Online Brand Communities Research Articles

The dark side revealed: insights and implications from online brand communities

PurposeThis study aims to present a comprehensive review of the literature on the dark side of online brand communities, identifying the dominant themes [determinants of the dark side in online brand communities (OBCs)] in the literature and proposing ways to advance the literature in this area.Design/methodology/approachThis study reviewed 72 scholarly articles published between 2009 and 2024 in peer-reviewed journals. A descriptive and thematic analysis of dark-side literature is presented.FindingsThe contribution of this scoping review lies in identifying the dominant themes in the literature on the determinants of the dark side of online brand communities, proposing management strategies and identifying future research directions for advancing the literature. Six main themes of the dark side of online communities were extracted: information dynamics, group dynamics, unethical practices and brand transgression, provocation and schadenfreude, brand activism and hate and disengagement.Practical implicationsFirstly, this study highlights the need for brands to engage in the active moderation of OBCs to maintain information credibility and manage information overload. Secondly, to ensure an inclusive community environment for all members, brands need to foster a balanced forum culture and moderation that discourages heterogeneity.Originality/valueThis study is unique in conducting an in-depth analysis of the literature on the dark side of online brand communities, an area that has received little attention. This review offers new insights that would help brands effectively manage negative aspects of customer behaviours in online brand communities. For managers, this review enables brands to improve their image, reputation and customer value.

Customer Citizenship Behaviour: The Mediating Role of Brand Trust among Online Brand Communities in Malaysia

Customer Citizenship Behaviour: The Mediating Role of Brand Trust among Online Brand Communities in Malaysia

Enhancing customer engagement behaviors via customer-to-customer interactions and identification

Purpose The e-services market is expected to reach nearly $500bn globally by 2028. As this marketplace grows, customer-to-customer interactions (CCIs) occurring through virtual channels will likely increase. Consequently, the purpose of this research is to examine how the context in which CCI’s occur (i.e. virtual vs in-person) and the frequency of their occurrence affects customer identification, leading to increased customer engagement and more favorable purchase behaviors. Design/methodology/approach Two studies were conducted to test the proposed models and hypotheses. The sample for Study 1 is comprised of college students taking in-person or online classes (n = 290). In Study 2, members of an online brand community (n = 125) were surveyed. Hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling (SEM). Findings Overall, results support a mediation effect such that CCI context (virtual vs in-person) affects customer engagement and purchase behaviors via customer identification. Specifically, Study 1 finds that customer engagement behaviors (CEBs) are greater for in-person CCIs due to the frequency of interactions and heightened identification between customers. Study 2 further examines the CCI frequency-identification link and finds that customer-firm identification is the only form of identification that affects CEBs and purchase behaviors. Originality/value Limited customer engagement research has examined the effects of CCIs on CEBs, and research has rarely compared in-person to virtual CCI contexts. This paper addresses these shortcomings by testing the effects of in-person and virtual CCIs on CCI frequency, identification and CEBs. This research fills another important gap in the literature by considering the unique effects of specific dimensions of customer identification on CEBs and purchase behaviors.

Customer Value and Sustainable Choice Behaviour in Social Commerce

Abstract The emergence of Social Commerce, facilitated by social media platforms such as Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram, has revolutionized electronic commerce, reshaping consumer behavior and business dynamics. This study investigates the connection between customer value and sustainable choice behavior in Social Commerce, focusing on individuals aged 18 and above actively engaged with these platforms. Employing a convenience sampling method and a survey of 383 participants, a structural equation model was utilized to assess various hypotheses. The findings highlight the significant impact of word of mouth, intention, offers, and trust on purchase decisions within Social Commerce. These factors play pivotal roles in shaping customer perspectives, emphasizing the importance of integrating online brand communities into marketing and communication strategies. By leveraging social media, vendors can facilitate the discovery, sharing, recommendation, and transaction of goods and services, enhancing customer value and promoting sustainable choices. This study contributes to the understanding of consumer behavior in the context of Social Commerce, offering insights for businesses to adapt and thrive in an increasingly digital marketplace.

The Influence of Customer Participation Towards Repurchase Intention with Online Brand Community Trust and Positive eWOM as Intervening Variables in BeautyHaul

E-commerce technology is advancing rapidly in Indonesia's personal care and cosmetics industries. BeautyHaul, the first personal care e-commerce company in Indonesia, aims to strengthen relationships with customers and increase their loyalty through consumer involvement in brand communities and word-of-mouth (eWOM) marketing which have the potential to increase repurchase intention. Data were collected from a sample survey of 155 respondents using purposive sampling method, which were analysed through Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) and PLS-Predict. The coefficient of determination R2 indicates the influence of independent variables on repurchase intention is 44%. The analysis findings show that customer participation, positive electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) and online brand community trust has positive and significant influence on repurchase intention on direct effect. The result shows that positive electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) and online brand community trust also have positive and significant influence as mediators between customer participation and repurchase intention. Based on the findings of this study, BeautyHaul should concentrate more on boosting customer participation in order to strengthen repurchase intention.

Social media marketing and customer purchase intention: Evidence-based bibliometrics and text analysis

The rapid proliferation of social media platforms has sparked heightened interest among businesses seeking to leverage them to enhance customer purchase intentions. Consequently, there has been a surge in research exploring the intersection of social media marketing and consumer behavior. However, gaps persist regarding the primary themes within this research domain. This study analyzes 282 research papers spanning from 2012 to 2022, sourced from the Web of Science Core Collection, focusing on social media and customer purchase intentions. Leveraging Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) commands in STATA and VOSviewer software, the study investigates emerging trends and prevalent themes, visualizing the dataset. The findings indicate a notable increase in research output, particularly from developed countries, with significant collaboration between developed and developing nations. Moreover, the study identifies five principal research topics: 1) the impact of social media marketing on consumer purchase intention, 2) the consequences of online brand communities on purchase behavior, 3) factors influencing consumer purchase intention, 4) influencer effects on purchase intention, and 5) social media advertising and marketing strategies. Future inquiries should delve into various factors shaping customer purchase intentions, including the role of influencers, word-of-mouth dynamics, and advertising strategies while considering the diverse cultural contexts across different regions. This comprehensive analysis provides valuable insights for researchers and practitioners alike, guiding future endeavors in understanding and harnessing the power of social media in consumer decision-making processes. AcknowledgmentsGiang Hai Ha was funded by the Master, PhD Scholarship Programme of Vingroup Innovation Foundation (VINIF), code VINIF.2022.TS030.

Social Media Marketing Activities, Brand Community Engagement and Brand Loyalty: Modelling the Role of Self-brand Congruency with Moderated Mediation Approach

All regions are experiencing a boom in social media adoption, and marketers are continuously seeking innovative approaches to grow their network of loyal customers through online brand communities. The present study aims to examine how social media marketing activities may lead to brand loyalty. In this connection, the study investigates the role of brand community engagement and self-brand congruency. The data were gathered using a survey based on a questionnaire from 245 social media users following certain brand community pages on various social media platforms. Analysis of data set was conducted using structural equation modelling via Amos 23.0 and SPSS 20.0. Additionally, moderated mediation was assessed using SPSS’s Process macro. The findings reveal that social media marketing activities significantly influence customer’s loyalty towards the brand. However, this effect was found to be mediated through brand community engagement. Additionally, the outcome of the moderated mediation analysis demonstrated that the indirect impact of social media marketing activities on brand loyalty through brand community engagement was moderated by self-brand congruency. The study produces novel insights into the intricate relationship between social media marketing activities, brand community engagement, brand loyalty and self-brand congruency, significantly providing a roadmap for managers, guiding them to strategically craft brand experiences, adapt to consumer trends and foster emotional attachments with the brand.

Customer eWOM Engagement in Online Brand Communities: A Systematic Literature Review

Customer eWOM Engagement in Online Brand Communities: A Systematic Literature Review

THE ROLE OF GAMIFIED CUSTOMER BENEFITS IN PURSUING CUSTOMERS’ LOYALTY: A MEDIATED ROLE OF CUSTOEMR ENGAGEMENT

The social media platforms have become progressively vital in modern era as a means of interacting with consumers and as a means for marketers to focus on online social networks so as to foster loyalty of brands. Purpose of this study is to analyze the causal relationship among the characteristics of gamified customer benefits (epistemic benefits, social integrative benefits, personal integrative benefits and hedonic benefits), customer engagement and customer loyalty with respect to online brand communities on social media platforms. This study also analyzes the mediating role of customer engagement between gamified customer benefits and customer loyalty. Data is collected from 250 individuals and Smart PLS-4 is used to empirically test the hypothesis. Results reveals that epistemic benefits, social integrative benefits and hedonic benefits has positive & significant impact of customer engagement & customer loyalty while personal integrative benefits shows insignificant impact on customer engagement & loyalty. This study shows mediating role of customer engagement amid gamified customer benefits and customer loyalty. Thus, this study may help brand managers to better understand role of gamified customer benefits with customer engagement and customer loyalty.

Online brand community engagement and brand evangelism: the role of age, gender and membership number

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the critical role of online brand community (OBC) engagement and brand evangelism: the role of age, gender and membership number.Design/methodology/approachTo achieve the study’s objective, 303 active Facebook OBC users were surveyed. The AMOS structural equation modelling (SEM) is used to test the hypothesised model.FindingsThe results indicate that OBC engagement improves brand evangelism. Specifically, the results show that age, gender, and OBC membership number moderate the relationship between OBC engagement and brand evangelism. Interestingly, this study found that female, younger and low-OBC follower consumers more significantly contribute to nourishing brand evangelism than male, older and high-OBC follower counterparts.Originality/valueOBC engagement is validated as a key brand evangelism driver, further substantiating its role as a crucial strategic metric. Moreover, age, gender and OBC membership number as moderating factors in the association between OBC engagement and brand evangelism (word of mouth referral, brand defence and future purchases) have been verified. Although the findings suggest that improved OBC engagement contributes to evangelism, this effect transpires more significantly among female, younger and low-OBC followers than male, older and high-OBC followers.

Dose Online Brand Community Help Brands Increase Loyalty? -The Impact of Customer Citizenship Experience

Dose Online Brand Community Help Brands Increase Loyalty? -The Impact of Customer Citizenship Experience

Understanding the social capital – happiness link among online brand communities: influence of psychological well-being and membership duration

PurposeBased on the principles of the social capital theory (SCT), this study aimed to generate hypotheses and evaluate a mediated moderated model that examined the impact of social capital on online brand community happiness (OBCH).Design/methodology/approachUsing 215 online questionnaires from users of private online brand communities (OBCs) , researchers examined the hypothesized connections between variables. The SPSS 21.0 and AMOS 26.0 were applied to fulfill the purpose.FindingsFor the goodness of model fit, the authors have applied cut off criteria for fit indexes given by Hu and Bentler (1999) and model-fit measures indicators, i.e. CMIN/DF 1.397, CFI 0.958, SRMR 0.045, RMSEA 0.043 and PCLOSE 0.866, which meet the minimum acceptable criteria. Based on the results, social capital significantly affects psychological well-being (PWB), which, consequently, leads toward increased happiness among OBCs. Furthermore, membership duration moderates the relationship between PWB and OBCs.Research limitations/implicationsThe authors have utilized a cross-sectional research design, and it limits the researcher’s ability to generalize the findings. These findings imply how social capital leverages PWB and OBCH. Moreover, the presence of membership duration helps to understand that members who spend more time in the community are happier in the OBCs.Practical implicationsIn this age of social media, it provides valuable guidance to the administrators of private Facebook groups dedicated to specific brands, enhancing the definition and development of OBC operations and community interactions.Originality/valueThis research takes a broader look at social capital’s impact on happiness among private OBCs. The current research contributes to the existing body of work by emphasizing the role of PWB in generating happiness. The study is novel in examining the mediating moderating model of PWB and membership duration to explore deep insights for social media platforms.

When likes go rogue: advertising standards and the malpractice of unruly social media influencers

ABSTRACT Despite extensive examination of factors propelling influencer success, scant attention has been paid to influencer misconduct, especially from a regulatory standpoint. To address this gap, this article presents for the first time a systematic analysis of the UK advertising watchdog’s rulings involving social media influencers. Through qualitative examination, it introduces four new themes, i.e. ‘promo-masquerade’, ‘risk-fluence’, ‘mone-trapment’ and ‘stereo-scripting’, which expand the discourse on influencer transgressions and spotlight distinct areas of regulatory concern. Even though influencers are seen as trustworthy figures in online brand communities, findings expose long-standing issues of non-compliance with established marketing rules. Criticism is directed at the inadequacy of current regulatory emphasis on recognisability of marketing intent alone, advocating instead for a more holistic approach that addresses various dimensions of influencer misconduct. Proposals include the implementation of a robust best practice framework and certification schemes to foster the influencer industry’s maturity and sustainable growth.

Is visual content modality a limiting factor for social capital? Examining user engagement within Instagram-based brand communities

AbstractIn the age of virtual cocreation of value by consumers, the role of the content modality in the development of social capital has been largely overlooked. Given that different modalities lead to varied forms of digital communication, this study examines whether a predominantly visual modality can enhance social capital and improve the collective value perceived by members of an online brand community. Through quantitative analysis, this study demonstrates that the visual modality of Instagram fosters social interactions, shaping the platform’s engagement dynamics. Affect-based visual imagery is persuasive in eliciting responses that match the hedonic nature of the platform. Therefore, fostering a positive emotional connection to both the community and the brand can lead to increased loyalty. This research proposes a different perspective on the interactive social exchange that facilitates the establishment of social capital. Value cocreation engagement is not necessarily dependent on the extensiveness of information depth. Adopting an affective orientation in persuasion has shown efficacy in forming attitudes towards attitudinal objects, particularly the community and brand.

Customer engagement in online brand communities and value co-creation: the Balkan countries perspectives

Customer engagement in online brand communities and value co-creation: the Balkan countries perspectives

Customer engagement in online brand communities and value co-creation: the Balkan countries perspectives

Customer engagement in online brand communities and value co-creation: the Balkan countries perspectives

What are the determinants of customer knowledge sharing in online brand communities A meta-synthesis of the literature

What are the determinants of customer knowledge sharing in online brand communities A meta-synthesis of the literature

Influence of online brand community factors on customer brand engagement: mediating role of collective psychological ownership

Influence of online brand community factors on customer brand engagement: mediating role of collective psychological ownership

The Relationship of Online Brand Community, Value Creation Practices, Brand Trust, and Brand Loyalty

Objective: Companies are realizing the potential of the online brand community to increase consumer relationships. Online Brand community keeps customers using the company's products through all community activities. This study investigates the effect of the activity in the online brand community on value co-creation practices to create brand trust and brand loyalty. Design/Methods/Approach: An online survey was conducted by distributing a questionnaire among 319 members of an online brand community. The collected data was analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). Findings: Online brand communities influence value co-creation practices (social networking, community engagement, impression management, and brand use). In this study, social networking and impression management influence brand trust and brand loyalty. However, community engagement and brand use do not affect brand trust. The role of brand trust affects the creation of brand loyalty in online brand community members. Originality/Value: This study examines the effect of value co-creation practices in online brand communities on brand trust and brand loyalty in brand communities found in one country with a high collectivity level. Not all community value co-creation activities have the effect of creating brand trust due to conditions within the community. Practical/Policy implication: The practical implication is to guide marketers to pay attention to some value co-creation activities in online brand communities that can create brand trust in brand communities with a high culture of collectivity. Companies understand the dynamics of online brand communities and relevant strategies in high collectivity cultures, as well as leveraging the potential of social networks while overcoming the challenges posed by the abundance of information on the internet.

Purchase Intention in Online Brand Communities: The Effect of Consumer Empowerment

İletişim, yeni medya ve mobil uygulama teknolojilerindeki gelişmeler, tüketici deneyimini geliştirdi ve markalarla olan ilişkilerinde tüketicileri güçlendirdi. Bu çalışma, bu doğal ilerlemenin etkisini, satın alma niyetini, tüketici memnuniyetini ve markaya olan güveni dikkate alarak araştırmaktadır. Çalışmanın verileri, sosyal platformdaki birçok marka topluluğunun üyesi olan 312 Facebook kullanıcısından sağlanmıştır. Yapısal Eşitlik Modellemesi (SEM) kullanılarak gerçekleştirilen analiz, öncelikle tüketicinin güçlenmesi ve güven arasında, ikinci olarak da memnuniyet ve güven arasında anlamlı bir ilişki olduğunu göstermiştir. Memnuniyet ve güven, satın alma niyetiyle de önemli ölçüde bağlantılıdır. Bununla birlikte, sonuçlar tüketici güçlenmesi ve memnuniyeti arasında anlamlı bir ilişki göstermemiştir. Bu sonuçlar ve çıkarımları, yönetimsel öneriler ve gelecek araştırmalara yön gösterecektir. Anahtar Kelimeler: Tüketicinin Güçlenmesi, Tüketici Memnuniyeti, Güven, Satın alma Niyeti JEL Sınıflandırması: M30, M31