Use of social networking sites for product communication: A comparative study of Hispanics and non-Hispanic whites

•Information motivation predicts attitudes toward the site in both groups.•Socializing motivation predicts attitudes toward the site among Hispanics only.•Entertainment motivation predicts attitudes toward the site among whites only.•Attitudes toward the site predict use intensity, interactive use and recommendation.

This study extends the uses and gratification theory and examines SNS use in a specific context, namely product communication, among Hispanic and non-Hispanic whites, two important consumer segments in the U.S. market. It tests the relationships between motivations, attitudes, and usage outcomes that are unique to SNSs in an integrative model. Structural equation modeling analysis of the results obtained from an Internet-based survey (N = 595) demonstrates that the information motivation predicts favorable attitudes and various usage outcomes in both groups. However, the motivation to socialize positively predicts attitudes and usage outcomes among Hispanics only, while the entertainment motivation emerges as a determining factor for whites only. Results from this study provide theoretical and managerial implications for the development of effective marketing communication in the area of social networking sites.