Consumer engagement in online brand communities as a means of loyalty management

[J. A. Stanković]

[21], 373 listova

Biografija autora sa slikom: list 369-370 Bibliografija: listovi 330-359

Strategic marketing

Consumer loyalty management is a key task of modern enterprises. In conditions of intense competition and ever-increasing consumer expectations, this task becomes more complex. Frequent communication among consumers via various online platforms leads to the exchange of attitudes and experiences regarding the brands they favor. Such groups of consumers constitute an Online Brand Community (OBC). Within these communities, consumers share common values, emotions, and lifestyles, which contributes to the development of a sense of belonging and commitment to the community, as well as to strengthening attachment to the brand they discuss. In turn, consumer attachment generates loyalty to the preferred brand, reflected in consumers’ tendency to repeat purchases and remain committed to the brand despite competitive pressures. Given the importance of OBCs in shaping attitudes toward the brand, as well as its image and reputation, marketing managers seek to encourage consumer engagement within OBCs in order to strengthen the cumulative relationship between consumers and the brand and enhance brand loyalty. The results of the statistical analysis, obtained using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and conjoint analysis, indicate that consumer-level factors have a partial effect on engagement in OBCs, as a statistically significant effect was confirmed for consumer–brand identification, but not for all personality traits. Community-level factors did not show a significant effect on consumer engagement in OBCs. Furthermore, it was found that consumer participation has a statistically significant impact on engagement in OBCs. Consumer engagement (cognitive, affective, and behavioral) in OBCs has a statistically significant, but only partially confirmed, effect on the marketing performance of OBCs and the marketing performance of the brand. The findings also confirm a significant impact of OBC marketing performance and brand marketing performance on consumer loyalty to both the community and the brand. Similar results were obtained when examining the relationship between consumer engagement in OBCs and loyalty to the community and the brand. Finally, it was confirmed that the community loyalty is a predictor of brand loyalty. The integration of theoretical and empirical research results on the impact of consumer engagement in OBCs on generating and strengthening brand loyalty provides a reliable foundation for developing OBC-based marketing strategies, as well as a basis for future research.

angažovanost potrošača, onlajn zajednice brendova, faktori angažovanosti, marketing performanse, lojalnost potrošača

consumer engagement, online brand communities, engagement factors, marketing performance, consumer loyalty

658.8(043.3) 316.77:004.738.5]:003.65(043.3)

S 191 Marketing

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