Virtual Brand Communities: Pathways to Brand Trust?

Abstract

Little doubt exists about virtual brand communities (VBCs) strong impact on branding (e.g. Schau and Muniz 2002; Fournier and Lee 2009). Specifically, brand community identification, participation, and community commitment all empirically lead to brand loyalty and positive behavioural outcomes. However, the impact of VBC participation on customers’ brand trust, which is essential to relational marketing (Albert et al. 2013), remains unclear. The mechanisms mediating and/or moderating VBC effects on customers’ brand trust remain uncharted. Specifically, scholars and practitioners should understand customer pathways to brand trust through VBC participation. Furthermore, although lurkers (non-active members) make up the highest proportion of participants in virtual communities (Walker et al. 2013), little research has yet examined them (Thompson et al. 2014). Since lurkers are the majority of virtual community members, understanding how ‘lurkers’ build brand trust and whether this differs from ‘poster’ (active members) pathways in direction and/or strength would equip VBC managers in building successful communities that would lead to brand trust for all users.