The effects of social media based brand communities on brand community markers, value creation practices, brand trust and brand loyalty

• Published in: Computers in human behavior 2012-09, Vol.28 (5), p.1755-1767
• Main Authors: Laroche, Michel, Habibi, Mohammad Reza, Richard, Marie-Odile, Sankaranarayanan, Ramesh
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Brand community; Brand loyalty; Brand trust; Communities; Community markers; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Human behavior; Management; Markers; Mathematical analysis; Mathematical models; On-line systems; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Social interactions. Communication. Group processes; Social media; Social networks; Social psychology; Value creation practices
• ISSN: 0747-5632; 1873-7692
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2012.04.016

► Brand communities on social media have positive effects on community markers. ► Community markers have positive effects on value creation practices. ► Brand communities on social media enhance brand loyalty through brand use practices. ► Brand trust is fully mediating value creation practices on brand loyalty. Social media based brand communities are communities initiated on the platform of social media. In this article, we explore whether brand communities based on social media (a special type of online brand communities) have positive effects on the main community elements and value creation practices in the communities as well as on brand trust and brand loyalty. A survey based empirical study with 441 respondents was conducted. The results of structural equation modeling show that brand communities established on social media have positive effects on community markers (i.e., shared consciousness, shared rituals and traditions, and obligations to society), which have positive effects on value creation practices (i.e., social networking, community engagement, impressions management, and brand use). Such communities could enhance brand loyalty through brand use and impression management practices. We show that brand trust has a full mediating role in converting value creation practices into brand loyalty. Implications for practice and future research opportunities are discussed.