Journal of Marketing Education · 2010 · 82 citations · 61 references
BusinessMarketingMarketing ManagementAdvocacyBrand ManagementInterpersonal RelationshipsBrand AssociationsBrand ImageBrand Relationship ManagementBrand Relationship SatisfactionBrand Relationship StrengthMediating Mechanisms
Student advocacy of professors online is a growing trend, yet brand advocacy has not been studied within marketing education. The study investigates how attachment strength and relationship factors mediate professor brand advocacy, building on human brand relationship theory. The authors surveyed 228 marketing students to assess attachment, trust, satisfaction, and advocacy. Results show that responsive professors foster strong attachments that boost trust and satisfaction, thereby increasing students’ willingness to advocate the professor brands.
The trend among students to advocate their professors online continues to generate interest within marketing academia. Brand advocacy in products and services has played a vital role in marketing. However, no known research to date has embraced the idea of brand advocacy in marketing education. This research builds on the recent human brand relationship literature and examines the mediating effects of attachment strength and relationship factors on professor brand advocacy. Survey data gathered from 228 marketing students and the empirical findings suggest that when professors are responsive to their students’ innate needs of relatedness and competence, students form strong attachments to the professors. Furthermore, strong students’ attachments to professors influence students’ trust and satisfaction in their professors. These trusting and satisfying relationships determine the willingness of the students to advocate the professor brands. The authors discuss the implications for marketing educators.
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