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This paper aims to examine the influence of social media communications, particularly firm-generated content (FGC) and consumer-generated content (CGC) on predicting consumer purchase decisions (CPD) through the lens of perceived brand authenticity (PBA). This paper also investigates the moderating influence of brand prestige (BP) and brand familiarity in the luxury hotel sector.

This study collected data from 390 consumers who were regularly using social media platforms, traveled frequently and stayed in luxury hotels. Following stringent data filtering, 371 responses were analyzed via structural equation modeling.

The findings indicate that FGC and CGC significantly strengthened PBA. However, CGC was the effective driver that directly influenced CPD. Likewise, PBA directly and indirectly substantially impacted CPD. Finally, BP’s direct and moderating effects significantly influenced CPD in the luxury hotel sector.

This novel study contributes to signaling theory, social media communications and branding literature in the luxury hotel sector.

Authenticity has become increasingly dominant in business practices, particularly in branding and corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities, as consumers want it in all aspects of their lives. Thus, the purpose of this study is to examine the role of perceived CSR authenticity in predicting perceived brand loyalty (i.e. brand trust, positive word of mouth [PWOM]) via perceived brand authenticity by considering the moderating effects of brand image on perceived brand authenticity and loyalty to determine its influence in the global branding context.

Using a non-probability convenience sampling technique, this study received 817 responses from consumers who regularly used global brands. Finally, this research examined 734 responses to test the proposed hypotheses using structural equation modeling.

This study discovered that perceived CSR authenticity strengthened perceived brand authenticity, which fostered perceived brand loyalty by enhancing brand trust and motivating consumers to spread PWOM about global brands. Similarly, perceived CSR authenticity directly influenced perceived brand loyalty by enhancing brand trust but did not affect PWOM. Likewise, the moderating effect of brand image was significant in fostering perceived brand loyalty by enhancing brand trust, but it had no effect on PWOM. In contrast, the brand image had a significant negative effect on perceived brand authenticity.

This research offered many insightful suggestions to global managers in the manufacturing and service industries that might assist them in designing and implementing several branding strategies to achieve corporate objectives.

This novel research contributes to the attribution theory by examining consumers’ perceptions of CSR authenticity, brand image, brand authenticity and brand loyalty from the global branding perspective.

The purpose of this study is to examine the role of perceived brand globalness (PBG) and perceived brand localness (PBL) in developing consumer word-of-mouth (CWOM) via brand attitude (BATT) by incorporating the moderating role of consumer ethnocentrism (CET) and perceived brand origin (PBO) as well as considering brand familiarity (BF) as a covariate in the context of global and local quick-service restaurant (QSR) brands in emerging markets.

This study obtained 764 responses from Chinese consumers through an online survey and analyzed the data using the maximum-likelihood estimation technique with structural equation modeling.

After controlling brand familiarity, this study revealed that PBG and PBL are critical components that drive brand attitude, which positively improves CWOM toward global and local QSR brands. Similarly, PBG and PBL are important brand attributes that directly influence CWOM. Importantly, this research found the significant role of PBO on brand attitude toward perceived local brands compared to global QSR brands. Although this study did not discover the influence of CET as expected. However, these insights may assist global and local managers to rethink their strategies in emerging markets.

This study was conducted exclusively in China. However, additional studies may be considered in other countries, such as comparing Asian vs European consumers.

This study provides recommendations to global and local managers to support them in designing and executing several brand positioning strategies in the QSR industry.

This novel study contributes to the accessibility–diagnosticity theory and signaling theory by examining consumers' perceptions of global and local QSR brands.

This study investigated the role of brand experience dimensions (behavioral, intellectual, sensory and affective) to predict consumer loyalty (repurchase intention (RPI), word of mouth (WOM) and willingness to pay more (WPM)) through the mediating role of perceived brand authenticity (PBA) in the global branding context.

A total of 422 consumers participated in this study and provided feedback on top authentic global brands after completing a self-administered online survey. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to conduct the data analysis.

This study discovered that brand experience dimensions positively influenced PBA (predominantly sensory and intellectual experiences), which significantly predicted consumer loyalty (RPI, WOM and WPM).

This research uncovered some limitations that can be used to investigate new research possibilities. From a theoretical standpoint, this study offers new insights into brand experience dimensions (BEDs), PBA and consumer loyalty in order to develop consumer-brand relationships.

This study offered several managerial recommendations. By considering brand authenticity as a positioning tool, global managers can effectively develop and implement various experiential marketing strategies to develop long-term relationships with consumers to attain their loyalty.

This is a new study that uses Fournier's relationship theory to investigate BEDs on PBA to predict consumer loyalty in the context of authentic global brands.

Customer relationships and transforming customers into evangelists are imperative in today's world. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the influence of online brand experience (OBE) on brand evangelism (BEM) via relationship quality (trust-TRT, satisfaction-SAT, and commitment-CMT) by integrating the moderating effects of brand reputation (BR), particularly in the Vietnamese banking sector.

This research obtained data from 486 Vietnamese customers who routinely used online banking services. The analysis was performed using structural equation modeling.

The findings demonstrate that OBE directly/indirectly positively affects BEM via relationship quality (TRT, SAT, CMT). Likewise, this study identified relationship quality (TRT, SAT, CMT) as an important mediator. Finally, the findings demonstrate that the moderation effects of BR significantly improved relationship quality (TRT, SAT, CMT) in the banking industry.

This study showcases the significance of OBE in increasing brand evangelists in the financial sector. Thus, this study assists Vietnamese bank managers in creating new branding strategies to foster long-lasting customer relationships.

This original study contributes to the commitment-trust theory and signaling theory by examining the impact of the OBE on brand evangelism via relationship quality by considering the moderating effect of brand reputation in the Vietnamese banking sector.

The social media communication of luxury service firms remains largely unexplored. This study explores the influence of firm-created social media communication (FCSMC) on predicting brand evangelism (BEM) via perceived values, including functional value (FV), emotional value (EV) and social value (SV), by embedding the direct and moderating influence of customer experience (CX) on brand evangelism in the luxury hotel sector.

This study recruited 405 regular travelers to participate in an online survey. Following meticulous data curation, the empirical analysis was performed on 363 responses using structural equation modeling.

The findings revealed that FCSMC substantially impacted perceived values, including FV, EV and SV, as well as BEM. Likewise, perceived values, including FV and EV, were positively associated with BEM. In addition, this study revealed that CX exhibited significant predictive capability with its direct and moderating effects on BEM in the luxury hotel sector.

This original research advances the uses and gratifications theory and attribution theory. It provides novel theoretical insights and practical recommendations for the luxury hotel sector.

The study aims to investigate the impact of perceived brand localness (PBL) and perceived brand globalness (PBG) on brand authenticity (BA) to predict consumers' attitudes toward local and global brands in two Asian markets. Further, the study examines the moderating role of uncertainty avoidance (UA) after controlling the effects of brand familiarity (BF) in Asian markets (China and Pakistan).

In accordance with the non-probability technique and through an online survey, the study collected 1,880 responses (on local and global brands) from China and Pakistan. Partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) is the most robust technique applied to examine the proposed hypotheses in the Asian environment.

After controlling the effects of BF, the findings revealed that PBL and PBG positively influenced consumers' perceptions of BA, which had a significant impact on consumers' brand attitudes toward both local and global brands in Asian markets. Further, the research identified that BA was an essential mediator from the Asian perspective. The interaction effects of UA and PBL on BA were discovered positively significant in Pakistan, whereas the effects of UA and PBG on BA were found negatively significant in Pakistan and had no effects in China.

The research focused on two Asian countries (China and Pakistan). However, future researchers may collect additional data from other Asian countries in order to generalize the findings in all Asian markets.

The research assists local and global managers in designing and implementing various targeting, positioning and segmentation strategies for successfully managing businesses in Asian markets.

The novel research is based on signaling theory that contributes to the local and global branding domains from the Asian perspective (China and Pakistan).

Social media marketing has become a powerful strategic tool for many brands, but scholarly research in this domain is still in its infancy. This study aims to examine the effects of social media marketing activities on consumer online impulse buying intentions via brand resonance and emotional responses by incorporating the direct and moderating effects of social network proneness toward fashion retail brands.

By using snowball sampling, this study recruited 441 netizens (who were using fashion retail brands) and obtained their responses through an online survey. Structural equation modeling was applied to 394 responses for analysis.

The findings discovered that social media marketing activities significantly influenced brand resonance, consumer emotional responses and online impulse buying intentions. Likewise, brand resonance and emotional responses were positively associated with online impulse buying intentions and acted as decisive mediators. Social network proneness’s direct and moderating effects significantly increased consumer online impulse-buying intentions toward fashion retail brands.

This study provides recommendations to retail managers for creating and executing brand positioning, segmenting and targeting strategies to enhance consumers’ intentions for engaging in online impulsive purchases for fashion brands.

This original research contributes to the branding literature and stimulus–organism–response theory by focusing on social media marketing activities, brand resonance, emotional responses, social network proneness and consumer online impulse buying intentions toward fashion retail brands.

This research investigates the effects of multidimensional brand experiences (i.e. behavioral, intellectual, affective and sensory) on brand authenticity and brand love from the Asian consumers' perspective.

This research collected primary data from 418 consumers on global brands, and it tested the proposed hypotheses by using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM).

The findings indicate that sensory and affective experiences have direct significant impacts on brand love, while intellectual and behavioral experiences have nonsignificant impacts on brand love. Overall, intellectual, behavioral, affective and sensory experiences positively influence brand authenticity, which in turn have substantial positive impacts on brand love.

This study investigated consumer behavior in a broader sense, and consumers from 13 Asian countries participated in this research. Future research may collect data on a larger scale from Asian countries to generalize the results.

By following brand authenticity as an essential positioning tool and implementing several experiential marketing strategies, global managers can develop brand-loving consumers in Asia.

Under the parasol of attribution theory, this research explores the relationships among the multidimensional brand experiences, brand authenticity and brand love from the Asian perspective.

In the modern era, brand authenticity is one of the most powerful positioning strategies for sustainable business growth. This study investigated the impacts of perceived brand authenticity dimensions (i.e., quality commitment, heritage, sincerity) on brand love to predict Generation Y's behavior from the Asian context.

This is new empirical research that tested the proposed hypotheses through PLS-SEM, as PLS is the most robust technique for predicting consumer behavior. Importantly, consumers (of Generation Y) from five Asian countries contributed to this study, and data collected from 427 Asian millennials on global brands.

The results analysis revealed that perceived brand authenticity dimensions significantly impacted brand love, which positively affected Asian millennials' behavioral outcomes (i.e., continuous purchase intention and price premium).

This study investigated dimensions of perceived brand authenticity to predict Asian millennials' behavioral outcomes in a broader perspective. Future researchers may investigate a specific culture with a larger sample size to predict millennials behavior.

This study has several implications that guide the global managers of several service and manufacturing industries to develop various positioning and relationship strategies for global brands to target Asian markets effectively.

Using attribution theory, this is the first novel research study that empirically discussed the dimensions of perceived brand authenticity, brand love, and Asian millennials' behavior toward global brands.