Antecedents of brand love in online network-based communities. A social identity perspective

TLDR

Brand love research has largely overlooked the role of social‑interactive engagement and social identity within online network‑based communities, with most studies focusing on Facebook as the primary platform for customer‑brand interaction. The study seeks to analyze antecedents of brand love in online network‑based communities and to build an integrative model linking social‑interactive engagement, social identity, and brand love. The authors surveyed 387 consumers from Europe and the USA on Facebook fan pages of 20 leading international brands and used structural equation modeling to test the hypothesized relationships. Results show that social‑interactive engagement boosts brand love through social identity, suggesting managers should foster social identity to strengthen emotional bonds.

Abstract

Purpose This paper aims to analyse the antecedents of brand love in online network-based communities and to develop an integrative conceptual model in which social-interactive engagement influences brand love via the mediating effects of social identity. Design/methodology/approach A survey was conducted on the Facebook fan pages of 20 leading international brands. A total of 387 responses were collected from consumers living primarily in Europe and the USA. Structural equation modelling was performed to test the hypothesised linkages. Findings The results confirmed that the positive influence of social-interactive engagement on brand love is mediated by the psychological effects related to how members perceive their self-concept based on belonging to the social group of the brand fan page. Research limitations/implications This study considered Facebook, the favourite social network used by customers to connect with brands. Future research is invited to consider other social media to increase the external validity of the model. Practical implications To strengthen the emotional bond with a brand in online network-based communities, managers should stimulate consumers’ social identity by leveraging on the experiences which influence social-interactive engagement. Originality/value This study is the first to investigate the effects of social-interactive engagement on social identity to enhance the understanding of brand love’s antecedents in specific online social environments.