Consumer engagement with self-expressive brands: brand love and WOM outcomes
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore attitudes of consumers who engage with brands through Facebook “likes”. It explores the extent to which these brands are self-expressive and examines the relationship between brand “liking” and brand outcomes. Brand outcomes include brand love and advocacy, where advocacy incorporates WOM and brand acceptance.
Design/methodology/approach
Findings are presented from a survey of Facebook users who engage with a brand by “liking” it.
Findings
Brands “liked” are expressive of the inner or social self. The study identifies a positive relationship between the self-expressive nature of brands “liked” and brand love. Consumers who engage with inner self-expressive brands are more likely to offer WOM for that brand. By contrast, consumers who engage with socially self-expressive brands are more likely to accept wrongdoing from a brand.
Research limitations/implications
The research is exploratory and is limited to consumers who are engaged with a brand through “liking” it on the Facebook social network.
Practical implications
The study offers suggestions for managers seeking to enhance brand engagement through Facebook “liking”, and to encourage positive brand outcomes (such as WOM) among consumers already engaged with a brand on Facebook.
Originality/value
This paper provides new insights into consumer brand engagement evidenced through Facebook “liking”. It charts the relationship between “liked” self-expressive brands and brand love. Distinctions are drawn between brand outcomes among consumers who “like” for socially self-expressive reasons, and consumers who are brand engaged by “liking” to express their inner selves.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors wish to acknowledge the financial support of the Research Development Initiative, Strand 2 (Ref: RCS 258) from the Irish Research Council for the Humanities and Social Sciences, the I+D+I project (Ref. ECO2009-08283) from the Government of Spain, and the project GENERES (Ref. S-09) from the Government of Aragon and the European Social Fund.
Citation
Wallace, E., Buil, I. and de Chernatony, L. (2014), "Consumer engagement with self-expressive brands: brand love and WOM outcomes", Journal of Product & Brand Management, Vol. 23 No. 1, pp. 33-42. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPBM-06-2013-0326
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2014, Emerald Group Publishing Limited