Brand communities: loyal to the community or the brand?

• Published in: European journal of marketing Vol. 47; no. 1/2; pp. 93 - 114
• Main Authors: Marzocchi, Gianluca, Morandin, Gabriele, Bergami, Massimo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bradford Emerald Group Publishing Limited 01-01-2013
• Subjects: Brand loyalty; Community; Consumer behavior; Consumers; Customer relationship management; Hypotheses; Identification; Loyalty; Marketing; Studies; Trust; Customer behaviour; Brand loyalty; Brand management; Brand communities; Motorcycles; Europe; Social identification
• ISSN: 0309-0566; 1758-7123
• DOI: 10.1108/03090561311285475

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to investigate empirically the relative emphasis accorded by members of a brand community to identification with that community and identification with the brand-owner, and thereby close a gap in the literature to date.Design methodology approach - Based on a review of the literature relating to identification, loyalty, and potentially mediating brand-related constructs, a cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey was carried out at a brandfest organised by a major European motorcycle manufacturer. Data collected from 256 respondents were analysed by structural equation modelling, testing seven hypothesised causal links.Findings - Brand loyalty is primarily influenced by identification with the brand community, through the mediating role of brand affect.Research limitations implications - The findings require confirmation in other settings and industry sectors before they can be generalised with confidence, but point to several fruitful research directions.Practical implications - Brand strategists have new evidence to guide allocation of effort and resources to the effective cultivation and maintenance of brand loyalty.Originality value - The study makes an original contribution, in a real-world setting, to the understanding of how members of a brand community relate to the brand, and of how their brand loyalty is activated.