Perceived usefulness in brand knowledge learning: insights from adopting information through trending topics

Purpose Information adoption as a process describing the internalisation of knowledge has been widely studied in purchase intention and consumer decision-making research. However, it remains unclear how consumers learn brand knowledge through trending topics. This study aims to investigate how information is perceived as useful for learning brand knowledge when adopting brand information through trending topics. Design/methodology/approach This study used a qualitative approach to investigate 30 Sina Weibo users with prior engagement in trending topic discussions adopted brand information for brand knowledge acquisition. Thematic analysis was conducted using NVivo 11 on approximately 720,000 words of interview transcripts collected through semi-structured interviews. Findings Prioritisation of the current task is a key strategy in perceiving information usefulness. Brand information that is not immediately helpful to a current task is perceived as a low level of usefulness and considered valuable to adopt the brand information for learning brands through trending topics for future needs. Moreover, information that promotes both product performance and task performance is perceived as useful for learning brand knowledge. Practical implications Practical implications arise for brand managers in managing consumers’ brand knowledge from the perspective of brand information adoption through trending topics by identifying consumers’ perceptions of information usefulness for learning brand knowledge. Originality/value This study contributes to understanding the adoption of brand information for brand knowledge learning. It provides unique insights into non-organisational information adoption and extends brand knowledge management research on social media. The novelty lies in offering practical recommendations for perceived information usefulness in brand knowledge management.