The Effect of User-Generated Content (UGC) Quality on Brand Engagement on Instagram in the Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) Industry in the Colombo District: The Mediating Role of Perceived Value
“User-Generated Content (UGC) plays a vital role in driving brand-consumer interactions on visual platforms like Instagram. However, limited empirical research has examined how the quality of UGC—defined by content, design, and technical dimensions—impacts brand engagement in the Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) industry, particularly in emerging markets such as Sri Lanka. Moreover, the mediating role of perceived value (emotional and functional) remains underexplored.
This quantitative study employed a deductive approach grounded in positivist philosophy, using judgmental purposive sampling to collect responses from 390 Instagram users in Colombo. Data were analyzed using SPSS v29, applying correlation, regression, and Sobel mediation tests.
Findings reveal that high-quality UGC significantly improves both perceived value and brand engagement. Perceived value was found to significantly mediate this relationship, reinforcing the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) framework and Uses and Gratifications Theory. Emotional resonance and informational clarity were key in strengthening user-brand interaction.
While limited to Instagram and cross-sectional data, the study offers key implications for QSR marketers to encourage visually appealing, emotionally engaging, and functionally useful UGC. Future research could explore longitudinal effects, alternative platforms, or other mediators like brand trust and community belonging.”
Trip Ceylon
Trip Ceylon is an intelligent travel assistant platform designed to transform how travelers experience Sri Lanka. Whether you’re planning your dream vacation or already exploring the island, Trip Ceylon empowers you with tools for seamless, secure, and socially connected travel.
At its core, Trip Ceylon offers an AI-powered travel plan generator that creates fully personalized itineraries based on your preferences, budget, desired pace, and travel duration. From golden beaches to misty hill country, our system curates the ideal route with must-visit spots and hidden gems.
The platform also includes a smart luggage tracking system, utilizing GPS-enabled tags to monitor your baggage in real time—helping ensure peace of mind throughout your journey. Whether hopping between cities or arriving at the airport, you’ll always know where your bags are.
Trip Ceylon is more than just a tool—it’s a community platform. Users can connect with nearby travelers, form new friendships, and even join local volunteering projects. The app also serves as a sharing space where travelers can post their experiences, reviews, and tips or follow others’ travel diaries to get inspired.
Built for travelers by travelers, Trip Ceylon brings together safety, personalization, and social interaction—making it the ultimate companion for anyone visiting Sri Lanka.
ChoonPaan OptimAI – Optimising Operations and Improving Profitability in Sri Lanka’s Mobile Bakeries
“Sri Lanka’s mobile bakery sector is an essential part of the informal economy, however, it faces growing challenges in maintaining operational efficiency and long-term profitability. These businesses often rely on outdated manual processes and intuition-based decision- making, leading to inefficiencies that hinder sustainability and competitiveness in a rapidly evolving market. To address these concerns, the project ChoonPaan OptimAI was initiated to explore how digital transformation can enhance business outcomes for mobile bakery vendors in this niche industry.
The project began with extensive research, including stakeholder interviews and surveys, to uncover the operational pain points and technology gaps within the mobile bakery ecosystem. The system design was driven by these insights, leading to the development of a prototype platform that integrates AI-powered features and a user-friendly interface tailored to vendor needs. The primary objective was to explore how data-informed route planning and inventory suggestions could improve decision-making and overall profitability.
ChoonPaan OptimAI offers a holistic solution by embedding intelligence into the daily operations of mobile vendors, replacing inefficiency with adaptability and insight. Rather than simply digitising existing routines, the solution envisions how vendors interact with their business data, transforming informal decision-making into a structured, insight-driven process. It introduces a framework where operational patterns, environmental factors, and past business performance are synthesised to support more responsive and resilient choices. This transition towards proactive management equips vendors to better navigate uncertainties, optimise limited resources, and incrementally build towards long-term sustainability. By promoting smarter resource use and sustainable practices, this project not only supports business resilience but also reflects a broader shift towards digital empowerment in micro-enterprise sectors.
Keywords: Mobile Bakeries, Artificial Intelligence, Sustainability, Route Optimisation, Inventory Forecasting, Micro-enterprises, Digital Transformation, Profitability”
AI-Based Vehicle Management System
BlynQ is a groundbreaking, all-in-one vehicle management ecosystem that transforms the fragmented automotive service industry through seamless digital integration. Unlike existing solutions that focus solely on booking or basic diagnostics, BlynQ creates an intelligent three-tier platform connecting vehicle owners, service centers, and technicians in real-time.
Our innovation lies in advanced OBD-II integration that provides live vehicle diagnostics with AI-powered interpretation, automatically translating complex fault codes into actionable insights for everyday users. The platform features intelligent image recognition for document processing, a centralized digital vault for legal records, and predictive maintenance alerts that shift users from reactive to proactive vehicle care.
What sets BlynQ apart is its comprehensive approach: vehicle owners access real-time service tracking and AI chatbot assistance through our mobile app, service centers manage operations through dynamic web dashboards with customizable reporting, while technicians utilize dedicated mobile tools for seamless workflow management. This interconnected ecosystem eliminates information silos and creates unprecedented transparency.
Addressing the $100B+ global automotive aftermarket, BlynQ targets Sri Lanka’s 1M+ car owners initially, with expansion planned for UK and Australian markets. Our freemium model combines subscription plans, booking commissions, and strategic partnerships, ensuring sustainable growth while delivering measurable impact: reduced vehicle breakdowns, enhanced road safety, and digitized service experiences that empower both individual owners and service providers in an increasingly connected automotive future.