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The purpose of this paper is to deal with the role of the human metaphor (anthropomorphism) and consumers’ liking for the humanized version of the brand as antecedents of three key components of brand love: self-brand integration, positive emotional connection and feelings of anticipated separation distress.

A sample of 399 consumers provided information about a brand from a stated list of 16 brands of clothing.

Both anthropomorphism and consumers’ liking for the humanized brand have positive effects on specific components of brand love. The results confirm that brand anthropomorphism is only desirable when the humanized version of the brand is attractive for consumers.

A potential shortcoming is the qualitative technique employed to observe anthropomorphic thought. Collecting ratings of anthropomorphic and non-anthropomorphic traits could be viewed as a method more easily applied in market research surveys.

Managers have to control how consumers imagine the brand as a human entity because it affects brand love. For example, by tracking consumers’ opinions and traits of those people associated with the brand and brand user stereotypes can condition consumers’ imagination of the humanized brand.

Compared to the limited number of studies about the relationship between anthropomorphism and brand love, this study focuses on the effects of anthropomorphism as a process, and not as a personal trait, on brand love. It also relies on consumers’ imagination instead of brand personification strategies to stimulate anthropomorphism.

This study aims to determine the main antecedents of customer engagement (market orientation, satisfaction, emotions and self-brand connection) and the relationship between customer engagement and customer loyalty in the retail-banking context.

A theoretical model of effects is tested using dyadic methodology, based on 225 dyads (bank branch manager–average of five branch customers). The authors use structural equation modelling (EQS 6.1) to test the relationships.

The results reveal a strong relationship between customer engagement and customer loyalty. Satisfaction is the main antecedent of customer engagement. Self-brand connection and emotions during the service also have a significant influence. Finally, branch market orientation has a positive influence on satisfaction and emotions.

The first concerns the transversal data used. Geographical context is the second limitation. Third, the study sample only included customers with experience of the financial services of a specific bank (online customers are not included). Finally, the dyads are based on the opinion of the branch manager, on one hand, and an average of five customers per branch, on the other.

The combination of the branding strategy at the corporate level and the relationship marketing strategy at branch office level creates a situation in which customer engagement and customer loyalty can thrive. The communication campaigns designed to promote the brand image and associate brand values with the personality of the banks’ current and potential customers help to create an emotional bond that represents a switching cost for the customer. The moments of truth in branch offices are crucial aspects in the retail bank strategy.

First, from the conceptual perspective, it establishes a direct relationship between customer engagement and customer loyalty. Second, it empirically tested Pansari and Kumar’s (2017) customer engagement framework, which establishes customer satisfaction and customer emotions as the antecedents of customer engagement. Third, the study took an innovative step in establishing two levels of customer emotions in the retail bank context: emotions generated by corporate branding and emotions that arise during the experience of purchase and consuming. Fourth, the study shows that the market orientation adopted not at the macro corporate level but at the individual branch level is crucial to the generation of positive relational outcomes in the service the customer receives. The fifth contribution is related to the fact that the research streams associated with market orientation and relationship quality have traditionally been studied in isolation.

Este estudio identifica los principales antecedentes del compromiso del cliente (orientación al mercado, satisfacción, emociones y conexión con la propia marca) así como la relación entre compromiso y lealtad en la banca minorista.

Se contrasta un modelo de efectos utilizando la metodología de diadas, basada en 225 asociaciones (director de la sucursal bancaria-promedio de cinco clientes por sucursal). Las relaciones se contrastan usando SEM (EQS 6.1).

El trabajo presenta diversas limitaciones como son el empleo de datos transversales, su aplicación en el mercado español, la inclusión de exclusiva de clientes con experiencia con un banco específico y no operan exclusivamente online. Por último, las díadas se basan en la opinión del director de la sucursal, por un lado, y de una media de cinco clientes por sucursal, por otro.

La combinación de la estrategia de marca a nivel corporativo y la estrategia de marketing relacional a nivel de sucursal crea una situación en la que el compromiso y la lealtad del cliente pueden desarrollarse. Las campañas de comunicación diseñadas para promover la imagen de marca y asociar los valores de marca con la personalidad de clientes actuales y potenciales ayudan a crear un vínculo emocional que supone un coste de cambio para el cliente. Los momentos de verdad en las sucursales son aspectos cruciales en la estrategia de la banca minorista.

Primero, se establece una relación directa entre el compromiso y la lealtad del cliente. Segundo, se contrasta la satisfacción y las emociones del cliente son antecedentes del compromiso. Tercero, se establecen dos niveles de emociones del cliente en banca minorista: las generadas por el branding corporativo y las que surgen durante la experiencia de compra. Cuarto, el estudio muestra que la orientación de mercado adoptada a nivel de oficina es crucial para generar resultados relacionales positivos con el cliente. Quinto, se combinan las corrientes de investigación asociadas con la orientación al mercado y la calidad de las relaciones.

Compromiso del cliente, Lealtad del cliente, Satisfacción, Emociones, Orientación al mercado, Banca minorista

Trabajo de investigación

This study examines handmade clothing consumption as a means of self-expression by exploring the interrelationships between consumers' self-expression, brand love and word of mouth.

Using a descriptive research design, data were collected from 295 respondents in South Africa who posted about fashion on social media and who had bought handmade clothing in the 6 months prior to data collection. Structural equation modelling was used to examine the interrelationships between consumers' self-expression, brand love and word of mouth.

Brand love intervenes between consumers' self-brand connections and word of mouth about handmade clothing. More specifically, brand love strengthens positive word of mouth online and mitigates negative word-of-mouth intentions following a handmade clothing product failure scenario.

The study enlightens scholarly understanding of consumers' self-expression motivations for using ready-made handmade clothing that results in brand love and positive word of mouth.

Handmade clothing marketers who tap into consumers' self-expression and who can establish brand love among consumers can similarly create beneficial consumer–brand relationships.

Consumers often use handmade clothing for the purpose of self-expression, which provides subsequent spin-offs for brands in the form of brand love and positive word of mouth. Objective self-awareness theory provides a parsimonious lens to reveal the important role that brand love plays as a mechanism to explain the linkage of consumers' self-brand connections to word of mouth about handmade clothing.

Building on the theory of brand psychological ownership, this paper aims to explore the mediating role of brand psychological ownership in the relationship between brand personality (innocence/coolness) and consumers’ preferences, as well as identify the boundary conditions of this relationship.

To test the hypotheses, a series of four experiments were conducted in Wuhan, a city in southern China, using questionnaires administered at two universities and two supermarkets. Hypotheses were tested using PLS-SEM in SmartPLS 4.

The results indicate that brand personality, specifically the dimensions of innocence and coolness, has a significant impact on consumers’ brand preferences. Brands with a cool personality are preferred over those with an innocent personality. Moreover, the relationship between brand personality and consumers’ brand preferences is moderated by power motivation and identity centrality.

This study contributes to the literature by differentiating between brand personality of innocence and coolness as two separate constructs and proposing brand psychological ownership as a mechanism through which brand personality affects brand preferences. The study’s samples were drawn from universities and supermarkets in southern China, providing evidence for the significant moderating effects of power motivation and identity centrality on consumers’ brand preferences.

This paper aims to draw on the appraisal theory and the theory of self-brand congruence (SBC) to study the multidimensional emotion of brand pride. It conceptualizes and validates the relationship of brand pride with SBC, brand loyalty and oppositional brand loyalty and establishes the role of narcissism as a moderator.

Standardized scales, including a new brand pride scale developed by the authors, were used to collect data from 522 respondents. Covariance-based structural equation modeling was used to test the conceptual model. Multi-group moderation analysis tested the differences in the proposed relationship between high and low narcissists.

Results posit brand pride as a multidimensional construct with SBC as its significant antecedent. The findings also support most hypothesized relationships between brand pride and behavioral outcomes. In addition, the study confirms the moderating effect of narcissism on the relationship between brand pride dimensions and brand loyalty and opposition brand loyalty.

The study sample was from a developing nation – India. Similar cohorts from developing and developed countries could provide a unique cross-nation comparison.

The role of brand pride in impacting brand loyalty and oppositional brand loyalty has significant implications for practice. Marketing communication to inculcate brand pride among consumers will significantly impact the brand’s profitability.

Validation of SBC as a precursor to brand pride and the relationship of brand pride with brand loyalty and oppositional brand loyalty contributes significantly to branding theory and practice. This study also establishes narcissism as a moderator between brand pride and loyalty outcomes.

Este artículo se basa en la teoría de la valoración y la teoría de la congruencia de la marca propia para estudiar la emoción multidimensional del orgullo de marca. Conceptualiza y valida la relación del orgullo de marca con la congruencia de marca propia, la lealtad de marca y la lealtad de marca oposicional, y establece el papel del narcisismo como moderador.

Se utilizaron escalas estandarizadas, incluida una nueva escala de orgullo de marca desarrollada por los autores, para recoger datos de 522 encuestados. Para probar el modelo conceptual se tudio un modelo de ecuaciones estructurales basado en la covarianza. El análisis de moderación multigrupo probó las diferencias en la relación propuesta entre narcisistas altos y bajos.

Los resultados tudioes el orgullo de marca como un constructo multidimensional con congruencia de marca propia como su antecedente significativo. Los resultados también apoyan la mayoría de las relaciones hipotetizadas entre el orgullo de marca y los resultados conductuales. Además, el tudio confirma el efecto moderador del narcisismo en la relación entre las dimensiones del orgullo de marca y la lealtad a la marca y la oposición a la lealtad a la marca.

La muestra del tudio procedía de un país en vías de tudioes: la India. Cohortes similares de países en tudioes y desarrollados podrían proporcionar una comparación única entre naciones.

El papel del orgullo de marca en el impacto de la lealtad de marca y la lealtad de marca opuesta tiene implicaciones significativas para la práctica. La comunicación de marketing para inculcar el orgullo de marca entre los consumidores tendrá un impacto significativo en la rentabilidad de la marca.

La validación de la congruencia con la propia marca como precursora del orgullo de marca y la relación del orgullo de marca con la lealtad de marca y la lealtad de marca de oposición contribuyen significativamente a la teoría y la práctica del branding. El tudio también establece el narcisismo como moderador entre el orgullo de marca y los resultados de lealtad.

本文借鉴评价理论和自我品牌一致性理论, 研究品牌自豪感的多维度情感。它概念化并验证了品牌自豪感与自我品牌一致性、品牌忠诚度和反对性品牌忠诚度的关系, 并确定了自恋作为调节器的作用。

使用标准化的量表, 包括由作者开发的新的品牌自豪感量表, 从522名受访者那里收集数据。一个基于协方差的结构方程模型被用来检验概念模型。多组调节分析检验了高自恋者和低自恋者之间拟议关系的差异。

结果表明, 品牌自豪感是一个多维的建构, 自我品牌一致性是其重要的前因。结果也支持品牌自豪感和行为结果之间的大部分假设关系。此外, 该研究还证实了自恋对品牌自豪感维度与品牌忠诚度和反对品牌忠诚度之间关系的调节作用。

印度。发展中国家和发达国家的类似队列可以提供一个独特的跨国比较。

品牌自豪感对品牌忠诚度和反对品牌忠诚度的影响作用对实践有重大意义。在消费者中灌输品牌自豪感的营销传播将对品牌利润率产生重大影响。

自我品牌一致性作为品牌自豪感的前兆的验证, 以及品牌自豪感与品牌忠诚度和反对性品牌忠诚度的关系, 对品牌理论和实践有很大的贡献。该研究还确定了自恋是品牌自豪感和忠诚度结果之间的一个调节器。

The purpose of this study is to analyse the antecedent (Consumer Involvement) and the consequences (Brand Connection and Brand Usage Intent [BUI]) of the three dimensions of Consumer Brand Engagement (CBE) (Cognitive Processing, Affection and Activation) in luxury brand engagement on Facebook.

Data were collected through an online questionnaire completed by fans/followers of luxury brands’ Facebook pages. The empirical study was conducted using structural equation modelling.

Consumer Involvement has a positive impact on the three dimensions of CBE (Cognitive Processing, Affection and Activation). This leads to the conclusion that Activation and Affection have an impact both on Self-Brand Connection and on BUI. Moreover, it was found that Cognitive Processing impacts only on BUI.

The results identified the factors which brand managers should focus on to increase CBE on Facebook.

This study is a pioneer, as it extends the consumer engagement model to the social media context in a hedonic and conspicuous consumption category which includes luxury brand products.

Esta investigación analiza el antecedente (compromiso del consumidor) y las consecuencias (conexión con la marca e intención de uso de marca) de las tres dimensiones del compromiso del consumidor con la marca (procesamiento cognitivo, afectivo y activo) en el compromiso con la marca de lujo en Facebook.

Los datos se obtuvieron a través de un cuestionario online de los seguidores de varias páginas de marcas de lujo en Facebook. El estudio empírico se realizó utilizando un modelo SEM.

El compromiso del consumidor tiene un impacto positivo en las tres dimensiones del compromiso del consumidor con la marca (procesamiento cognitivo, afectivo y activo). Esto lleva a concluir que los procesos activo y afectivo tienen un impacto tanto en la conexión con la marca como en su intención de uso. Además, se constató que el proceso cognitivo sólo afecta a la intención de uso de la marca.

Los resultados identificaron los factores en los que los directores de marca deberían centrarse para aumentar el compromiso del consumidor hacia la marca en Facebook.

Este estudio es pionero, dado que extiende el modelo de compromiso del consumidor al contexto de las redes sociales en una categoría de consumo hedónico y ostentoso que incluye a bienes y servicios como las marcas de lujo.

The purpose of this paper is threefold. First, it aims to clarify the moderating role of self-esteem (SE) and susceptibility to normative influence (SNI) in the relationship between brand love and brand loyalty. Second, the study proposes modeling the mediation role of brand love and outlining how SE and SNI affect the consumer-brand relationship. Finally, the study explores the impact of brand love on brand loyalty: the moderating role of self-esteem and social influences, as the literature regarding this is still lacking.

Data were collected via an online survey, which yielded 218 responses. Structural equation modeling was used to predict the research model.

The findings indicate that both SE and SNI mediate the relationship between brand love and brand loyalty. Additionally, consumers love the focal brands positively relates to SE and SNI. In return, SE and SNI lead to brand loyalty. The tight relationship of SE and SNI affects the connection between brand love and brand loyalty.

The data has been collected in Vietnam, which creates a limitation regarding the study’s cross-cultural nature and the economic context. Thus, the study should be conducted in different cultures and economies (both developing and developed countries) to enhance the generalizability in consumer-brand relationships.

Brand managers should conduct more advertising in brand communities to enhance the influence of SNI and emphasize unique features of the brands, to attract consumers through the overlap of SE.

The findings can contribute to enhancing unique brand identity and self-motivation will increase consumer loyalty, increasing the revenue of a specific brand. Moreover, as acceptable peers contribute to making purchase decisions, boosting the brand community will maintain current consumers and attract additional potential consumers from the current consumer relationships.

This study contributes to consumer psychology by indicating both SNI and SE as the mediators in the relationship between brand love and brand loyalty and how the consumer-brand relationship can be enabled.

El propósito de este trabajo es triple. En primer lugar, pretende aclarar el papel moderador de la autoestima (SE) y la susceptibilidad a la influencia normativa (SNI) en la relación entre el amor y la lealtad a la marca. En segundo lugar, el estudio propone modelar el papel mediador del amor a la marca y esbozar cómo la autoestima y la SNI afectan a la relación consumidor-marca. Por último, el estudio explora los factores que afectan a la relación entre el amor a la marca y la lealtad a la misma, ya que aún no existe literatura al respecto.

Los datos se recogieron mediante una encuesta en línea, que arrojó 218 respuestas. Se utilizó el modelo de ecuaciones estructurales (SEM) para predecir el modelo de investigación.

Los hallazgos indican que tanto la autoestima como la SNI median la relación entre el amor y la lealtad a la marca. Además, el amor de los consumidores por las marcas focales se relaciona positivamente con la autoestima y la SNI. En cambio, la autoestima y la SNI conducen a la lealtad a la marca. La estrecha relación de la autoestima y la SNI afecta la conexión entre el amor a la marca y la lealtad a la misma.

Los datos se han recogido en Vietnam, lo que crea una limitación en cuanto a la naturaleza transcultural del estudio y el contexto económico. Así pues, el estudio debería realizarse en diferentes culturas y economías (tanto de países en desarrollo como desarrollados) para aumentar la posibilidad de generalización en las relaciones entre consumidores y marcas.

Los gerentes de marca deberían hacer más publicidad en las comunidades de marcas para aumentar la influencia de la SNI y hacer hincapié en las características singulares de las marcas, a fin de atraer a los consumidores mediante la superposición de la autoestima.

Las conclusiones pueden contribuir a mejorar la identidad de una marca única, y la automotivación aumentará la lealtad de los consumidores, incrementando los ingresos de una marca específica. Además, como los pares aceptables contribuyen a la toma de decisiones de compra, el impulso de la comunidad de marcas mantendrá a los consumidores actuales y atraerá a otros consumidores potenciales de las relaciones de consumo actuales.

Este estudio contribuye a la psicología del consumidor al indicar que tanto la SNI como la autoestima son los mediadores en la relación entre el amor y la lealtad a la marca y la forma en que se puede habilitar la relación consumidor-marca.

摘要

本文有三方面的研究目的。第一，明确自尊（SE）和易受规范影响（SNI）在品牌喜爱与品牌忠诚关系中的调节作用。第二，建立品牌喜爱的中介作用模型，并概述SE和SNI如何影响消费者与品牌的关系。最后，探讨品牌喜爱对品牌忠诚度的影响：自尊和社会影响因素的调节作用，目前有关这方面的文献还比较缺乏。

通过在线调查收集数据，共收到218份答复。采用结构方程模型进行预测研究模型。

研究结果表明，自尊和易受规范影响都对品牌喜爱和品牌忠诚度之间的关系起到了调节作用。此外，消费者对焦点品牌的喜爱与自尊和易受规范影响具有正相关关系。反过来，自尊和易受规范影响又会导致品牌忠诚。自尊和易受规范影响的紧密关系影响了品牌喜爱和品牌忠诚之间的联系。

由于本次研究数据是在越南收集的，造成了研究的跨文化性质和经济背景的局限性。因此，未来的研究可以在不同的文化和经济体（包括发展中国家和发达国家）进行，以提高关于消费者与品牌关系结论的普遍性。

品牌管理者可以在品牌社区中增强广告宣传，提高易受规范影响的影响力，同时强调品牌的独特性，与自尊因素相结合来吸引消费者。

本文研究结果有助于增强独特的品牌识别和自我激励，提高消费者的忠诚度，增加特定品牌的收入。此外，由于合适的同伴有助于消费者做出购买决策，提升品牌社区可以维持现有消费者，并通过现有消费者关系吸引更多的潜在消费者。

本研究提出了自尊和易受规范影响是品牌喜爱和品牌忠诚关系的调节变量，并且进一步阐释了它们如何促成消费者与品牌的关系，从而为消费者心理学做出了贡献。

This study aims to add to the understanding of the interactive nature of brand love by using a multilayer perspective that incorporates individual, group and societal contexts.

The qualitative empirical study uses abductive reasoning. Its theories and conclusions are grounded in naturally occurring data from an online brand community. The approach revealed new interactive processes of brand love.

This study extends our understanding of the interactive nature of brand love by adopting a layered perspective incorporating micro- (individual), meso- (in-group), macro- (in-group vs out-group) and mega-layer (societal) social dynamics that complements the predominant focus on individual psychological processes. It challenges the linear, monodirectional trajectory approach to brand love, suggesting that brand love is in constant flux as individuals move across the layers in their identification with the brand.

This study provides data from one destination brand in Finland. Future studies could consider other types of brands and contexts in other countries and cultures.

This study shows brand managers that brand lovers can be divided into subgroups with distinct drivers of their love to which brand managers should attend.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first attempt to describe the interactive nature of brand love through interactions between and within four layers of brand love. Furthermore, this study enhances our understanding of the contradictory aspects of brand love.

The purpose of this study is to operationalise and measure the effects of negative customer engagement (CE) in conjunction with positive CE. Both valences are explored through affective, cognitive and behaviour dimensions, and, in relation to the antecedent of involvement and outcome of word-of-mouth (WOM). It also explores the moderating influence of service context by examining engagement within a social service versus a social networking site (SNS). Engagement with the dual focal objects of a service brand and a service community are also examined.

Structural equation modelling is used to analyse 625 survey responses.

Involvement is a strong driver of positive CE, and positive CE has a strong effect on WOM. These findings are consistent across the “brand” and “community” object, suggesting positive CE is mutually reinforced by different objects in a relationship. Positive CE is also found to operate consistently across the service types. Involvement is a moderately negative driver of negative CE, and negative CE is a positive driver of WOM. These relationships operate differently across the objects and service types. Involvement has a stronger inverse effect on negative CE for the social service, diverging from assumptions that negative CE is reflective of highly involved customers. Interestingly, negative CE has a stronger effect on WOM in the social service, highlighting the active and vocal nature of customers within this service context.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first paper to quantitatively measure positive and negative valences of engagement concurrently, and examine the moderating effect of dual objects across contrasting service types.