How social media communication builds destination brand evangelism in developing destinations: cognitive–affective pathways of user-generated and destination-generated content

Abstract

This study investigates how social media communication shapes destination brand evangelism in developing destinations (e.g. Danang City, Vietnam) through cognitive, affective, and combined cognitive – affective mechanisms, while accounting for generational differences. Guided by the Stimulus – Organism – Response framework, user-generated content and destination-generated content are conceptualised as key stimuli that influence tourists’ internal psychological states, including destination brand awareness, cognitive image, affective image, and destination brand love, which subsequently drive evangelistic behaviours. Using data from 613 respondents and employing partial least squares structural equation modelling and multi-group analysis, the findings indicate that destination brand evangelism is not an immediate response to content exposure but emerges through sequential psychological transformations. Both user-generated content and destination-generated content enhance destination brand evangelism primarily through cognitive image and extended cognitive routes, whereas affective mechanisms are driven mainly by user-generated content. The combined pathway further confirms that sustained advocacy develops through cumulative cognition – emotion processes. Generational effects are stronger in cognitive and combined pathways, with Generation Z exhibiting more pronounced sequential influences. The study offers implications for developing destination branding and social media strategies in emerging contexts