scholarly journals Online brand advocacy and brand loyalty: a reciprocal relationship?

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Violetta Wilk ◽  
Geoffrey N. Soutar ◽  
Paul Harrigan

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to increase the understanding of the online brand advocacy (OBA) and brand loyalty relationship through a social identity theory lens.Design/methodology/approachAn online survey was used to obtain the needed data and the relationships of interest were examined using a partial least squares structural equation modelling approach.FindingsBrand loyalty and consumer-brand identification were found to be predictors of OBA, while OBA impacted on purchase intent. In addition, a strong reciprocal relationship was found between OBA and brand loyalty, which has not been reported in prior studies.Research limitations/implicationsThis study highlighted OBA's complexity. It suggested OBA is not only an outcome of a consumer-brand relationship but also that OBA plays a key role in the development of such relationships. A consumer's identification with a brand fosters brand loyalty and purchase intent through the giving of OBA.Practical implicationsThe more consumers vocalise their brand relationships through OBA, the more they strengthen their relationship with brands. The inclusion of OBA management in brand and marketing strategies should enable organisations to foster opportunities for online consumer-brand interactions that strengthen consumer-brand relationships.Originality/valueFirst, unlike previous studies that have used makeshift scales to measure OBA, the authors used a recently developed OBA scale. Second, the important reciprocal relationship between OBA and brand loyalty, which has significant implications, has not been reported in prior research.

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zalfa Laili Hamzah ◽  
Hazwani Abdul Wahab ◽  
Muhammad Waqas

Purpose The purpose of this study is to identify the customer perceptions of social media brand post characteristics that drive consumer engagement with the brand post. Furthermore, this study identifies the customer-brand relationship outcomes resulting from the behavioural engagement on social media. Design/methodology/approach An online survey of 407 social media users was undertaken. Structural equation modelling was used to test all hypotheses. Findings The results indicated that consumers respond positively to interactive and/or novel posts. Furthermore, consumer engagement with brand posts positively influenced all customer-brand relationship facets including brand love and customer-brand identification. Originality/value This study contributes to closing the empirical gap in social media consumer engagement research by providing support for consumer perception of brand post’s characteristics as a significant factor triggering consumer engagement with the brand post. This study also provides evidence that consumer engagement with brand posts leads to customer-brand relationships.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Farzana Quoquab ◽  
Jihad Mohammad ◽  
Anis Makhillah Mohd Sobri

Purpose The present study attempts to shed some light on tourists’ destination brand loyalty (DBL) in the Malaysian ecotourism context. More specifically, this study aims to examine the relationships between electronic word of mouth (eWOM), destination brand quality (DBQ), destination brand image (DBI), psychological engagement (PE) and DBL. Design/methodology/approach Based on the Stimulus–Organism–Response theory and buyer black box model, this study developed a framework to address tourists’ loyalty towards ecotourism destinations. An online survey was carried out to collect data, which yielded 210 completed usable responses. Structural equation modelling – partial least squares was used to test the study hypotheses. Findings Findings from this study revealed that eWOM and destination product quality affect DBI. Moreover, data support the mediating effect of PE between DBI and DBL. Practical implications This study provides valuable insights for practitioners and policymakers of the tourism industry in creating a DBI, keeping tourists psychologically engaged and retaining their loyalty to the ecotourism destinations. Originality/value This study is amongst the first to examine the effect of eWOM and DBQ on DBI in the ecotourism context. It also examines PE in relation to the DBI, which is a comparatively new area in the literature.


2015 ◽  
Vol 32 (6) ◽  
pp. 405-421 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cleopatra Veloutsou

Purpose – This paper aims to examine whether the strength of positive brand relationship can either mediate between trust, satisfaction, attitude towards the brand and loyalty or moderate the link between these variables. Existing research has established that trust, satisfaction and the attitude towards the brand contribute to the development of brand loyalty. However, recently, there is a growing stream of research indicating that the brands are not only facilitating transaction but companies can also use them to develop and maintain links with their customers. The exploration of the role of brands in the development of bonds with the customers is still very limited. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected from 189 women who are using lipstick in Glasgow, Scotland. Respondents were asked to answer a questionnaire keeping in mind their preferred brand. Findings – The findings revealed that the strength of the consumer brand relationship is a very strong predictor of brand loyalty. They also suggested that brand relationship does not moderate the relationship between brand trust, satisfaction and brand loyalty, but it mediates the link amongst these constructs. Research limitations/implications – One product category was examined. The data were collected from females in a big city with non-probabilistic sampling. Most of the respondents were younger consumers, who may have different behavior compared to older consumers. Practical implications – Managers are constantly looking for ways to increase brand loyalty. They need to appreciate the importance of consumer engagement with their brand through positive brand relationships. Therefore, they need to try to develop brand identities and project brand images that will make the brands look as appealing to the consumers as relationship partners. Originality/value – This paper supports the view that brands are not only facilitating transactions but can also develop and maintain links with their customers, especially engaged customers, and the exploration of these bonds is still limited. This paper is adding to the literature on brand engagement and brand relationships from a quantitative perspective and is contributing to theory building, as there is no clear theoretical view on whether the brand relationship has a direct effect, i.e. either mediates or moderates the link between these variables.


2016 ◽  
Vol 44 (6) ◽  
pp. 588-606 ◽  
Author(s):  
Imran Khan ◽  
Zillur Rahman

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of e-tail brand experience on e-brand trust and e-brand loyalty. The study also tests whether gender moderates this influence. Design/methodology/approach – In all, 429 responses were collected using both offline and online survey methods. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling techniques were performed to test the measurement and structural models using SPSS 20.0 and AMOS 20.0 statistical software. Findings – Empirical results confirm the impact of e-tail brand experience on e-brand trust and e-brand loyalty. Gender was found to moderate the relationships. It was further found that e-tail brand experience developed almost same levels of e-brand trust in both males and females. However, males became more loyal to e-tail brands when they received positive e-tail brand experiences. Practical implications – E-tail brand managers should focus on the design and delivery of unique e-tail brand experiences to develop e-brand trust and e-brand loyalty in customers. The direct influence of e-tail brand experience on e-brand loyalty was found to be weaker in females, which suggests that managers could take steps to specifically deliver experiences that please female customers which might result in increased e-brand loyalty of this segment. Originality/value – Examining the phenomenon of brand experience in context of online retail while considering gender as moderator highlights the originality and contribution of the present study to existing retail and brand experience literature.


2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (5) ◽  
pp. 543-557
Author(s):  
Jony Oktavian Haryanto ◽  
Luiz Moutinho ◽  
Joaquin Aldas-Manzano ◽  
Ihsan Hadiansah

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify the influence of future anticipation toward the development of brand relationship which finally creates brand loyalty. Brand loyalty has fascinated a number of researchers to conduct studies for so many years; however, its relationship with future anticipation has remained untouched by academia.Design/methodology/approachThis study proved the proposed conceptual model using structural equation modeling. The empirical approximated for the main-effects model and model goodness of fit indexes. The results signified a good fit of the data to our conceptual model in both samples.FindingsThe research shows that the influence of future anticipation is very essential in creating a brand relationship, autobiographical memory or even market performance and all in Asia; also Europe has similar significance with regard to this matter. Thus, it is important for companies to emphasize the importance of future anticipation and also delivers or informs it well to customers to create a positive perception in customers’ mind.Originality/valueFuture anticipation concept is anchored in philosophy theory and psychology. With respect to the study objectives, the focus is on the perspective of time which refers to thought and attitude toward past, present and future. In exploring what kind of behavior is related with future, the authors views are based on the futurology, a concept from sociology that studies generalizations about the nature of prediction. Blending these two theories, the authors elaborate a conceptual framework for the study of future anticipation and brand loyalty.


2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 204-226 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Hinson ◽  
Henry Boateng ◽  
Anne Renner ◽  
John Paul Basewe Kosiba

Purpose Marketing researchers have usually studied consumers’ attachment to brands from an emotional bonding perspective. However, the purpose of this study is to show that attachment to objects is not only limited to bonding. Thus, the authors conceptualised the attachment theory from two perspectives: bonding-based and identity-based attachment. In addition, the study further seeks to identify the elements of each component and examine how these elements drive customer engagement on a brand’s Facebook page while assessing some consumer-related outcomes of customer engagement on Facebook. Design/methodology/approach Using an online survey, the authors examined antecedents of customer engagement on Facebook and the outcomes of engagement behaviours among 649 respondents. Structural equation modelling was used in analysing the data. Findings The results of the study show that consumers’ attachment to a brand drives them to engage the brand on the brand’s Facebook page. The results also show that the consumer engagement of brands on Facebook results in positive user-generated contents and consumer involvement. Practical implications Managerially, the attachment theory provides value for marketers in terms of evaluating customer–brand relationships and how such a relationship can yield positive results. Originality/value This study expands how the attachment theory has been conceptualised and applied in the marketing literature. The study shows that consumer attachment to brands is identity-based in addition to being bonding-based.


2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (7) ◽  
pp. 849-863 ◽  
Author(s):  
Crystal T. Lee ◽  
Sara H. Hsieh

Purpose With the rapid surge of mobile marketing, an increasing number of brands have launched branded emoticons in an attempt to build brand relationships with consumers. Despite the apparent promise of branded emoticon usage, there is only limited academic research on branded emoticons. This paper aims to build on impression management theory and the conceptualization of cuteness to investigate how the effect of cuteness in branded emoticon design influences perceived playfulness in mobile instant messaging (MIM) interaction and the creation of brand engagement in self-concept. Design/methodology/approach Consumers with usage experience of branded emoticons in MIM apps were recruited to complete an online survey. Partial least squares structural equation modelling was used to analyze the data. Findings Two facets of cuteness – kindchenschema cuteness and whimsical cuteness – can project a favourable social image to consumers that facilitates playfulness in social interaction and enhances brand engagement in self-concept, which leads to their willingness to purchase the brand and stickiness to the MIM apps. Originality/value The popularity of branded emoticons represents a new form of social interaction and an innovative way to build brand relationships. The present study is the first to examine the design aspects of branded emoticons and highlights that the cuteness of a branded emoticon may be a crucial factor in engaging consumers in MIM.


2019 ◽  
Vol 122 (2) ◽  
pp. 617-634
Author(s):  
Jisun Lee ◽  
Lana Chung

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to empirically analyze how brand authenticity (BA) as perceived by consumers who take health functional foods (HFF) strengthen the brand relationship quality (BRQ) and positively affects brand loyalty. Design/methodology/approach The five sub-dimensions of BA perceived by HFF consumers, elicited through a focus group interview, were conceptualized as a second-order reflective construct. To identify the influences of the sub-dimensions of BA on each construct of the BRQ and the influence on brand loyalty though mediating BRQ, an empirical analysis was done using partial least squares-based structural equation modeling. Findings All the sub-dimensions of BA positively affect each of the BRQ s (brand satisfaction, brand trust and brand commitment) excepting product authenticity on brand commitment, and originality on brand trust. The impact of BA positively affects brand loyalty by mediating brand relationship qualities. Originality/value It is found that BA is an important antecedent for forming BRQ with consumers in the HFF industry, in which building trust with consumers is important. BA is an important factor in brand management of HFF.


2020 ◽  
Vol 54 (6) ◽  
pp. 1281-1303
Author(s):  
Maria Karampela ◽  
Ewelina Lacka ◽  
Graeme McLean

Purpose In business-to-business (B2B) settings, research on social media sites (SMS) has primarily examined the benefits and challenges relating to their use, as well as factors driving their adoption. Recently, attention has turned to the consequences of using SMS in B2B markets. The purpose of this paper is to extend this line of research by investigating the impact of B2B brands’ social media presence, interactivity and responsiveness on customers’ perceptions of four indicators of brand relationship strength (commitment, intimacy, satisfaction and partner quality). Design/methodology/approach Data from an online survey (N = 200) with customers of UK-based B2B firms were analysed using structural equation modelling. Findings The study reveals that a supplier’s presence on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook has a positive impact on all four brand relationship strength indicators; interactivity enhances perceived partner quality, while responsiveness positively influences commitment. Differences across the three SMS are also observed. Research limitations/implications The research was conducted on a sample of UK-based firms with varying degrees of SMS use that may influence the impact on B2B brand relationship strength. Practical implications This study indicates that B2B brands ought to focus primarily on presence on SMS, given its positive impact on brand relationship strength. At the same time, however, B2B brands should be active in responding to customers’ queries on SMS, as well as interacting with them to enhance commitment and perceived partner quality, respectively. Originality/value This study contributes to the digital marketing and B2B relationships interface and is the first to examine the role of B2B brands’ presence, interactivity and responsiveness on SMS in enhancing relationships with customers.


2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (7) ◽  
pp. 1025-1041 ◽  
Author(s):  
Imran Khan ◽  
Zillur Rahman ◽  
Mobin Fatma

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the extent to which the customer-brand engagement influences the brand satisfaction and the brand loyalty in an online banking context. It further explores the role of the online brand experience as a mediating variable amidst the relationship of customer-brand engagement with brand satisfaction and brand loyalty. Design/methodology/approach This study has used 348 responses been collected through an online survey which was conducted among various online bank customers in Delhi, the national capital of India. The responses were analyzed by the means of the confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. Findings The results of online survey show that customer-brand engagement positively influences online brand experience. The effects of customer-brand engagement on brand satisfaction and brand loyalty are partially mediated by the online brand experience. Mediation of online brand experience produces the stronger effects as compared to those direct effects of the customer-brand engagement on the brand satisfaction and the brand loyalty. Practical implications This study suggests bank managers to develop strategies that could be able to increase the levels of the customer-brand engagement in an online setting because of its scheduled effects on the online brand experiences and the consumer behavioral outcomes. Originality/value This research is the first-of-its-kind that examines the effect of customer-brand engagement on the customers’ brand experience, brand satisfaction and brand loyalty in the online banking context.


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