The Psychology of Digital Brand Engagement - Understanding Consumer Responses to UGC,BGC and AIGC

Aug 27, 2026

Uploaded by Patrick

In the digital attention economy,brands increasingly rely on user-generated content (UGC),brand-generated content (BGC),and AI-generated content (AIGC) to shape perception and drive engagement. This research analyzes the psychological mechanisms behind consumer engagement across these three content origins using cognitive processing theory (CPT). Based on a survey of 291 respondents and interviews with 17 marketing professionals,findings show UGC delivers the strongest perceived authenticity and emotional resonance,improving engagement and brand trust,while BGC supports identity with moderate emotional impact and AIGC raises credibility uncertainties despite personalization benefits.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages12

Reading Time30 min

AccessFree to download

1 Introduction

2 Literature Review

# The Psychology of Digital Brand Engagement:Understanding Consumer Responses to UGC,BGC and AIGC Ioseb Gabelaia( Kauno Kolegija Higher Education Institution,Kaunas,Lithuaniaiosebgabelaia@gmail.com Abstract.In the digital attention economy,brands are increasingly utiliz-ing diverse content strategies,including user-generated content (UGC),brand-generated content(BGC),and AI-generated content(AIGC),toengage consumersand shape their brand perception.This research investigates the psychologicalmechanisms that influence consumer engagement with these three content forms,utilizing cognitive processing theory(CPT).The research insights are based on asurvey of 291 respondents,which measured engagement behaviors,emotionalresponses,and perceived authenticity.Moreover,17 marketing professionals,through semi-structured interviews,provided insights into content reception,trustdynamics,and platform-specific interaction patterns.Results indicate that UGCproduced the highest levels of perceived authenticity and emotional resonance,positively influencing engagement and brand trust.BGC was associated withconsistent brand identity but yielded moderate emotional impact.AIGC,whileefficient and scalable,generated uncertain responses,valued for personalizationyet questioned for credibility.Thematic analysis of the interviews underscoredthe growing strategic integration of AIGC in marketing while also highlightingconsumer sensitivity to transparency and ethical content sourcing.This researchcontributes to the knowledge of digital marketing by examining how psycholog-ical responses to different content origins influence digital brand engagement.Moreover,the practical implications highlight the need for content hybridizationstrategies that strike a balance between authenticity,control,and scalability. Keywords:User-generated Content (UGC)·AI Marketing·Brand-generated Content(BGC)·AI-generated Content(AIGC) ## 1 Introduction Today,participatory culture and artificial intelligence have transformed how businessesapproach digital marketing.Moreover,it revolutionized digital brand engagement andinteraction between brands and their audiences(Pham &Gammoh 2015).This is a fun-damental part of marketing practice focused on building brand relationships,improv-ing customer experience,and promoting brand loyalty.Additionally,this includes con-tent sharing,personalized experiences,and more aimed at creating brand recall andrecognition (Singh &Sonnenburg 2012). Brands today perform in multi-modal ecosystems.Additionally,this ecosystem ischaracterized by User-Generated Content(UGC),Brand-Generated Content(BGC),andAI-Generated Content(AIGC).Notably,each content type activates distinct psycholog-ical and emotional reactions in consumers,eventually influencing their behaviors andbrand loyalty(Peters et al.2020;Goh et al.2013).While UGC is more relatable andauthentic,BGC offers brand consistency and professionalism,and AIGC shows scale,personalization,and real-time adaptability(Kapitan &Silvera 2016;Gabelaia 2025:Dwivedi et al.2021). This research explores how consumers psychologically engage with these three con-tent types grounded in cognitive processing theory(CPT).This approach helps explainthe understanding of persuasive content,emotional identification,and perceived cred-ibility based on the origin of content(Petty &Cacioppo 1986).Moreover,in timesof reduced consumer attention and doubt,the content origin is significant for creatingand developing effective brand engagement strategies(Belanche et al.2021;Mariani &Borghi 2021;Voorveld et al.2018). Recent statistics reveal the growing complexity of content-driven brand engagementand its impact on general target audiences.77%of consumers are more likely to trustuser-generated content than brand-created promotions(Statista,2024a,b).BGC remainsfundamental in brand consistency,with 67%of marketers admitting using it to strengthenbrand messaging(Content Marketing Institute 2023).Nevertheless,the introduc

FAQs

UGC,BGC和AIGC在消费者心理反应上有何差异？

研究表明UGC带来更高的感知真实性与情感共鸣，从而提升参与度与品牌信任。BGC与品牌一致性相关，但情感影响较为中等；AIGC虽具备效率、可扩展性与个性化潜力，却更容易引发对可信度的疑虑。

本研究使用了什么理论框架来解释消费者参与机制？

研究以认知加工理论（CPT）为基础，解释说服性内容理解、情绪认同与感知可信度如何随内容来源而变化。

研究的证据主要来自哪些数据来源？

证据包括对291名受访者的问卷调查，用于测量参与行为、情绪反应与真实性感知；同时还包含17位营销专业人士的半结构化访谈，用于补充内容接收、信任动态与平台互动模式的理解。

Aug 27, 2026

Uploaded by Patrick