The Mediation Role of Brand Positioning on the Relationship between Social Media Influence and Performance within the Insurance Business Sector

Abstract

This study investigates the mediating role of brand positioning in the relationship between social media influence (SMI) and business performance among insurance firms in Zimbabwe. Drawing on a cross[1]sectional, correlational survey design, data were collected from 150 marketing professionals across the country‘s insurance sector. Structural equation modelling (SEM), supplemented by bootstrapped mediation procedures, was used to test four hypotheses. The findings show that SMI has a substantial positive effect on business performance (β = 0.690, p < 0.001). Brand positioning was identified as a partial mediator of this relationship, with both direct and indirect pathways yielding statistically significant results. Specifically, social media engagement strengthens brand positioning, which in turn contributes to improved performance outcomes. These results extend services marketing theory by offering empirical insight into the mechanisms through which digital marketing activities generate business gains in the insurance sector. Managers are encouraged to combine influencer partnerships, educational social media content, and targeted advertising campaigns with deliberate brand positioning efforts to realise compounding performance benefits. The study advances understanding of digital marketing dynamics in an emerging market context, with relevance to knowledge-intensive service industries.