brand knowledge , information environment , generative AI , employee-generated content , brand image , difference-in-differences
Abstract:
This dissertation examines how brand knowledge formation is affected by shifting information environments characterized by the growing influence of generative artificial intelligence and employee-generated content. Building on Keller’s (1993) conceptualization of brand knowledge, it investigates two emerging mechanisms through which brand-related associations are created, updated, and communicated. The first essay develops a framework of LLM-based brand-knowledge updating, arguing that large language models update and convey brand knowledge through query-driven retrieval and synthesis processes. A controlled field experiment demonstrates that differences in retrieval architectures and query formulations systematically affect how rapidly and accurately updated brand associations are reflected in model outputs and recommendations. The second essay analyzes how brand crises influence employee-generated content. Using 2.5 million employee reviews and 130 brand crises, it shows that internal crises reduce review volume and valence, particularly among active employees, thereby altering the information environment surrounding firms. Together, the findings contribute to a better understanding of how information intermediaries affect contemporary brand knowledge formation and updating.
Dieser Eintrag ist Teil der Universitätsbibliographie.
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