Short answer

Focus social media marketing efforts on creating content that is rich in information, enjoyable to consume, and directly relevant to the target audience's pursuit of healthy eating.

Field: Innovation & Markets
Source: International Journal of Data and Network Science (2025)
Method: Quantitative research using a survey and structural equation modeling.
Sample: 241 participants
Evidence: Strong effect

Content that is perceived as informative, entertaining, and relevant by consumers is crucial for building brand trust, which directly influences purchasing behavior for healthy food and beverage products. This innovation & markets research insight is drawn from a 2025 study published in International Journal of Data and Network Science. Using Quantitative research using a survey and structural equation modeling. with 241 participants, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Focus social media marketing efforts on creating content that is rich in information, enjoyable to consume, and directly relevant to the target audience's pursuit of healthy eating.

Study

Innovation & MarketsNew This WeekStrong effect

Informative and Entertaining Social Media Content Drives Brand Trust and Purchase Decisions in Healthy Food Markets

International Journal of Data and Network Science · 2025

Key Findings

01Informativeness, entertainment, and perceived relevance of social media content significantly enhance brand trust.
02Interactivity of social media content did not show a significant effect on brand trust.
03Brand trust has a strong and positive influence on purchase decisions.

Application

Design takeaway

Focus social media marketing efforts on creating content that is rich in information, enjoyable to consume, and directly relevant to the target audience's pursuit of healthy eating.

How to apply

When developing social media strategies for healthy food and beverage brands, invest in content that clearly communicates product benefits, uses engaging storytelling, and aligns with consumer health goals. Test different content formats to see what resonates best.

Project actions

01When researching a new product, consider how social media content can build trust before launch.
02Analyze competitor social media strategies to identify effective content themes.

Method & Evidence

AimHow do social media marketing content features (informativeness, entertainment, perceived relevance, and interactivity) influence brand trust and subsequent purchase decisions for healthy food and beverage products?

MethodQuantitative research using a survey and structural equation modeling.

ProcedureAn online survey was administered to consumers who engage with social media content related to healthy food and beverages. Data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to assess the relationships between content features, brand trust, and purchase decisions.

Sample241 participants

ContextSocial media marketing for healthy food and beverage products.

Variables

IV["Informativeness of social media content","Entertainment value of social media content","Perceived relevance of social media content","Interactivity of social media content"]

DV["Brand trust","Purchase decision"]

CV["Age of participants","Location of participants","Engagement with social media content"]

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

+Utilizes a robust statistical method (PLS-SEM) for analyzing complex relationships.
+Focuses on a specific and relevant market segment (healthy food and beverages).

Limitations

The findings might not apply to all age groups or cultural contexts. The study relies on self-reported data, which can be subject to bias.

Reliability & validity

The study's reliability can be assessed by the consistency of the PLS-SEM model's results. Validity is supported by the theoretical framework and the significant relationships found between key variables.

Think critically

Given that interactivity did not significantly impact brand trust, what alternative strategies could brands employ to foster a sense of community and direct engagement with consumers on social media?

Design Principles

"For products in health-conscious markets, prioritize content that educates, entertains, and demonstrates relevance to build consumer trust and drive purchase intent."

In the competitive landscape of healthy food and beverages, brands must strategically leverage social media. Understanding which content features foster trust allows for more effective marketing campaigns, leading to increased consumer loyalty and sales.

What This Means for Your Design

To get people to buy healthy food and drinks, make social media posts that teach them something, are fun to watch, and feel like they're made just for them. Just making posts interactive isn't enough.

How to use in your project

1.This study can inform the user research phase by highlighting key content features to investigate for a specific target audience.
2.The findings can guide the development of marketing materials and content strategies for a design project.

Add to My Project

Quick Cite

Paragraph starter

This research demonstrates that for healthy food and beverage products, social media content featuring informativeness, entertainment, and perceived relevance significantly enhances brand trust, which in turn positively influences purchase decisions. Interactivity, however, was found to have a negligible impact. This suggests that design projects aiming to market such products should prioritize content that educates and engages consumers, rather than solely focusing on interactive elements.

Source

International Journal of Data and Network Science

The role of social media marketing content features in building brand trust and influencing purchase decision of healthy food and beverage products

journal · 2025

View source

Questions About This Research

What does the research say about informative and entertaining social media content drives brand trust and purchase decisions in healthy food markets?: Focus social media marketing efforts on creating content that is rich in information, enjoyable to consume, and directly relevant to the target audience's pursuit of healthy eating. Evidence: International Journal of Data and Network Science (2025).
Why does "Informative and Entertaining Social Media Content Drives Brand Trust and Purchase Decisions in Healthy Food Markets" matter for design?: In the competitive landscape of healthy food and beverages, brands must strategically leverage social media. Understanding which content features foster trust allows for more effective marketing campaigns, leading to increased consumer loyalty and sales.
How can designers apply this research?: Focus social media marketing efforts on creating content that is rich in information, enjoyable to consume, and directly relevant to the target audience's pursuit of healthy eating.
What were the main findings?: Informativeness, entertainment, and perceived relevance of social media content significantly enhance brand trust.. Interactivity of social media content did not show a significant effect on brand trust.. Brand trust has a strong and positive influence on purchase decisions.
What research method was used?: Quantitative research using a survey and structural equation modeling. with 241 participants.
How strong is the evidence?: Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2025 journal from International Journal of Data and Network Science.
What should I do differently in my next project?: When developing social media strategies for healthy food and beverage brands, invest in content that clearly communicates product benefits, uses engaging storytelling, and aligns with consumer health goals. Test different content formats to see what resonates best.
What are the limitations?: The study was conducted in a specific geographic region (Greater Jakarta) and focused on a particular age demographic (18-45), which may limit generalizability. The impact of interactivity might vary across different platforms or product categories.