The group matters: examining the effect of group characteristics in online brand communities

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Junyun Liao ◽  
Lu Wang ◽  
Minxue Huang ◽  
Defeng Yang ◽  
Haiying Wei
Keyword(s):  
Brand Loyalty ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Brand Community ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Brand Communities ◽  
Similarity Group ◽  
Community Identification ◽  
Group Involvement ◽  
Group Characteristics ◽  
Group Similarity

PurposeIn an online brand community (OBC), consumers as a group occupy a dominant position, and their horizontal interactions are pivotal for the consumer–brand relationship. However, little is known about the effect of group characteristics on brands. To partially fill this gap, this study examines how group characteristics influence brand loyalty from the perspective of social identity theory. Specifically, by collecting data from an online survey, this paper investigates the effects of group similarity, group receptivity and group involvement on brand loyalty, the mediating role of community identification and the moderating effect of tenure in a community.Design/methodology/approachData from 482 brand community members were analyzed using structural equation modeling.FindingsThe results show that group similarity, group receptivity and group involvement increase brand loyalty; furthermore, the effect is mediated by community identification. Moreover, group receptivity is more effective in fostering community identification of short-tenure members, whereas group similarity plays a more important role for long-tenure members.Originality/valueThis paper enriches the brand community literature from a group perspective and provides implications for how brand communities develop customer loyalty strategies.

Online brand communities’ contribution to digital business models

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 437-463 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wioleta Kucharska
Keyword(s):  
Business Models ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Social Mechanisms ◽  
Brand Community ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Brand Communities ◽  
Online Brand Communities ◽  
The Social ◽  
Community Identification ◽  
Online Brand Community

Purpose There is limited research examining social drivers and mediators of online brand community identification in the context of business models development. This study aims to identify them behind the social mechanisms and present essential factors which should be applied in business models to foster value co-creation. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from a convenience sample of 712 cases gathered among young European Facebook users via an electronic survey and analyzed using the structural equation modeling method. Findings Customer–other customers’ identification is a pivotal factor in influencing brand community identification. Practical implications If companies want to implement online brand communities into business models effectively and co-create brand value, they need deliver brand content useful for customer self-expression and social interaction to enhance consumer-brand identification and customer–customer social bonds which enable to transform the audience into a community. Focusing on the constant reinforcement of online brand community by supporting customer–customer relationships is critical for voluntary value co-creation. Originality/value The main contribution of this study to the literature on online brand communities is the presentation and empirical verification of pivotal social mechanisms of online brand community identification considered as a starting point to potential co-creation and capturing value based on the social presence theory.

When will consumers be ready? A psychological perspective on consumer engagement in social media brand communities

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 704-724 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linlin Liu ◽  
Renjing Liu ◽  
Matthew Lee ◽  
Jiawen Chen
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Brand Loyalty ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Brand Community ◽  
Consumer Engagement ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Brand Communities ◽  
Engagement Theory ◽  
Community Identification ◽  
Personal Engagement

Purpose The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to explain whether consumer engagement in social media brand communities (SMBCs) motivates consumer brand loyalty; and second, to explore the antecedents of consumer engagement by developing a model based on personal engagement theory. Design/methodology/approach Online survey data from 279 brand community members of Weibo (one of the most popular social media websites in China) were used to test the proposed model. Structural equation modeling with partial least squares was performed to test both the measurement model and the structural model. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis was conducted to examine the interaction effects. Findings The findings show that three factors, namely, recognition, community identification and self-efficacy, had significant positive effects on consumer engagement in SMBCs, which consequently enhanced brand loyalty. Self-efficacy moderated the effects of both community identification and recognition on consumer engagement. The impacts of three factors on consumer engagement are contingent upon the type of SMBCs. Originality/value This study extends and advances the literature on consumer engagement by explaining consumer engagement in SMBCs from a new theoretical lens. This study also enriches personal engagement theory by investigating the effects of the interaction between different conditions of engagement. In addition, this study contributes to brand loyalty literature by providing empirical evidence of the impact of consumer engagement on brand loyalty. Finally, this study contributes to the online brand community study by introducing personal engagement theory into SMBC context, and examining the moderating role of SMBC types.

scholarly journals Unveiling heterogeneous engagement-based loyalty in brand communities

2019 ◽  
Vol 53 (9) ◽  
pp. 1854-1881 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurence Dessart ◽  
Joaquín Aldás-Manzano ◽  
Cleopatra Veloutsou
Keyword(s):  
Brand Loyalty ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Brand Community ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Brand Communities ◽  
Brand Engagement ◽  
Equation Modelling ◽  
Behavioural Engagement ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose Although recent research appreciates that consumers increasingly interact with brands in brand communities and that brand engagement is an important and complex phenomenon in brand communities, little is known about the nature of individuals’ brand engagement in brand communities. This study aims to identify brand community members’ segments in terms of their brand engagement within the community; help us understand if these segments use a different approach in the development of brand loyalty; and develop mechanisms that can be used to identify members of these segments. Design/methodology/approach The paper adopts a quantitative approach and uses a total of 970 responses from members of Facebook brand pages in three popular languages on Facebook (English, French and Spanish). Data are analysed with structural equation modelling, integrating FIMIX-PLS and POS-PLS. Findings The results reveal that cognitive, affective and behavioural engagement dimensions play a different role in driving brand loyalty. Three different segments of engaged consumers exist (emotional engagers, thinkers and active engagers). Variables related to the perceived value of the brand community provide initial explanations as to the differences of the consumer groups. Research limitations/implications The data were collected from a specific type of brand communities (Facebook-based, company-managed brand communities) and are self-reported. Practical implications This work demonstrates the heterogeneity of brand community members in terms of their brand engagement profile and the effect of this profile on the formation of behavioural brand loyalty. Suggestions on identifying members of these segments based on the value that they get from the community are offered. Originality/value This work extends the brand engagement and brand community literature. It is the first work that provides this nature of actionable suggestions to the teams supporting brands with brand communities.

Online customer engagement

2015 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 777-806 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wafa Hammedi ◽  
Jay Kandampully ◽  
Ting Ting (Christina) Zhang ◽  
Lucille Bouquiaux
Keyword(s):  
Social Environment ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Social Environments ◽  
Brand Community ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Brand Communities ◽  
Online Brand Communities ◽  
Online Brand Community ◽  
Core Brand

Purpose – The emergence and success of online brand communities in the marketplace have attracted considerable interest; this study seeks to determine the conditions in which people create social environments by investigating the drivers of connections to a focal online brand community and other brand communities. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the composition of multi-community networks, focussing on the density and centrality of brand communities. Design/methodology/approach – On the basis of insights from prior literature, the proposed model examines customers’ social relationships with multiple brand communities. A survey of 290 participants spans eight brand communities. The modeling process used structural equation modeling; the analysis of the social relationship among brand communities relied on an ego network approach. Findings – Two drivers prompt connections to other online brand communities. First, personal identification with a core brand community enhances connections to other communities. Second, some core brand members choose a functionality-driven approach in creating social environments. Practical implications – For marketers, this study highlights the importance of positioning the brand community as part of a social environment. To strengthen customer-brand relationships, marketers should focus on community members’ multiple memberships. Originality/value – This paper extends understanding of online brand community members’ motivations to participate in a focal brand community. It also explains the creation of a social environment, through a careful consideration of participation in different brand communities and their relationships.

Consumer engagement in online brand communities: a solicitation of congruity theory

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jamid Ul Islam ◽  
Zillur Rahman ◽  
Linda D. Hollebeek
Keyword(s):  
Brand Loyalty ◽  
Brand Image ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Consumer Engagement ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Brand Communities ◽  
Online Brand Communities ◽  
Congruity Theory ◽  
Value Congruity ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is threefold: first, to study the influence of self-brand image congruity and value congruity on consumer engagement in online brand communities (OBCs); second to test whether gender moderates this effect; and third, it also examines the role of consumer engagement as a driver of brand loyalty. Design/methodology/approach Using an online questionnaire, 443 responses were collected from consumers who are members of at least one OBC on Facebook. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data. Findings The results revealed that both self-brand image congruity and value congruity significantly affect consumer engagement. A positive effect of consumer engagement on brand loyalty was also attained. Third, the results revealed that gender did not moderate the examined relationships. Practical implications This research integrates and broadens existing explanations of different congruity effects on consumer engagement. This study thus suggests the value of developing their OBCs to exhibit congruence with customers’ self-image and value, which in turn, will contribute to the development of brand loyalty. Originality/value This research applies congruity theory to examine the impact of self-brand image- and value congruity on consumer engagement in OBCs. Through the establishment of this novel theoretical link, this study furthers insight into the domain of social media marketing.

Creating identification with brand communities on Twitter

2017 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manuela López ◽  
María Sicilia ◽  
Alberto Alejandro Moyeda-Carabaza
Keyword(s):  
Brand Loyalty ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Theoretical Background ◽  
Brand Community ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Need For Affiliation ◽  
Brand Communities ◽  
Need For Uniqueness ◽  
Building Activities

Purpose Companies are now using social network sites (SNSs) within their marketing and brand-building activities. Twitter is the preferred SNS for creating brand communities, which offer companies many advantages. The purpose of this paper is to examine how individuals manage their competing needs for being affiliated (operationalized as personal and communal-brand connections) and for being seen as distinctive (operationalized as need for uniqueness (NFU)) when they are members of brand communities on Twitter. The authors have also analysed which type of brand community is able to achieve the balance between both needs, enhancing identification with the brand community. Design/methodology/approach A total of 318 valid responses were collected from three camera brand communities on Twitter. Messages (“tweets”) which included a link to an online questionnaire were sent to community members via Twitter. The authors examine the proposed model using structural equation modelling. Findings The authors demonstrate that consumers can satisfy their need for affiliation in brand communities created in Twitter. However, consumers can only reach a balance between the need for affiliation and the need for distinctiveness in brand communities built around niche brands. In contrast, the two needs work in opposition to shape identification in brand communities of big brands. Originality/value Optimal distinctiveness theory is used as a theoretical background for proposing how the antecedents of identification with the brand community enhance brand loyalty, with reference to the conflict between the individual’s needs for both distinctiveness and affiliation. Consumers’ identification with the brand community is proposed as a mediator to achieve brand loyalty in brand communities. Consumers reach this balance in brand communities built around a niche brand, where individuals with high NFU feel a high identification with the brand community. For big brands, as consumers’ NFU increases, their identification with the brand community and brand loyalty decreases.

The impact of brand evangelism on oppositional referrals towards a rival brand

2016 ◽  
Vol 25 (6) ◽  
pp. 538-549 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francois Marticotte ◽  
Manon Arcand ◽  
Damien Baudry
Keyword(s):  
Brand Loyalty ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Video Gaming ◽  
Brand Community ◽  
High Definition ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Brand Relationship ◽  
Community Identification ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Brand Evangelism

Purpose This study aims to build on the notion of brand evangelism developed by Becerra and Badrinarayanan (2013) by examining how brand relationship variables regarding one brand (i.e. brand loyalty, brand community identification and self-brand connection) influence oppositional referrals to a rival brand (i.e. desire to harm and trash-talking) in the high definition (HD) videogame console industry. Design/methodology/approach A survey of online communities devoted to video gaming was conducted using a sample of 809 respondents, all owners of either a PlayStation or an Xbox. Findings The results show that the desire to harm the rival brand is strongly and positively associated to participation in trash-talking. Brand loyalty is connected to both dimensions of oppositional brand referrals. Consumers’ connection with the brand affects trash-talking only indirectly through the desire to harm. No association is found between identification with the brand community and oppositional brand referrals. Originality/value This study is the first to demonstrate the mechanism linking brand relationship variables regarding a focal brand with consumers’ disparagement of a rival brand, showing that a desire to harm plays a central role. Just as the desire for retaliation drives negative word-of-mouth in the context of an unsatisfactory experience with a brand (Grégoire and Fisher, 2006), the desire to harm drives trash-talking against a rival brand by brand evangelists. This study improves our understanding of the relationships consumers build with their preferred brands and how this relationship may influence their rejection of competing brands with which they do not have direct experience.

Beyond lurking and posting: segmenting the members of a brand community on the basis of engagement, attitudes and identification

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Matti Haverila ◽  
Caitlin McLaughlin ◽  
Kai C. Haverila ◽  
Mehak Arora
Keyword(s):  
Least Squares ◽  
Partial Least Squares ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Opportunity To Learn ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Brand Community ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Brand Communities

Purpose Brand communities are an increasingly important way for brands to interact with their customers, as they give brands an opportunity to learn from and interact with people with a demonstrated interest in the brand. Literature has explored the difference between lurkers and posters within these brand communities. However, there are other ways to segment members, just as there are many ways to segment customers of products and services – and this paper aims to be a step toward going beyond simple lurking vs posting behavior as a means of differentiating community members. As such, the purpose of this paper is to segment brand communities based on not only their participation behavior but also their identification with the brand community, loyalty and benefits gained from membership. Design/methodology/approach This study used a cross-sectional survey of members of various brand communities in North America. Partial least squares structural equation modeling together with finite mixture partial least squares and prediction-oriented segmentation was used to discover the distinct segments of brand community members. Findings The findings indicate that there are two distinct segments that behave differently regarding their behavior, attitudes and motives. Segment one has a stronger relationship between identification and other outcomes and is also more motivated by social enhancement than segment two. Thus, it is clear that brand community members can be segmented and served based on more than their posting behavior. Originality/value The members of brand communities have often been thought of as homogeneous. This paper is unique in identifying heterogeneity among the members of the brand community and demonstrates the need for brand community managers to identify these differences and manage the brand community accordingly.

Brand community integration and satisfaction with social media sites: a comparative study

2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa Clark ◽  
Hulda G. Black ◽  
Kimberly Judson
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Community Integration ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Community Settings ◽  
Brand Community ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Brand Communities ◽  
Positive Results

Purpose This paper aims to address two primary research questions: Why does a consumer integrate into a brand community and how does that impact overall satisfaction with the brand? Which of the main social media sites (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Pinterest) is more/less appropriate for cultivating a brand community? Design/methodology/approach Data were collected via an online survey of college students at two universities. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling with AMOS software. Findings Results suggest that brand community does lead to satisfaction with a social media brand. Consumers are more likely to integrate into a brand community if they view the site as personally relevant. Relevancy is affected by the frequency with which the consumer visits the site. The analysis also indicates that there are interesting differences among the different sites. Research limitations/implications This study has some limitations due to the demographics of the respondents and the finite listing of sites. Practical implications Social media marketers looking to build brand community and increase satisfaction will be able to use the results of this study to make informed decisions regarding these efforts. Social implications Society could benefit from this study if marketers use the findings to engage consumers in brand communities through social media. Brand communities help participants to feel more engaged and connected to others. It is well known that people thrive in community settings and this togetherness, as opposed to isolation, will be good for the participants and society in general. Originality/value The understanding of why a consumer would integrate into a brand community is valuable information because it is generally known and accepted that there are positive results for the brand, but this study takes it a step further and looks at the specific social media sites to give guidance to marketing practitioners as to which ones are best for brand community building.

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