IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v13y2021i7p3679-d524397.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Role of Online Brand Community Engagement on the Consumer–Brand Relationship

Author

Listed:
  • Francisco J. Martínez-López

    (Business School, University of Granada, 18011 Granada, Spain
    EAE Business School, 08015 Barcelona, Spain)

  • Rocío Aguilar-Illescas

    (Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Malaga, 29013 Malaga, Spain)

  • Sebastián Molinillo

    (Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Malaga, 29013 Malaga, Spain)

  • Rafael Anaya-Sánchez

    (Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Malaga, 29013 Malaga, Spain)

  • J. Andres Coca-Stefaniak

    (Faculty of Business, University of Greenwich, London SE10 9LS, UK)

  • Irene Esteban-Millat

    (Department of Marketing, Open University of Catalonia, 08018 Barcelona, Spain)

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to analyze the effects of online brand community (OBC) engagement on strategic aspects for the brand supporting the community. A total of 628 valid responses were collected through a self-administered questionnaire. The authors tested the proposed model using structural equation modeling. The results show that OBC engagement directly favors participation in the community, willingness to co-create with the brand, and positive sord-of-mouth (WOM); it also has an indirect positive influence on brand loyalty. At the same time, OBC engagement is directly influenced by OBC identification and, through this, indirectly influenced by brand identification. Likewise, brand trust directly influences brand co-creation, loyalty, and positive WOM. However, OBC participation has been shown to have no significant effect on brand co-creation and positive WOM.

Suggested Citation

  • Francisco J. Martínez-López & Rocío Aguilar-Illescas & Sebastián Molinillo & Rafael Anaya-Sánchez & J. Andres Coca-Stefaniak & Irene Esteban-Millat, 2021. "The Role of Online Brand Community Engagement on the Consumer–Brand Relationship," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-17, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:7:p:3679-:d:524397
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/7/3679/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/7/3679/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Constance Elise Porter & Naveen Donthu, 2008. "Cultivating Trust and Harvesting Value in Virtual Communities," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 54(1), pages 113-128, January.
    2. Baldus, Brian J. & Voorhees, Clay & Calantone, Roger, 2015. "Online brand community engagement: Scale development and validation," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 68(5), pages 978-985.
    3. Yang, Kiseol & Li, Xiaoshu & Kim, HaeJung & Kim, Young Hoon, 2015. "Social shopping website quality attributes increasing consumer participation, positive eWOM, and co-shopping: The reciprocating role of participation," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 24(C), pages 1-9.
    4. Jung, Na Young & Kim, Soohyun & Kim, Soyoung, 2014. "Influence of consumer attitude toward online brand community on revisit intention and brand trust," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 21(4), pages 581-589.
    5. Raïes, Karine & Mühlbacher, Hans & Gavard-Perret, Marie-Laure, 2015. "Consumption community commitment: Newbies' and longstanding members' brand engagement and loyalty," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 68(12), pages 2634-2644.
    6. Karine Raïes & Hans Muhlbacher & Marie-Laure Gavard-Perret, 2015. "Consumption community commitment : Newbies' and longstanding members' brand engagement and loyalty," Post-Print hal-02312235, HAL.
    7. Jintang Wang & Junyun Liao & Shiyong Zheng & Biqing Li, 2019. "Examining Drivers of Brand Community Engagement: The Moderation of Product, Brand and Consumer Characteristics," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(17), pages 1-16, August.
    8. Fuller, Johann & Jawecki, Gregor & Muhlbacher, Hans, 2007. "Innovation creation by online basketball communities," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 60(1), pages 60-71, January.
    9. Demiray, Melek & Burnaz, Sebnem, 2019. "Exploring the impact of brand community identification on Facebook: Firm-directed and self-directed drivers," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 115-124.
    10. K. Raies & Hans Mulhbacher & M.-L. Gavard-Perret, 2015. "Consumption community commitment: Newbies and longstanding members´ brand engagement and loyalty," Post-Print halshs-01344319, HAL.
    11. Jones, Robert & Kim, Youn-Kyung, 2011. "Single-brand retailers: Building brand loyalty in the off-line environment," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 18(4), pages 333-340.
    12. Nambisan, Priya & Watt, James H., 2011. "Managing customer experiences in online product communities," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 64(8), pages 889-895, August.
    13. Mei-Hui Chen & Kune-Muh Tsai, 2020. "An Empirical Study of Brand Fan Page Engagement Behaviors," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-19, January.
    14. Cossío-Silva, Francisco-José & Revilla-Camacho, María-Ángeles & Vega-Vázquez, Manuela & Palacios-Florencio, Beatriz, 2016. "Value co-creation and customer loyalty," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(5), pages 1621-1625.
    15. Davis, Robert & Piven, Inna & Breazeale, Michael, 2014. "Conceptualizing the brand in social media community: The five sources model," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 21(4), pages 468-481.
    16. Payne, Adrian & Storbacka, Kaj & Frow, Pennie & Knox, Simon, 2009. "Co-creating brands: Diagnosing and designing the relationship experience," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 62(3), pages 379-389, March.
    17. Lin, Chia-Wu & Wang, Kai-Yu & Chang, Shu-Hao & Lin, Jin-An, 2019. "Investigating the development of brand loyalty in brand communities from a positive psychology perspective," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 99(C), pages 446-455.
    18. Muñiz Jr., Albert M. & Schau, Hope Jensen, 2011. "How to inspire value-laden collaborative consumer-generated content," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 54(3), pages 209-217, May.
    19. Zhou, Zhimin & Zhang, Qiyuan & Su, Chenting & Zhou, Nan, 2012. "How do brand communities generate brand relationships? Intermediate mechanisms," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 65(7), pages 890-895.
    20. Carlson, Brad D. & Suter, Tracy A. & Brown, Tom J., 2008. "Social versus psychological brand community: The role of psychological sense of brand community," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 61(4), pages 284-291, April.
    21. Wang, Kai-Yu & Ting, I-Hsien & Wu, Hui-Ju, 2013. "Discovering interest groups for marketing in virtual communities: An integrated approach," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 66(9), pages 1360-1366.
    22. Kumar, Jitender & Kumar, Vikas, 2020. "Drivers of brand community engagement," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 54(C).
    23. Coelho, Pedro Simões & Rita, Paulo & Santos, Zélia Raposo, 2018. "On the relationship between consumer-brand identification, brand community, and brand loyalty," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 101-110.
    24. Albert M. Muiz Jr. & Hope Jensen Schau, 2005. "Religiosity in the Abandoned Apple Newton Brand Community," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 31(4), pages 737-747, March.
    25. He, Hongwei & Li, Yan & Harris, Lloyd, 2012. "Social identity perspective on brand loyalty," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 65(5), pages 648-657.
    26. Brodie, Roderick J. & Ilic, Ana & Juric, Biljana & Hollebeek, Linda, 2013. "Consumer engagement in a virtual brand community: An exploratory analysis," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 66(1), pages 105-114.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Kumar, Jitender & Kumar, Vikas, 2020. "Drivers of brand community engagement," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 54(C).
    2. Liao, Junyun & Pang, Jiecong & Dong, Xuebing, 2023. "More gain, more give? The impact of brand community value on users’ value co-creation," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    3. Pedeliento, Giuseppe & Andreini, Daniela & Veloutsou, Cleopatra, 2020. "Brand community integration, participation and commitment: A comparison between consumer-run and company-managed communities," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 481-494.
    4. Liao, Junyun & Huang, Minxue & Xiao, Bangming, 2017. "Promoting continual member participation in firm-hosted online brand communities: An organizational socialization approach," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 92-101.
    5. Kumar, Jitender, 2019. "How psychological ownership stimulates participation in online brand communities? The moderating role of member type," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 243-257.
    6. Kumar, Jitender & Nayak, Jogendra Kumar, 2018. "Brand community relationships transitioning into brand relationships: Mediating and moderating mechanisms," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 64-73.
    7. Coelho, Pedro Simões & Rita, Paulo & Santos, Zélia Raposo, 2018. "On the relationship between consumer-brand identification, brand community, and brand loyalty," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 101-110.
    8. Kumar, Vikas & Kaushal, Vikrant & Shashi,, 2023. "Role of customer perceived brand ethicality in inducing engagement in online brand communities," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    9. Margurite Hook & Stacey Baxter & Alicia Kulczynski, 2018. "Antecedents and consequences of participation in brand communities: a literature review," Journal of Brand Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 25(4), pages 277-292, July.
    10. Loureiro, Sandra Maria Correia & Romero, Jaime & Bilro, Ricardo Godinho, 2020. "Stakeholder engagement in co-creation processes for innovation: A systematic literature review and case study," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 388-409.
    11. Saikat Banerjee, 2021. "On the relationship between online brand community and brand preference in political market," International Review on Public and Nonprofit Marketing, Springer;International Association of Public and Non-Profit Marketing, vol. 18(1), pages 27-55, March.
    12. Cassandra France & Debra Grace & Joseph Lo Iacono & Joan Carlini, 0. "Exploring the interplay between customer perceived brand value and customer brand co-creation behaviour dimensions," Journal of Brand Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 0, pages 1-15.
    13. Zhimin Zhou & Yucheng Wang & Yaqin Zheng & Shixiong Liu, 2023. "Effects of brand community social responsibility: roles of collective self-esteem and altruism," Journal of Brand Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 30(4), pages 347-366, July.
    14. Haichuan Zhao & Xian Cheng & Xingyuan Wang & Chunqing Qin, 2021. "Do brand micro-blogs entities’ interactivity enhance customer’s brand resonance? Evidence from China," Asian Business & Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 20(3), pages 390-408, July.
    15. Stephanie Meek & Madeleine Ogilvie & Claire Lambert & Maria M. Ryan, 2019. "Contextualising social capital in online brand communities," Journal of Brand Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 26(4), pages 426-444, July.
    16. Simon, Françoise & Tossan, Vesselina, 2018. "Does brand-consumer social sharing matter? A relational framework of customer engagement to brand-hosted social media," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 175-184.
    17. Lin, Chia-Wu & Wang, Kai-Yu & Chang, Shu-Hao & Lin, Jin-An, 2019. "Investigating the development of brand loyalty in brand communities from a positive psychology perspective," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 99(C), pages 446-455.
    18. Flávia D’albergaria Freitas & Victor Manoel Cunha de Almeida, 2017. "Theoretical Model of Engagement in the Context of Brand Communities," Brazilian Business Review, Fucape Business School, vol. 14(1), pages 86-107, January.
    19. Keyoor Purani & Krishnan Jeesha, 2022. "Community based brand equity as brand culture: advancing brand equity conceptualization for a connected world," AMS Review, Springer;Academy of Marketing Science, vol. 12(1), pages 52-70, June.
    20. Mills, Mark & Oghazi, Pejvak & Hultman, Magnus & Theotokis, Aristeidis, 2022. "The impact of brand communities on public and private brand loyalty: A field study in professional sports," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 144(C), pages 1077-1086.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:7:p:3679-:d:524397. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.