Customer Engagement and Loyalty Issues in Omnichannel Fast-Food Industry

Building on Social Exchange Theory and Congruity Theory, this study aims to examine the relationships between channel integration quality (i.e., channel-service configuration and integrated interaction) and congruity (i.e., self-brand image congruity and value congruity) towards customer engagement; as well as the impacts of customer engagement on customer behavioural loyalty (i.e., repurchase intention and positive WoM). Adopting convenience and snow-ball sampling methods, a total of 151 valid questionnaires were collected and analysed using SPSS 25 and SmartPLS 3.0 software. Congruity aspects play significant roles in influencing customer engagement, while channel integration qualities do not. This result could be attributed to the unique characteristics of the fast-food products and Malaysian fast-food consumers. Importantly, customer engagement influences both transactional (i.e., repurchase intention) and emotional (i.e., intention to spread positive word of mouth) loyalty positively. The findings provide useful insights to both academicians and practitioners to plan for different omnichannel strategy in the effort to increase customer engagement and desired post purchase behaviours.

Pengaruh Value Congruity terhadap Customer Brand Identification, Brand Engagement, dan Affective Brand Commitment serta Dampaknya pada Brand Loyalty Masyarakat dalam Menggunakan Telpon Genggam iPhone

This research was conducted to know the effect of value congruity on customer brand identification, brand engagement, and affective brand commitment and its impact on community brand loyalty in using iPhone cell phones. This research was conducted using the path analysis method using the partial least square approach. The research method used is quantitative research. The data collection method used is a questionnaire distributed to 96 people who have purchased products from the Apple brand and used Apple iPhone products at least 2 times. The results showed that value congruity has a significant positive effect on customer brand identification and brand engagement by the community in using iPhone cell phones. Value congruity has a significant positive effect on people's affective brand commitment in using iPhone mobile phones. Brand engagements do not affect community brand loyalty in using iPhone mobile phones, but customer brand identification has a significant positive effect on community brand loyalty in using iPhone mobile phones. And only brand engagement does not mediate the effect of value congruity on community brand loyalty in using iPhone mobile phones. Penelitian ini dijalankan dengan tujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh value congruity terhadap customer brand identification, brand engagement dan affective brand commitment serta dampaknya pada brand loyalty masyarakat dalam menggunakan telepon genggam iPhone. Penelitian ini dijalankan dengan menggunakan metode analisis jalur menggunakan pendekatan partial least square. Metode penelitian yang digunakan adalah penelitian kuantitatif. Metode pengumpulan data yang digunakan adalah kuesioner yang disebarkan kepada 96 orang yang pernah membeli produk dari brand Apple dan menggunakan produk Apple iPhone setidaknya 2 kali. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa value congruity berpengaruh positif signifikan terhadap customer brand identification dan brand engagement masyarakat dalam menggunakan telepon genggam iPhone. Value congruity berpengaruh positif signifikan terhadap affective brand commitment masyarakat dalam menggunakan telepon genggam iPhone. Brand engagement tidak berpengaruh terhadap brand loyalty masyarakat dalam menggunakan telepon genggam iPhone, namun customer brand identification berpengaruh positif signifikan terhadap brand loyalty masyarakat dalam menggunakan telepon genggam iPhone. Dan hanya brand engagement yang tidak memediasi pengaruh value congruity terhadap brand loyalty masyarakat dalam menggunakan telepon genggam iPhone.

Understanding customer brand engagement in brand communities: an application of psychological ownership theory and congruity theory

Purpose The purpose of this study is the exploration of customer engagement with the brand and brand community (dual foci) inside online brand communities and to assess the simultaneous impact of dual foci of engagement in creating equity for the brand. The role of sense of community is explored as a moderator in influencing customer engagement. Design/methodology/approach The sample is composed of the members of Facebook-based brand communities. An internet survey of 833 subjects provides data to test the theoretical model with the help of structural equation modelling using AMOS 21. Findings The empirical investigation supports the proposed theory except for a few counterintuitive findings. Psychological ownership with the brand and the brand community has a direct effect on customer engagement with the brand and the brand community, respectively. A brand-based value-congruity has a direct effect on brand engagement; however, community-based value-congruity has an indirect effect on brand community engagement through brand community psychological ownership. The moderating effect of sense of community on engagement is also observed. Engagement with dual foci explained a substantial proportion of the variance in brand equity. Research limitations/implications A student sample, cross-sectional research design and a limited number of constructs in the nomological network to explore engagement in an online brand community constitute few limitations of this study. Customer engagement with dual foci has major implications for both the researchers and practitioners dealing with online brand communities. Practical implications To engage customers in online brand communities, dual foci should be the objective of management. A sense of ownership towards the brand and value-congruity with the brand should be aimed to engage customers with the brands; brand community psychological ownership and value-congruity with the community should be embraced by the firms to achieve brand community engagement. A high sense of community also needs to be promoted for strengthening dual foci engagement that further generates brand equity. Originality/value Customer brand engagement and brand community engagement had been studied separately in literature ignoring the fact that brand is the raison d’etre of the community. Taking a dual object engagement perspective, this study has charted out different routes of how to generate brand equity using online brand communities.

Investigating the brand evangelism effect of community fans on social networking sites

Purpose Many enterprises recognize that social media is a valuable source of information propagation for brands. Using the self-congruity and social identity theories as theoretical bases, the purpose of this paper is to develop an integrated conceptual model and explore the effects of brand-evangelism-related behavioral decisions of enterprises on virtual community members. Design/methodology/approach This study targeted community members who had purchased a specific cosmetic brand’s products and had been members of an official brand fan page for at least one year. Using a survey of 488 valid samples and structural equation modeling was used to conduct path analyses. Findings The results indicated that seven hypothetical paths were supported and exhibited desirable goodness of fit. Value congruity can be used to explain effects of dual identification on various relationships. Relationships among variables of brand evangelism are not independent. Specifically, the effect of brand purchase intentions on positive brand referrals is higher than that on oppositional brand referrals. Practical implications The findings can help brand community managers to adopt innovative and effective strategies to gain community members’ identification and maintain a desirable relationship between business and community members. In addition, this study should help marketers to increase the opportunity of maximizing the brand evangelism effect. Originality/value This study contributes to the understanding for multiple perspectives of value congruity and adopts the extension viewpoint to understand community members not only have brand value and self-congruity problems but also have community membership goals and values related to the fit problem.

Brand engagement without brand ownership: a case of non-brand owner community members

PurposeConsidering brand ownership as a cause of concern, this paper aims to propose a conceptual model portraying brand engagement as a function of members’ brand psychological ownership (BPO) and value-congruity and to investigate the effect of brand engagement on brand attachment and brand purchase intentions.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from 275 brand community members who do not own the brand. Six different brand communities were shortlisted and offline events were targeted. For testing the hypothesised relationships, the authors used structural equation modelling.FindingsThe results indicate that BPO and value-congruity positively influence the brand engagement of the members, which further influences the brand attachment and brand purchase intentions. It is also observed that brand attachment mediates the effect of brand engagement on brand purchase intentions.Research limitations/implicationsThe primary limitation of this paper is the research context, which needs to be further replicated. The specific customer-segment approach of the study adds a new direction to the scope of brand engagement in the brand management domain.Practical implicationsThe study shows that brand managers need to expand their focus from existing brand customers to non-customers as brand engagement subjects because the non-brand owners can also experience brand attachment and develop intentions to purchase the brand, if engaged.Originality/valueThe study endorses the role of psychological ownership theory in brand engagement research; explores the feasibility of brand engagement among “non-owner community members”; highlights the role of their engagement in enhancing attachment towards the brands and purchase intentions; and sheds light on the blurred boundaries between brand engagement and brand attachment.

DETERMINANTS OF CUSTOMER`S SWITCHING INTENTION BASED ON EXPERIENCE AND SHARIA VALUE CONGRUITY

This study aims to examine the factors that influence the customer`s switching intention, which are influenced by customer satisfaction and customer loyalty based on customer experience and congruity of sharia values. The sample size of 195 Sharia banks customers in Surakarta was taken using convenient sampling method. The research analysis used hierarchical regression with customer satisfaction as the independent variable, customer`s switching intention as the dependent variable and customer loyalty as a mediator variable. Besides that, it also uses customer experience and congrueity to sharia values as a moderator variable.Validity test, reliability test and classic assumption test have been carried out and the results meet the criteria according to the specified standards. The results of the research analysis show that customer satisfaction has a positive and significant effect on customer loyalty and has a negative effect on the customer`s switching intention and customer loyalty has a negative effect on customer`s switching intention. Customer loyalty partially mediates the effect of customer satisfaction on customer`s switching intention. However, the customer experience and congrueity sharia value does not strengthen or weaken the influence of customer satisfaction on customer loyalty and on customer`s switching intention and does not strengthen or weaken the influence of customer loyalty on customer`s switching intention. The theoretical and practical implications of the results of research that are considered relevant and need to be discussed can be used as orientation and direction for future research