Investigating the consumer-brand relationships' development for technology-mediated self-services using the relationship commitment paradigm

Purpose Given its importance in the brand management of service firms, the present research initiative primarily concerns the investigation of the formation process of consumer-brand relationships in the service industry. By considering a chain of effects’ model, this paper aims to integrate two brand commitment paradigm’s perspectives with service evaluation theory, representing the attitudinal and behavioral aspects of the relationship building process, to better explain the way consumers relate to a service brand. The proposed conceptual model is tested in the context of mobile broadband internet services. Design/methodology/approach A survey of 573 customers of mobile internet services was conducted using a structured questionnaire with established scales. Data were analyzed with partial least squares structural equation modeling. Findings The results indicated that brand loyalty is determined by relationship commitment, which, in turn, is influenced by the consumer-brand relationship components – trust, satisfaction, investment size and quality of alternatives – as well as by the service brand’s perceived value. Finally, the relationship quality components of the brand, trust and satisfaction to a large extent, and investment size to a lesser extent, mediate the relationships between service brand evaluation and brand commitment. Research limitations/implications The sample is industry-specific, and this may affect generalizability of findings. Also, the cross-sectional design adopted does not reflect temporal changes. Practical implications From a practical point of view, the findings suggest that providers can improve their loyalty figures through the establishment of strong consumer-brand relationships as a result of the development and delivery of high quality, valuable services and other relationship-building tactics that support the consumer-brand binding. Originality/value Although there are previous studies that extend either the relationship investment model or the commitment-trust theory with the service evaluation theory, the proposed model is the first to combine the previous three research streams into one causal chain model, to explain the development and flow of events in the consumer-brand relationship process toward brand loyalty.

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The impact of brand concept on brand equity

Asia Pacific Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship ◽

10.1108/apjie-08-2017-030 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. 233-245 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

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.

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Does brand-relationships matter? The role of brand attachment in salesperson performance in retailing

Spanish Journal of Marketing - ESIC ◽

10.1108/sjme-11-2020-0192 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Flavia Braga Chinelato ◽

Cid Gonçalves Filho ◽

Clodoaldo Lopes Nizza Júnior

Keyword(s):

Organizational Commitment ◽

Sales Performance ◽

Equation Modeling ◽

Brand Relationships ◽

Salesperson Performance ◽

Brand Attachment ◽

Content Type ◽

The Impact ◽

The Relationship

Purpose Salesperson performance is accepted as a relevant factor of retailing success. However, scarce studies reveal the relationship between sales performance and brand relationship. The purpose of this study is both, from one side, to empirically demonstrate the impact of salesperson brand attachment (SBA) on sales performance and, on the other side, to identify the mediators of this relationship in small retailing. Design/methodology/approach A survey was conducted with a sample of 206 small retailers from different sectors of an emerging country. The proposed model was tested using partial least squares–structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) in SmartPLS3. Findings The results demonstrated that SBA is relevant to driving sales performance through two relevant paths – one following SBA–satisfaction–performance and one path following the SBA–commitment–performance. The model was able to explain 63% of the outcome performance. Practical implications Regarding small retailers, where the owners, employees and managers have higher levels of interaction than the large national retail chains, the marketing executives must invest in improving the attachment to the brand and create emotional bonds and cognition between marketers and the brand. They must develop strategies to promote job satisfaction and organizational commitment because they determine performance. Originality/value Despite the relevance of small businesses for economies worldwide and the importance of salesperson brand relationships, no study has been developed to demonstrate the impacts of such relationships on salesperson performance in retailing. Furthermore, in addition to the central role of organizational commitment in the sales research, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to explore how to mediate the relationship between brand attachment and sales performance.

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A persuasive eWOM model for increasing consumer engagement on social media: evidence from Irish fashion micro-influencers

Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing ◽

10.1108/jrim-10-2019-0161 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Zheng Shen

Keyword(s):

Social Media ◽

Design Methodology ◽

Relevant Literature ◽

Consumer Participation ◽

Marketing Communication ◽

Consumer Engagement ◽

Brand Relationships ◽

Content Type ◽

Consumer Interactions ◽

The Relationship

Purpose This study aims to find how can fashion micro-influencers and their electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) messages increase consumer engagement on social media, focusing on micro-influencers’ influence, typology, eWOM content and consumer engagement. Design/methodology/approach A total of 20,000 microblogs were collected from Irish fashion micro-influencers and analyzed through keyword classification and content analysis in NVivo. The determinants of eWOM persuasiveness for consumer engagement on social media were investigated based on Sussman and Siegal’s information adoption model. Findings The study finds that among the four types of micro-influencers, market mavens and their eWOM messages have the highest impact on consumer engagement on social media, and it presents a repetitive and persuasive eWOM model of market mavens to increase consumer participation. Also, the study discovers that micro-influencers’ occasion-related microblogs have an increasing impact on consumer interactions whereas microblogs with brands have a decreasing engagement with consumers on social media. Originality/value This study advances prior studies on the relationship between influencers’ eWOM messages and consumer participation on social media by the development of a persuasive eWOM model of micro-influencers to increase consumer engagement and fill in the lack of relevant literature. Also, findings provide actionable insights for marketing communication practitioners to persuade consumers to participate in eWOM communications and establish strong consumer-brand relationships on social media.

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We Have Faith in Apple

Handbook of Research on the Impact of Fandom in Society and Consumerism - Advances in Marketing, Customer Relationship Management, and E-Services ◽

10.4018/978-1-7998-1048-3.ch005 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 81-103

Author(s):

Wei Liu ◽

Cheng Lu Wang

Keyword(s):

Three Dimensions ◽

Brand Relationships ◽

Fan Communities ◽

Religious Person ◽

Managerial Implications ◽

The Relationship

Research shows that some brands are like religions and have cult-like fans who perceive the brands as sacred. This chapter conceptualizes brand worship and explores its dimensions by using netnography to explore Apple's online fan communities in China from the perspective of dimensions of religiosity. The findings demonstrate that the relationship between extremely devoted fans and their faithful brand exhibits nearly the same characteristics as the relationship between a religious person and a religion. The results emerged with three dimensions of brand worship: brand faith (value identification, paranoid, and hope), brand religiosity (wonder, awe, and ecstasy) and brand devotion (gratitude and allegiance). The chapter contributes to the field of consumer-brand relationships and offers some managerial implications for building brands through a religious approach to cultivate devoted fans.

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Association between personal values in adolescence and impaired bonding relationship with children

BMC Psychology ◽

10.1186/s40359-020-00463-9 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Erika Obikane ◽

Kazuhiro Watanabe ◽

Daisuke Nishi ◽

Norito Kawakami

Keyword(s):

Personal Values ◽

Japanese Version ◽

Well Being ◽

Relationship Commitment ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Negatively Associated ◽

Community Representative ◽

Adult Participants ◽

Value Priorities ◽

The Relationship

Abstract Background Bonding disorders happen as parents cannot build an affective relationship with children and are associated with their psychological and social conditions. Personal values impact well-being and psychological outcomes; however, how personal values influence bonding relationships is unknown. The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship between personal values in adolescence recalled by adult participants and impaired bonding using a community-representative database. Methods We conducted a retrospective study using cross-sectional data of adults living with children in Japan. Personal values were evaluated by value priorities measured by 11 items from Personal Value Questionnaires, and commitment to values measured by a Japanese version of the Personal Values Questionnaires II. Impaired bonding was evaluated by five items from a Japanese-version of the Mother-to-Infant Bonding Scale. Odds ratios of value priorities and commitment to values for impaired bonding relationships were calculated after adjusting covariates. Results Of 13,920 people selected by probability proportionate sampling, 466 participants with children under 6 years old were selected for analysis. Personal values on improving society, graduating from school, positive evaluation from others, and pursuing one’s interest were negatively associated with impaired bonding relationship, while personal values on financial success were positively associated with impaired bonding relationship. Commitment to values were negatively associated with bonding problems. Conclusions While a future longitudinal study is needed, the present findings may indicate that personal values in adolescence are associated with their bonding relationship with children.

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The Mechanism of Empathy and Relationship Commitment Through Emojis: Path to Perspective Taking, Inner Imitation, Emotional Empathy, and Relationship Commitment

SAGE Open ◽

10.1177/2158244020969675 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (4) ◽

pp. 215824402096967

Author(s):

Hye-Jin Jeon

Keyword(s):

Perspective Taking ◽

Cognitive Process ◽

Two Dimensions ◽

Relationship Commitment ◽

Mind Reading ◽

Emotional Empathy ◽

Mediating Factor ◽

Commitment Mechanisms ◽

Process Perspective ◽

The Relationship

We analyzed empathy and relationship commitment mechanisms through emojis. We defined emojis based on theoretical reviews and neuroscientific studies as a mind reading process. Perspective taking, inner imitation, and emoji cognition were independent variables. Emotional empathy and emotional response was the mediating variable. Relationship commitment and behavioral response was the dependent variable. Analyzing the relationship between variables indicated emotional empathy and relationship commitment through emojis having positive (+) relationships with “perspective taking” and “inner imitation,” the two dimensions of mind reading (cognitive and emotional) and, among them, a stronger positive (+) relationship with inner imitation, which is simulation theory’s (ST) cognitive process. Relationship commitment through emojis was strongly related to emotional empathy as a mediating factor than being directly related to cognitive processes (perspective taking, inner imitation). Moreover, considering inner imitation’s influence being greater than perspective taking, relationship commitment through emojis is mainly caused by emotional empathy with inner imitation as a mediating factor.

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Consumers and their celebrity brands: how personal narratives set the stage for attachment

Journal of Product & Brand Management ◽

10.1108/jpbm-02-2019-2275 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 29 (6) ◽

pp. 831-847

Author(s):

Bennie Eng ◽

Cheryl Burke Jarvis

Keyword(s):

Personal Narratives ◽

Professional Lives ◽

Moderating Effects ◽

Brand Relationships ◽

Brand Attachment ◽

Content Type ◽

Relationship Norms ◽

The Relationship ◽

Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to demonstrate how consumer attachment to celebrity brands is driven by perceived narratives about the celebrity’s persona, which triggers communal (i.e. altruistic) relationship norms. The research investigates the differential role of narratives about celebrities’ personal vs professional lives in creating attachment and identifies and tests moderating effects of narrative characteristics including perceived source of fame, valence and authenticity. Design/methodology/approach Three online experiments tested the proposed direct, meditating and moderating relationships. Data was analyzed using mediation analysis and multiple ANOVAs. Findings The results suggest relationship norms that are more altruistic in nature fully mediate the relationship between narrative type and brand attachment. Additionally, personal narratives produce stronger attachment than professional narratives; the celebrity’s source of fame moderates narrative type and attachment; and on-brand narratives elicit higher attachment than off-brand narratives, even when these narratives are negative. Practical implications The authors offer recommendations for how marketers can shape celebrity brand narratives to build stronger consumer attachment. Notably, personal (vs professional) narratives are critical in building attachment, especially for celebrity brands that are perceived to have achieved their fame. Both positive and negative personal narratives can strengthen attachment for achieved celebrity brands, but only if they are on-brand with consumer expectations. Originality/value This research is an introductory examination of the fundamental theoretical process by which celebrity brand relationships develop from brand persona narratives and how characteristics of those narratives influence consumer-brand attachment.

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Oestradiol level and opportunistic mating in women

Biology Letters ◽

10.1098/rsbl.2008.0709 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 5 (2) ◽

pp. 179-182 ◽

Cited By ~ 42

Author(s):

Kristina M Durante ◽

Norman P Li

Keyword(s):

Mating Strategies ◽

Relationship Commitment ◽

Physiological Mechanisms ◽

Self And Other ◽

Oestradiol Level ◽

Social Motivations ◽

Primary Relationship ◽

Perceived Desirability ◽

The Relationship ◽

Subjective Reports

The ovarian steroid hormone oestradiol plays a crucial role in female fertility, sexual motivation and behaviour. We investigated the relationship between oestradiol and the likelihood that women would engage in opportunistic mating. Two salivary samples were taken from normally cycling women within the peri-ovulatory and luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. At both testing sessions, participants also completed self-perceived desirability scales and provided subjective reports of sexual and social motivations, and satisfaction with their primary relationship partner. Oestradiol level was positively associated with a woman's self- and other-perceived physical attractiveness and with inclinations to mate outside her current relationship. Oestradiol was marginally negatively associated with a woman's satisfaction with her primary partner and relationship commitment. Results provide support for the relationship between physical beauty and fertility and suggest that physiological mechanisms play a major role in guiding a woman's mating strategies.

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