to consumers. This is because the favorable brand image affects various aspects such as sales and hiring of companies. Direct and indirect experience of brand products and services delivered to consumers through marketing activities creates a brand image, and as good brands are formed, the image of other products is also affected, and the overall image of the company is improved (Kim et al., 2019).

Usually, a company provides products or services and the recognition itself becomes a brand to consumers, but the airline is a representative service company, receiving services from various service providers from the ground to the plane starting with check-in, and from the consumer's point of view, such diverse satisfaction is recognized as a brand. In other words, the brand image of airlines is formed by the action of aggregate and mutual organic elements. Therefore, in order to improve the brand value of airlines, efforts should be made to imprint the airline brand through various means of communication (Kim, 2018), and the establishment of an effective brand image that can give consumers a favorable impression and raise their awareness.

Therefore, the management and importance of brand image are also emerging for companies, and consumers should constantly strive to build a positive brand image so that it can lead to purchasing.

2.3. Brand Attitude

A study by Byun (2018) defined brand attitude as an internal assessment of the individual for the product with the brand, and a study by Becker and Lee (2019) defined it as a consumer's overall assessment of a brand.

The brand attitude is defined as the overall and internal evaluation of the consumer individual regarding a particular brand, which uses consumers' preferences and affinity as a measurement method (Kim, 2018). This brand attitude not only greatly affects consumers' future purchasing decisions, but also creates oral effects and is an important factor in predicting and understanding consumers' purchasing behavior (Khoa, 2020). The study found that brand attitudes can be influenced by the degree of immersion or loyalty to the brand and that the attitudes of consumers created through the brand's blog influence brand attitudes. This thesis studied the relationship between perceived quality and preference of internet site brand and the impact of visit intention and found that perceived quality affects preference and intention of visit and that consumers' preference for the specific brand has a high effect on visit intention (Lee et al, 2019). This is in line with a number of prior studies that have shown that preference at the attitude level affects intent to visit at the behavioral level. In other words, better awareness of perceived quality improves brand preference and Internet portal brands' intention to visit and use.

In the case of air transport services, it is difficult to deliver tangibility due to the nature of the service's intangible and concurrency before consumers experience it directly on the spot, and the overall evaluation of the brand also has a high impact on the purchasing decision-making process (Kim, 2018). Consumers will be promised a predictable experience through a positive brand attitude, which will not be known until they experience the service directly, and Airline will be able to induce customers' purchasing behavior with confidence in the quality of the airline through a positive brand attitude (Lee et al., 2019). A positive brand attitude reduces the risk of choice caused by the intangible trust. Unlike other common companies, the aviation industry has features of intangibleness and concurrency that are characteristic of the service industry, and in order to improve airline brand awareness and its value, efforts must be made to imprint the airline's brand on consumers through various marketing activities (Lee, 2019). Thus, there are various prior studies relating to the brand attitude of airlines.

2.4. Purchase Intention

The intention to purchase is defined as a willingness or intention to act on a purchase, a decisive factor that directly affects the purchase behavior of consumers (Bae et al., 2019). Intention here refers to the future actions planned and anticipated by the individual. It means the probability that each person's beliefs and attitudes can lead to action (Kang et al., 2019).

As an important factor to anticipate consumer behavior, the intent to purchase was viewed as an outward manifestation of consumers' intention to take specific actions related to purchasing products (Choi et al., 2017), and the study defined it as a psychological attitude toward consumers' desire to buy with a particular brand of the overall assessment, such as their desire to buy, their recommendation, first consideration, and availability. Intention to purchase a particular product has been known as a good variable to predict actual purchasing behavior. Until now, various studies have pointed out that the intent of purchasing as an attitude related to actual purchasing behavior and purchasing behavior itself is closely related, and have shown that purchasing intentions are available to predict purchasing behavior.

Cho (2019) said repeated visits and exposures online can lead to successful marketing that increases the intent to purchase. In other words, intent to purchase can be seen as a very important concept because consumers intend to purchase a particular product when the need for purchase becomes import consumerant, and a high willingness to purchase means that the probability of purchase increases (Kim & Yoo, 2018). Intention to purchase can be the best indicator of consumer buying behavior (Su et al., 2014).

The preceding studies show that consumers' intention to purchase is influenced by various factors and formed through a complex process, which requires identifying variables that affect their intention to purchase in addition to product or service quality and satisfaction.

3. Data and Research Methodology

3.1. Research Model

This study was intended to verify the impact of the characteristics of airline SNS marketing on the airline's brand image and airline's brand attitude, and again to study how the airline's brand image. It identifies the characteristics of SNS marketing, brand image, brand attitude, and purchasing intention of users who have experienced SNS marketing activities of airlines, and the research model is shown in Figure 1.

Figure1: Research Model

3.2. Research Hypothesis

Ha (2018), Kim (2018), Lee et al.(2019), Lee (2019) studied the relationship between the characteristics of the oral information of SNS on the brand attitude, brand image, and purchasing intention, and the characteristics of the oral information on SNS had a significant impact on the brand image, and the characteristics of the brand image were formed by the combination of information and emotion. Lee (2016) studied the airline's SNS marketing communications and brand management and said that SNS characteristics have a positive influence on the brand image, and social ties between the characteristics of SNS and brand image and attitude play a positive role in controlling the brand.

Therefore, hypothesis 1 was established in this study to establish the relationship between the characteristics of airline SNS marketing (interaction, entertainment, convenience) and the impact of brand image based on prior research.

H1: Airline SNS marketing will affect the airline's brand image.

H1-1: Interaction among Airline's SNS marketing characteristics will have a positive impact on the Airline's brand image.

H1-2: Convenience among Airline's SNS marketing characteristics will have a positive impact on the Airline's brand image.

H1-3: Entertainment among Airline's SNS marketing characteristics will have a positive impact on the Airline's brand image.

In the study of Kim (2018), Kim et al. (2019), the significant impact relationship between brand image and brand attitude was verified.

Lee (2019) studied the relationship between shopping tendency, brand image, and brand attitude, and found that brand attitude is the main factor and has an important impact. Therefore, Hypothesis 2 was established to investigate the impact of brand image and brand attitude based on the studies of Kim (2018), Kim et al. (2019), Lee (2019), and Lee et al. (2019).

H2: The brand image of the airline will affect the airline's brand attitude.

Kim (2018)'s study said that brand attitudes are the most important criterion for consumers to make choices and are a comprehensive assessment factor for consumers. They also said that positive products about advertising can lead to positive attitudes, which can lead to purchasing intentions. Lee et al. (2019) conducted a rare analysis of the impact on brand image and purchase intentions, and it was found that brand image showed a significant impact on purchasing intentions. The results showed that consumers were more willing to buy if they thought it was a positive image of travel agencies.

Lee (2019) found that the characteristics of SNS have a significant impact on the brand image, brand attitude and brand image have a significant impact on the brand's intention to purchase, and thus provided marketing strategies and implications centered on the brand image.

Therefore, Hypothesis 3 was established to establish the relationship between brand image and brand attitude based on the studies of Kim (2018), Lee (2019), and Lee et al. (2019).

H3: The brand image of the airline will affect the intention of the purchase.

Choi et al. (2017) divided consumers into 19 brands and seven of them and conducted interviews on brand attitudes and intent to buy at three points in time. As a result, we have found that there is a clear correlation between brand attitude and purchasing intention for all brands and 4 product lines, and if the quality and satisfaction of the service are high, the purchasing intention is also increased, and vice versa, all lower and closely correlated. Kim and Yoo (2018) conducted research on online oral activities, brand attitudes and purchase intentions, and said that consumers' brand attitudes and purchasing intentions are significantly affected (Bae et al., 2019).

Therefore, Hypothesis 4 was established to identify the impact of the airline's brand attitude and purchasing intention based on studies by Choi et al. (2017), Kim and Yoo (2018), Kang et al. (2019), Bae et al. (2019) and Cho (2019).

H4: The airline's brand attitude will affect its intention to purchase.

4. Results

4.1. The Demographic Characteristics of Sample

The survey for the empirical analysis conducted online surveys for about two months from March 10 to April 30, 2020, and in this study, the population was designated as men and women in their 20s or more with purchasing power based on those who had experience using the airline's SNS, and a total of 333 copies were used in the analysis, except for 27 questionnaires with insincere responses.

According to the analysis of the demographic characteristics of the respondents, the gender was similar with 157 men (47.1%) and 178 women (52.9%), followed by 123 people in their 20s (36.9%), 114 people in their 40s (34.2%), and 96 people in their 30s (28.8%). Marriages included 186 unmarried people (55.9%), 147 married (44.1%), 122 office workers (36.6%), 54 professionals (16.2%), 50 service workers (15.0%), 35 students (10.5%), 32 self-employed workers (9.6%), 28 others (8.4%) and 12 civil servants (3.6%). The average daily use of SNS is 90 people (27.0%), 83 people under 1~2 hours (24.9%), 70 people under 2~3 hours (21.0%), 45 people under 3~4 hours (13.5%), 45 people over 4 hours (13.5%), and the number of airlines used was 133 (39.9%), 111 people under 1 time (33.3%), 50 people over 6 times (15.0%), and 4-5 times (49%).

4.2. Reliability and Feasibility of the Sample

In this study, the Cronbach' α value was calculated and evaluated using SPS 18.0 for reliability analysis. The Cronbach alpha coefficient is used when using a scale consisting of various items with respect to a single concept, representing internal consistency with each concept being constructed, and it can be assessed that a value of 0.6 or higher is sufficient as shown in Table 1.

Table 1: Results of Intensive Feasibility and Reliability Verification of the Concept of Compositions

χ²=973.450(df=491, p=.000), χ²/df=1.983, RMR=.055, GFI=.853, AGFI=.822, NFI=.902, TLI=.935, CFI=.943, RMSEA=.054

***: p<.001

In this study, the most representative absolute fitted index used to assess model fit was the validation, but the exact value extraction is limited because it is affected by the complexity of the model or the size of the sample. The adequacy of the model was then determined based on verification and other goodness-of-fit indices such as the NFI, TLI, CFI, and Normed-, RMR, GFI, AGFI, and RMSEA.

The χ²value of the fit of the structural equation model in this study is 973.450(df=.491, p=.000). It was shown to be statistically significant. This fails to reject the null hypothesis 'input covariance matrix is equal to the estimated covariance matrix', so it is possible to judge that the research model is not suitable by adopting the alternative hypothesis. However, as noted in the deterministic factor analysis, χ²value is likely to increase as the number of samples increases, reducing the model's fit, so an additional index of conformity, which is relatively free of the number of samples, rather than concluding, was used to determine the model's fit.

In this study, the fitted χ²values other than the values for the structural equation model are χ²/df=1.983, RMR=.055, GFI=.853, AGFI=.822, NFI=.902, TLI=.935, CFI=.943, RMSEA=.The GFI, AGFI values, which appear to be 054 and will be affected by the size of the samples, showed that the conformity indices RMR, NFI, TLI, CFI, and RMSEA, which are less affected by the number of samples, met the criteria and therefore the measurement model in this study is considered appropriate.

Finally, the relationship between all potential variables was shown to be less than the absolute value of 0.7 and the probability was not to be doubted, and the AVE value of all potential variables was greater than the square value of the correlation between the potential variables. Therefore, it was deemed that the judgement justification between the concepts of each component would be established. In addition, it was assessed that the direction of the relationship between the concepts of each component was a positive relationship consistent with the direction of the hypothesis established in this study, thus establishing a legal justification. Therefore, the validity of the measurement tools in this study was deemed sufficient.

Correlation analysis between potential variables in this study was shown in Table 2. Through this, the multicollinearity of the model was verified and the discriminant validity was determined. The relationship of all potential variables was found to be below 0.7 and the multicollinearity was seen as no problem, and the AVE value of all potential variables was higher than the correlation square value among potential variables. It is therefore determined that the discriminant validity of each concept of composition is established. The relationship direction between the hypotheses and the constructions set up in this study shows a positive relationship, and the validity of the law is also evaluated. Therefore, the conceptual feasibility associated with the measurement tools in this study is considered sufficient.

Table 2: Validation and Correlation Analysis of the Concept of Composition

a: AVE Value, b: Squared Multiple Correlations (R² ).

4.3. Hypothesis Test

The results of verifying the relationship between H1 airline SNS marketing and airline brand image are as shown in Table 3.

Table 3: The Relationship between Airline's SNS Marketing and Airline's Brand Image

*** : p<.001, a : Critical Ratio, b : Squared Multiple Correlations

Among the characteristics of airline SNS marketing with H1-1, the effect of interaction on airline brand image was shown as .177, and C.R.=2.268(p=.023), indicating positive influence. Accordingly, H1-1 'interaction among the characteristics of airline SNS marketing will have a positive effect on airline brand image' was adopted.

Among the characteristics of airline SNS marketing with H1-2, the effect of convenience on the airline's brand image was found to be .492 and C.R.=6.271(p=.000), indicating the effect of positive. Therefore, H1-2 'convenience among the characteristics of SNS marketing will have a positive effect on the airline's brand image' was adopted.

Among the characteristics of airline SNS marketing with H1-3, the effect of entertainment on airline brand image was .178, and C.R.=2.925(p=.000). Therefore, H1-3 'Among the characteristics of airline SNS marketing, entertainment will have a positive effect on airline brand image' was adopted.

The impact of the brand image of the airline, H2, on the airline's brand attitude was shown in Table 4 .567, and C.R.=7.827(p=.000) was shown to have a positive effect. Therefore, H2 'the brand image of the airline will have a positive effect on the airline's brand attitude' was adopted.

Table 4: The Relationship between Airline's Brand Image and Airline's Brand Attitude

*** : p<.001, a : Critical Ratio, b : Squared Multiple Correlations

The hypothetical verification results for the impact of the brand image of the airline of H3 on its intention to purchase and the impact of the airline's brand attitude on its intention to purchase were shown in Table 5.

Table 5: The Relationship between Airline's Brand Image and Airline's Brand Attitude and Intention to Purchase

*** : p<.001, a : Critical Ratio, b : Squared Multiple Correlations

The impact of the brand image of the airline, which is H3, on the intention of purchase was .008, and C.R.=.105(p=.916) appears to have no positive effect. Therefore, H3 'the airline's brand image will have a positive effect on its intention to purchase' was rejected. The impact of the brand attitude of the H4-person airline on the intention of purchase has been shown. Therefore, H4 'the airline's brand attitude will have a positive effect on its intention to purchase' was adopted.

5. Conclusions

The results of this study are summarized as follows.

First, Hypothesis 1 states that 'the airline SNS marketing will have a significant impact on the airline's brand image' and that all three factors have been incorporated into the airline's SNS marketing characteristics: interactivity, entertainment and convenience, and all three factors have significant positive effects on the brand image.

Second, Hypothesis 2 is 'The brand image of the airline will affect the brand attitude of the airline', and Hypothesis 2 is adopted as it shows that the brand image has a significant positive influence on the brand attitude.

Third, Hypothesis 3 is 'The brand image of the airline will affect the intention of the purchase', and Hypothesis 3 is rejected as it appears that the brand image does not have a significant positive effect on the intention of the purchase. Fourth, Hypothesis 4 is 'The airline's brand attitude will affect the intention of purchase', and it appears that the brand attitude has a significant positive influence on the intention of purchase, so Hypothesis 4 is adopted.

The results of this study were intended to derive the key factors necessary for airlines in a competitive environment to use SNS marketing to gain an upper hand in the industry and to demonstrate the relationship and influence among the factors.

Studies show that airline SNS marketing has a significant impact on the airline's brand image, and brand attitude has a significant impact on consumers' intention to purchase. In conclusion, the airline's successful SNS marketing creates a positive brand attitude for consumers and also suggests that this may lead to purchasing intent. Airlines that want to successfully market SNS should pay attention to SNS characteristics and consider them in depth, and pay attention to SNS as an important marketing tool.

Airline SNS marketing was analyzed to have a significant impact on the airline's brand image. SNS marketing has proved effective until consumers have a good image and choose products among many brands. As all three factors of social networking features, interactivity, entertainment and convenience, have a significant impact on the brand image, airlines will be able to build a positive brand image and carry out effective marketing activities taking into account these characteristics of SNS. Airline's marketers will be of great help to improve their brand image by recognizing the importance of interactivity, entertainment and convenience among the attributes of SNS and engaging in marketing activities that have been properly harmonized with these elements.

The brand image of airlines was analyzed to have a significant impact on the airline's brand attitude. The brand image that consumers like also has a good influence on the brand attitude of consumers. This shows the importance of the airline's brand image, and if a favorable brand image is established, the brand attitude can also have a positive influence.

The airline's brand attitude was analyzed to be in a positive relationship with the intent of purchase. It is analyzed that this directly affects the intention of purchase because consumers can recognize it through evaluation after the brand experience. It should also strengthen its competitiveness by focusing on good brand attitudes to help airlines build consumer consensus and generate purchasing intent.

This study has some limitations. The three characteristics of the airline's SNS have not been fully identified. Therefore, further studies on SNS characteristics are needed in addition to these characteristics in future studies. Although the analysis was conducted without distinction between Full Service Carrier (FSC) and Low Cost Carrier (LCC) airlines, the expansion of the LCC aviation market could be achieved by dividing airlines into FSC and LCC.

In addition, the data were collected only for Koreans, but the results of the study may be changed by Koreans and foreigners. It is difficult to generalize the results of the study because not only Koreans but also foreigners use it. Therefore, future studies will need to analyze foreigners who have experienced SNS marketing by airlines.