Theoretical Research on the Influence of Consumer Protection Policies on Brand Trust in Social Media Marketing

Abstract

As social media becomes an important marketing channel for businesses, consumers are facing problems such as information asymmetry, privacy leaks and false advertising while enjoying convenience, and whether consumer protection policies are sound or not directly affects consumers' trust in brands. Based on trust theory, signal theory and social exchange theory, this paper studies the mechanism of the impact of consumer protection policies on brand trust in the social media marketing environment. First, analyze the characteristics of social media marketing and the issue of consumer protection, and discuss the contents of consumer protection policies in aspects such as data privacy protection, advertising authenticity regulation, and after-sales service guarantee. Next, a theoretical model of "consumer protection policy - perceived safety - brand trust" is proposed to analyze how policy transparency, enforcement, and relief measures affect consumer cognitive trust, emotional trust, and behavioral trust by reducing perceived risk, enhancing perceived fairness, and increasing platform credibility. Then analyze the moderating effects of consumer personal factors, brand types, and platform nature on the impact of consumer protection policies on the degree of consumer trust, thereby demonstrating that the impact of consumer protection policies on consumer trust varies in different circumstances. Finally, this paper offers suggestions from the perspectives of improving legal systems, clarifying platform responsibilities, and forming multi-party cooperative governance, in order for enterprises to comply with consumer protection regulations in the process of social media marketing to enhance brand trust, and also provides references for relevant government departments to formulate and improve relevant policies, which has certain theoretical and practical significance.