scholarly journals Brand evaluation, satisfaction and trust as predictors of brand loyalty: the mediator-moderator effect of brand relationships

2015 ◽  
Vol 32 (6) ◽  
pp. 405-421 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cleopatra Veloutsou
Keyword(s):  
Brand Loyalty ◽  
Strong Predictor ◽  
Product Category ◽  
Brand Relationships ◽  
Moderator Effect ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Probabilistic Sampling ◽  
Brand Relationship ◽  
Big City ◽  
As Relationship

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.

Latest research on brand relationships: introduction to the special issue

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 133-139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marc Fetscherin ◽  
Francisco Guzman ◽  
Cleopatra Veloutsou ◽  
Ricardo Roseira Cayolla
Keyword(s):  
Bibliometric Analysis ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Brand Relationships ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Brand Relationship ◽  
Current State ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
State Of Research ◽  
As Relationship

PurposeThis paper aims to outline the role of brands as relationship builders and to offer a better understanding of the recent developments and key literature in the area of consumer–brand relationships.Design/methodology/approachThis paper is an editorial based mainly on a literature review on consumer–brand relationships. It uses the sentiment range and passion intensity to position various brand relationship constructs. This work follows the same bibliometric-analysis approach used by Fetscherin and Heinrich (2014) and looked for publications in the Web of Science on brand relationships, with reference to Fournier’s (1998) seminal work and data collected for the period between January 2010 and November 2018.FindingsFirst, this work presents the key consumer–brand relationship terms and positions the work on brand love, brand like, brand hate, brand dislike and brand indifference. In addition, the bibliometric analysis offers a number of insights into the current state of the academic research in the area of consumer–brand relationships, including a clear indication that the research on consumer–brand relationships is increasing.Originality/valueThis work and the whole special issue together help in the understanding of brands as relationship builders, clearly explaining the continuum from strong positive or negative relationships with brands to no relationship with brands and the current state of research in the area.

Consumer-brand relationships in step-down line extensions of luxury and designer brands

2014 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 145-168 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kamilla Hanslin ◽  
Anne Rindell
Keyword(s):  
Product Category ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Fashion Industry ◽  
Luxury Brands ◽  
Brand Relationships ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Luxury Brand ◽  
Line Extensions ◽  
Brand Relationship ◽  
Step Down

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss and identify consumer-brand relationships in a luxury brand context. The focus is on consumer-brand relationship forms emerging in relation to step-down line extensions of luxury brands. The study is positioned within fashion industry. Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative research approach is adopted analyzing data from 13 open consumer interviews. Photo collages of luxury brands and their step-down line extension logos were used as inspiration for informants in the interviews. Findings – Findings show that consumer-brand relationships mostly follow earlier identified consumer-brand relationships. However, five new relationship types (status, inspirational, impulse, rewarding and turncoat) are identified. All but status relationships can be generalized also to other contexts than the luxury brand context. Research limitations/implications – The study advances the understanding of luxury products and their step-down line extensions from a consumer perspective. However, due to the exploratory nature of the study the data are limited. Practical implications – This study showed that step-down line extensions are not perceived as that important that they could not be replaced with another brand in the same product category. Informants often preferred step-down line extensions to parent brands due to their more suitable design, even when the informant was hypothetically asked if the opinion would change if economic issues were not a restraint. Managers are encouraged to analyze their brands based on a brand-relationship approach. Originality/value – The study uses the concept consumer-brand relationship as a new way to understand how consumers relate to line extensions in a luxury brand context. The approach is novel.

The effect of product category on consumer brand relationships

2014 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 78-89 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marc Fetscherin ◽  
Michèle Boulanger ◽  
Cid Gonçalves Filho ◽  
Gustavo Quiroga Souki
Keyword(s):  
Purchase Intention ◽  
Soft Drink ◽  
Product Category ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Category Effect ◽  
Brand Relationships ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Product Categories ◽  
Brand Relationship ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – This paper aims to investigate the effect of product category on consumer brand relationships. Design/methodology/approach – Based on a total of 800 consumers, respondents evaluated their relationship with their favorite brand in one of the four product categories studied (soft drink, mobile phone, shoes, cars). EFA, subsequent CFA, SEM and ANOVA were used to assess these relationships and the product category effect. Findings – The authors find that brand love positively influences brand loyalty and both, influence positively WOM and purchase intention. Looking at the directionality of these relationships, the results show no product category differences. However, the authors found significant differences in terms of their intensity and their effect on the explanation power of the brand outcome variables WOM and purchase intention. Research limitations/implications – The survey was conducted in Brazil and future research should assess the same product categories in other cultural settings as well as consider other product categories to assess the external validity of these results. Practical implications – This paper demonstrates that consumer brand relationships are not product category specific. However, certain product categories tend to have more intense relationships than other product categories. Originality/value – Despite the importance of the product category effect in the branding literature, this study shows that consumer brand relationship theory can be applied to different product categories. This suggests, the product category is less important in the study design than the unit of analysis which requires to be consumer's favorite brands.

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
Keyword(s):  
Social Identity Theory ◽  
Brand Loyalty ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Reciprocal Relationship ◽  
Purchase Intent ◽  
Brand Relationships ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Brand Relationship ◽  
Brand Advocacy

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.

scholarly journals The impact of brand concept on brand equity

2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 233-245 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joo-Eon Jeon
Keyword(s):  
Brand Equity ◽  
Emotional Attachment ◽  
Brand Performance ◽  
Brand Relationships ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Customer Commitment ◽  
Brand Relationship ◽  
Brand Concept ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeResearches on the impact brand equity have grown considerably in recent years, as it has been shown to have significant impact on a company’s financial performance. This paper aims to empirically test the relationships between brand concepts and brand equity, while exploring the mediating roles of emotional attachment and customer commitment. Design/methodology/approachThe research investigates the effect of brand concept on the customer–brand relationship and brand performance. Additionally, it examines how the relationship between brand concept and brand equity is mediated by customer–brand relationships such as emotional attachment and commitment. FindingsThe results empirically demonstrate the important contribution of the three brand concepts to brand equity. The results empirically demonstrate the important contribution of the three-brand concept to customer commitment and to brand equity that has been predicted by prior research. Originality/valueThe main contribution of this study is to demonstrate the effects of the brand concepts related to aesthetic, functional and symbolic benefits on brand equity. From this, brand equity may be viewed as a link in the path of effects that indirectly connects brand concepts with market performance. Brand concept, emotional attachment and customer commitment are relevant constructs underlying brand equity, and commitment and loyalty are key mediating variables in relational exchanges.

Is it love or just like? Generation Z’s brand relationship with luxury

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hyunju Shin ◽  
Jacqueline Eastman ◽  
Yuan Li
Keyword(s):  
Luxury Brands ◽  
Generational Cohort ◽  
Brand Relationships ◽  
Research Attention ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Luxury Brand ◽  
Luxury Branding ◽  
Generation Z ◽  
Brand Relationship ◽  
High Level

Purpose This study aims to focus on understanding the consumer-luxury brand relationships among Generation Z. Generation Z is an up-and-coming generational cohort that has received limited research attention in the domains of both consumer-brand relationships and luxury branding, despite its growing size and purchasing power. Therefore, this study highlights the distinctive patterns of Generation Z’s relationship with luxury by identifying their choice of a luxury brand, the nature of the brand relationships, what characterizes these relationships and the internal and external influences that shape these relationships. Design/methodology/approach This study used brand collage construction. A total of 56 Generation Z respondents created brand collages that covered 38 different luxury brands. The data from the collages and their accompanying descriptions were evaluated using content analysis. Findings This study identifies Generation Z’s unique yet expansive view of luxury that encompasses not only traditional luxury but also masstige and non-traditional luxury brands. Moreover, the findings generally support that Generation Z’s relationships with luxury brands are characterized by “like” rather than “love”; while Generation Z may feel a high level of loyalty toward luxury brands in terms of attitudes and behaviors, they do not necessarily have strong, passionate feelings for them. Originality/value The findings of this study offer a comprehensive understanding of Generation Z’s brand relationship with luxury. Luxury marketers need to recognize that for Generation Z consumers, luxury is an integral part of their everyday lifestyle more than a display of success, which is clearly different from previous generations.

scholarly journals How Well Do Consumer-Brand Relationships Drive Customer Brand Loyalty? Generalizations from a Meta-Analysis of Brand Relationship Elasticities

2019 ◽  
Vol 46 (3) ◽  
pp. 435-459 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mansur Khamitov ◽  
Xin (Shane) Wang ◽  
Matthew Thomson
Keyword(s):  
Brand Loyalty ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Relationship Building ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Brand Relationships ◽  
Brand Relationship ◽  
Different Types

Abstract To advance understanding of how well different types of brand relationships drive customer brand loyalty and to help companies improve the effectiveness of their relationship-building investments, this article conducts a meta-analysis of the link between five consumer-brand relationship constructs and customer brand loyalty. The analysis of 588 elasticities from 290 studies reported in 255 publications over 24 years (n = 348,541 across 46 countries) reveals that the aggregate brand relationship elasticity is .439. More importantly, results demonstrate under what conditions various types of brand relationships increase loyalty. For example, while elasticities are generally highest for love-based and attachment-based brand relationships, the positive influence of brand relationships on customer brand loyalty is stronger in more recent (vs. earlier) years, for nonstatus (vs. status) and publicly (vs. privately) consumed brands, and for estimates using attitudinal (vs. behavioral) customer brand loyalty. Overall, the results suggest that brand relationship elasticities vary considerably across brand, loyalty, time, and consumer characteristics. Drawing on these findings, the current research advances implications for managers and scholars and provide avenues for future research.

Tequila at home or abroad? paths to brand love and purchase loyalty for hedonic products

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvia Cacho-Elizondo ◽  
Mary Conway Dato-on ◽  
Tracy Harmon-Kizer
Keyword(s):  
Brand Image ◽  
Strategy Development ◽  
Brand Relationships ◽  
Brand Love ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Segmentation Strategy ◽  
Brand Relationship ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Usa ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This study aims to examine the impact of consumer brand experience on brand love and loyalty toward a favorite tequila brand across Mexico and the USA while advancing marketing strategies to strengthen consumer-brand relationships. Design/methodology/approach Data were analyzed from 906 respondents (348-USA and 558-Mexico) to assess paths to purchase loyalty and test brand relationship hypotheses using partial least squares. Findings Analysis revealed that consumers in both markets demonstrated similar paths from tequila experience to brand love and attitude toward their favorite tequila brand. On the contrary, significant differences in the influence of tequila experience on the brand image were evident. Tequila experience did not have a significant difference between markets on purchase loyalty. Attitude toward the tequila brand had a much stronger influence on brand image for the USA compared to Mexican respondents. Finally, brand love’s influence on purchase loyalty differed significantly between the two markets of respondents. Practical implications Considering different paths to behavioral brand loyalty across markets enables segmentation strategy development to increase repeat purchase and brand allegiance. Results indicate that the brand's image is a strong influencer of purchase loyalty, suggesting opportunities exist for brand managers to consider unique paths toward purchase loyalty. Originality/value This study advances the literature by answering the call for multi-national studies that investigate consumer-brand relationships. Furthermore, the research setting offers insight into consumer-brand relationships and consumption patterns for spirits in a different national context, in this case, the product’s country of origin (Mexico) and its largest market (USA).

The impact of relational bonds on brand loyalty: the mediating effect of brand relationship quality

2014 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 184-204 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chao-Chin Huang ◽  
Shih-Chieh Fang ◽  
Shyh-Ming Huang ◽  
Shao-Chi Chang ◽  
Shyh-Rong Fang
Keyword(s):  
Relationship Quality ◽  
Brand Loyalty ◽  
Customer Retention ◽  
Retention Strategies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Brand Relationship ◽  
Brand Relationship Quality ◽  
Retail Service ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose – While the literature attends to how customer retention strategies develop relationship quality (e.g. trust), it does not account for the potential mediator (s) in this relationship. The purpose of this paper is to examine the mediating role of brand relationship quality (BRQ) in the relationship between relational bonds and brand loyalty in retail service contexts. Design/methodology/approach – A total of 524 valid questionnaires from respondents aged between 15 and 24 are analyzed using structural equation modeling. Findings – First, BRQ significantly mediates the relationship between relational bonds and brand loyalty. Second, structural bonds are the only driver of attitudinal attachment; social and structural bonds lead to a sense of community. Third, attitudinal attachment is the main influence on both behavioral and attitudinal loyalty. Research limitations/implications – First, a focus on a single market segment, i.e. 15-24 year olds. Second the dimensions used to measure relational bonds and BRQ might not be applicable to other contexts. Third, does not consider potentially important moderator(s). Fourth, does not distinguish between store and product brands. Originality/value – This study makes the following contributions to the literature: First, demonstrates the importance of BRQ as a mediator in the relationship between relational bonds and brand loyalty. Second, elucidates the role of BRQ in establishing brand loyalty in three theoretical frameworks applied to retail service contexts. Third, suggests a more comprehensive view of brand loyalty involving both behavioral and attitudinal dimensions. Fourth, proposes the managerial implications of this work for the customer retention strategies of retail service firms.

scholarly journals The impact of brand love on brand loyalty: the moderating role of self-esteem, and social influences

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Minh T.H. Le
Keyword(s):  
Brand Loyalty ◽  
Social Influences ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Brand Love ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Brand Relationship ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Moderating Role

Purpose The purpose of this paper is threefold. First, it aims to clarify the moderating role of self-esteem (SE) and susceptibility to normative influence (SNI) in the relationship between brand love and brand loyalty. Second, the study proposes modeling the mediation role of brand love and outlining how SE and SNI affect the consumer-brand relationship. Finally, the study explores the impact of brand love on brand loyalty: the moderating role of self-esteem and social influences, as the literature regarding this is still lacking. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected via an online survey, which yielded 218 responses. Structural equation modeling was used to predict the research model. Findings The findings indicate that both SE and SNI mediate the relationship between brand love and brand loyalty. Additionally, consumers love the focal brands positively relates to SE and SNI. In return, SE and SNI lead to brand loyalty. The tight relationship of SE and SNI affects the connection between brand love and brand loyalty. Research limitations/implications The data has been collected in Vietnam, which creates a limitation regarding the study’s cross-cultural nature and the economic context. Thus, the study should be conducted in different cultures and economies (both developing and developed countries) to enhance the generalizability in consumer-brand relationships. Practical implications Brand managers should conduct more advertising in brand communities to enhance the influence of SNI and emphasize unique features of the brands, to attract consumers through the overlap of SE. Social implications The findings can contribute to enhancing unique brand identity and self-motivation will increase consumer loyalty, increasing the revenue of a specific brand. Moreover, as acceptable peers contribute to making purchase decisions, boosting the brand community will maintain current consumers and attract additional potential consumers from the current consumer relationships. Originality/value This study contributes to consumer psychology by indicating both SNI and SE as the mediators in the relationship between brand love and brand loyalty and how the consumer-brand relationship can be enabled.

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