An Investigation on the Evaluation of Antecedents Affecting Brand Loyalty: A Mediated-Moderated Approach

Abstract

This research studied the importance of brand love, its antecedents and consequences in the context of Smartphone industry; and examined the effects of each dimension of consumer characteristics, brand relationship attributes, and brand experience on brand love. The study also investigated the moderating role of self-esteem between brand love and brand loyalty relationship. The data was collected from the 351 students (users of Smartphone) from four universities of Islamabad, Lahore and Bahawalpur, through simple random sampling. Hypotheses were tested by using regression analysis. The result of the study indicated that each dimension of consumer characteristics, brand relationship attributes and brand experience positively and significantly affected brand love. The findings of this study revealed that brand relationship attributes, brand identity, brand image and brand experience contributed in generating brand love and brand loyalty. The study also found that consumer characterises and brand trust did not create brand love and brand loyalty. This study contributed in literature by examining brand love as a mediator and self-esteem as a moderator. Brand experience was found as the stronger antecedent of brand love. The finding of the study provided several useful managerial implications for strategy formulation at organization level.