Relationship formation within online brand communities: Bridging the virtual and the real

Abstract

Abstract To increase competitiveness, companies are increasingly using online brand communities (OBCs) to cocreate value for themselves and their consumers; however, evidence of the effectiveness of OBCs as a marketing tool remains mostly anecdotal. This study developed a framework for examining how the cocreation of value in OBCs can extend and improve brand relationships between corporations and consumers through combination with the integration of online and offline relationships. Sample 1, comprising 450 respondents, was used to investigate second-order OBC value cocreation and total measurement models. Sample 2, comprising 418 respondents, demonstrated that OBC value cocreation directly benefits consumer OBC commitment, thereby directly enhancing offline brand relationship quality (BRQ) and brand commitment as well as indirectly enhancing brand loyalty, and that BRQ directly benefits brand commitment and brand loyalty. This paper presents the research and managerial implications of these findings, as well as limitations and future research directions.