Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Understanding consumer engagement in online brand communities: An application of self-expansion theory

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Journal of Marketing Analytics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Despite a growing importance of consumer engagement on online brand communities (OBCs), empirically derived insights into its antecedents, dynamics and outcomes remain limited. The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to apply the self-expansion theory and study the influence of emotional attachment, brand love, and cultural values on consumer engagement in OBCs. Second, the study also examines the effect of consumer engagement on brand loyalty. Using an online questionnaire, data were collected form 453 respondents. The respondents were members of at least one OBC. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results revealed that all three constructs, emotional attachment, brand love, and cultural values significantly affect consumer engagement, while only emotional attachment and brand love had a positive effect on brand loyalty. Finally, customer engagement had a significant positive effect on brand loyalty. This research integrates the self-expansion theory and offers explanations of the different effects on consumer engagement and also contributes to the development of brand loyalty. Marketing managers will find the study useful in building effective OBC strategies and enhancing brand loyalty. By establishing this innovative theoretical link, this study provides additional insights in the domain of consumer engagement.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abuljadail, M.H. 2017. Consumers’ engagement with local and global brands on Facebook in Saudi Arabia. PhD Thesis, Graduate College of Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH.

  • Adjei, M.T., S.M. Noble, and C.H. Noble. 2010. The influence of C2Communications in online brand communities on customer purchase behavior. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science 38 (5): 634–653.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ainsworth, M.D.S., M.C. Blehar, E. Waters, and S. Wall. 1978. Patterns of attachment. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Albert, N., and D. Merunka. 2013. The role of brand love in consumer-brand relationships. Journal of Consumer Marketing 30 (3): 258–266.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Algesheimer, R., U.M. Dholakia, and A. Herrmann. 2005. The social influence of brand community: Evidence from European car clubs. Journal of Marketing 69 (3): 19–34.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Armstrong, J.S., and T.S. Overton. 1977. Estimating nonresponse bias in mail surveys. Journal of Marketing Research XIV: 396–402.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Aron, A., G.W. Lewandowski Jr., D. Mashek, and E.N. Aron. 2013. The self-expansion model of motivation and cognition in close relationships. In The Oxford handbook of close relationships”, ed. J.A. Simpson and L. Campbell, 90–105. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bagozzi, P. 1994. Principles of marketing research. Cambridge, MA: Blackwell.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bagozzi, R.P., and Y. Yi. 1988. On the evaluation of structural equation models. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science 16 (1): 74–94.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barger, V., J.W. Peltier, and D.E. Schultz. 2016. Social media and consumer engagement: A review and research agenda. Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing. 10 (4): 268–287.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Batra, R., A. Ahuvia, and R.P. Bagozzi. 2012. Brand love. Journal of Marketing 76 (2): 1–16.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beck, S., R. Prügl, and K. Walter. 2020. Communicating the family firm brand: Antecedents and performance effects. European Management Journal 38 (1): 95–107.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bentler, P.M., and D.G. Bonett. 1980. Significance tests and goodness of fit in the analysis of covariance structures. Psychological Bulletin 88 (3): 588–606.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bentley, K., C. Chu, C. Nistor, E. Pehlivan, and T. Yalcin. 2021. Social media engagement for global influencers. Journal of Global Marketing 34 (3): 205–219.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bergkvist, L., and T. Bech-Larsen. 2009. Two studies of consequences and actionable antecedents of Brand love. Journal of Brand Management 17 (7): 504–518.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bitter, S., and S. Grabner-Kräuter. 2016. Consequences of customer engagement behavior: When negative Facebook posts have positive effects. Electronic Markets 26 (3): 219–231.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bowden, J. 2009. The process of customer engagement: A conceptual framework. Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice 17 (1): 63–74.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bowden, J., and A. Mirzaei. 2021. Consumer engagement within retail communication channels: An examination of online brand communities and digital content marketing initiatives. European Journal of Marketing 55 (5): 1411–1439.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bowlby, J. 1979. On Knowing what you are Not Supposed to Know and Feeling what you are Not Supposed to Feel. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry 24 (5): 403–408.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brodie, R.J., Hollebeek, L.D., Jurić, B. and Ilić, A. 2011. Customer engagement: Conceptual domain, fundamental propositions, and implications for research. Journal of Service Research 14 (3): 252–271.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brodie, R.J., Ilic, A., Juric, B. and Hollebeek, L. 2013. Consumer engagement in a virtual brand community: An exploratory analysis. Journal of Business Research 66 (1): 105–114.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bruns, Axel, Tim Highfield, and Jean Burgess. 2013. The Arab Spring and social media audiences: English and Arabic Twitter users and their networks. American Behavioral Scientist 57 (7): 871–898.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Calder, B.J., M.S. Isaac, and E.C. Malthouse. 2013. Taking the consumer’s point of view: Engagement or satisfaction? Cambridge, CA: Marketing Science Institute.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cambier, F., and I. Poncin. 2020. Inferring brand integrity from marketing communications: The effects of brand transparency signals in a consumer empowerment context. Journal of Business Research 109: 260–270.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cambra-Fierro, J., I. Melero-Polo, and F.J. Sese. 2015. Can complaint-handling efforts promote customer engagement?”. Service Business 10 (4): 847–866.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carroll, B.A., and A.C. Ahuvia. 2006. Some antecedents and outcomes of brand love. Marketing Letters 17: 79–89.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chathoth, P.K., G.R. Ungson, L. Altinay, E.S. Chan, R. Harrington, and F. Okumus. 2014. Barriers affecting organisational adoption of higher order customer engagement in tourism service interactions. Tourism Management 42 (2): 181–193.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Coelho, A., C. Bairrada, and F. Peres. 2019. Brand communities’ relational outcomes, through brand love. Journal of Product and Brand Management 28 (2): 154–165.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • De Mooij, M. 2013. Global marketing and advertising: Understanding cultural paradoxes. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dessart, L., C. Veloutsou, and A. Morgan-Thomas. 2015. Consumer engagement in online brand communities: A social media perspective. Journal of Product and Brand Management 24 (1): 28–42.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dessart, L., C. Veloutsou, and A. Morgan-Thomas. 2016. Capturing consumer engagement: Duality, dimensionality and measurement. Journal of Marketing Management 32 (5–6): 399–426.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dhaoui, C., and C.M. Webster. 2021. Brand and consumer engagement behaviors on Facebook brand pages: Let’s have a (positive) conversation. International Journal of Research in Marketing 38 (1): 155–175.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dwivedi, A. 2015. A higher-order model of consumer brand engagement and its impact on loyalty intentions. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services 24 (2): 100–109.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Erumban, A.A., and S.B. de Jong. 2006. Cross-country differences in ICT adoption: A consequence of Culture? Journal of World Business 41 (4): 302–314.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fornell, C., and D.F. Larcker. 1981. Evaluating structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error. Journal of Marketing Research 18 (1): 39–50.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fournier, S. 1998. Consumers and their brands: Developing relationship theory in consumer research. Journal of Consumer Research 24 (4): 343–373.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fox, J., and L.A. Hayduk. 1989. Structural Equation Modeling with LISREL: Essentials and Advances. Canadian Journal of Sociology/Cahiers Canadiens De Sociologie 14 (2): 257.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fuller, C.M., M.J. Simmering, G. Atinc, Y. Atinc, and B.J. Babin. 2016. Common methods variance detection in business research. Journal of Business Research 69 (8): 3192–3198.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fullerton, G. 2005. The service quality-loyalty relationship in retail service: Does commitment matter? Journal of Retailing and Consumer Service 12 (2): 99–111.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Golob, U., M.A.P. Davies, J. Kernstock, and S.M. Powell. 2020. Trending topics plus future challenges and opportunities in brand management. Journal of Brand Management 27 (2): 23–129.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Groeger, L., L. Moroko, and L. Hollebeek. 2016. Capturing value from non-paying consumers’ engagement behaviours: Field evidence and development of a theoretical model. Journal of Strategic Marketing 24 (3–4): 190–209.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gruner, R.L., C. Homburg, and B.A. Lukas. 2014. Firm-hosted online brand communities and new product success. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science 42 (1): 29–48.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gummerus, J., V. Liljander, E. Weman, and M. Pihlström. 2012. Consumer engagement in a Facebook brand community”. Management Research Review 35 (1): 857–877.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hair, J.F., R.E. Anderson, B.J. Babin, and W.C. Black. 2010. Multivariate data analysis: A global perspective, vol. 7. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hofstede, G. 1991. Cultures and organizations: Software of the mind. New York: McGraw-Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hollebeek, L. 2011. Demystifying consumer brand engagement: Exploring the loyalty nexus. Journal of Marketing Management 27 (7/8): 785–807.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hollebeek, L.D., J. Conduit, and R.J. Brodie. 2016. Strategic drivers, anticipated and unanticipated outcomes of customer engagement. Journal of Marketing Management 32 (5–6): 393–398.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hollebeek, L., M.S. Glynn, and R.J. Brodie. 2014. Consumer brand engagement in social media: Conceptualisation, scale development and validation. Journal of Interactive Marketing 28 (2): 149–165.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hook, M., S. Baxter, and A. Kulczynski. 2018. Antecedents and consequences of participation in brand communities: A literature review. Journal of Brand Management 25 (4): 277–292.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hsieh, S.H., and A. Chang. 2016. The psychological mechanism of brand co-creation engagement. Journal of Interactive Marketing 33: 13–26.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hwang, J., H. Han, and S. Kim. 2015. How can employees engage customers? Application of social penetration theory to the full-service restaurant industry by gender. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management 27 (6): 1117–1134.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Islam, J., and Z. Rahman. 2016. Examining the effects of brand love and brand image on customer engagement: An empirical study of fashion apparel brands. Journal of Global Fashion Marketing 7 (1): 45–59.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Islam, J., Z. Rahman, and L.D. Hollebeek. 2018. Consumer engagement in online brand communities: A solicitation of congruity theory. Internet Research 28 (1): 23–45.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Joshi, R., and P. Garg. 2020. Role of brand experience in shaping brand love. International Journal of Consumer Studies. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcs.12618.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kaur, H., M. Paruthi, J. Islam, and L.D. Hollebeek. 2020. The role of brand community identification and reward on consumer brand engagement and brand loyalty in virtual brand communities. Telematics and Informatics 46: 1–12.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kelley, J.B., and D.L. Alden. 2016. Online brand community: Through the eyes of Self-Determination Theory. Internet Research 26 (4): 790–808.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ketay, S., L.A. Beck, and K.M. Welker. 2020. Self-expansion: Intergroup and sociocultural factors. In Interpersonal relationships and the self-concept, ed. B.A. Mattingly, K.P. McIntyre, and G.W. Lewandowski, 1–93. Cham: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Khan, I., L.D. Hollebeek, M. Fatma, J. Ul Islam, and Z. Rahman. 2020. Brand engagement and experience in online services. Journal of Services Marketing 34 (2): 163–175.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Klabi, F. 2020. To what extent do conspicuous consumption and status consumption reinforce the effect of self-image congruence on emotional brand attachment? Evidence from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Journal of Marketing Analytics. 8 (2): 99–117.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kumar, J., and V. Kumar. 2020. Drivers of brand community engagement. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services 54: 101949. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2019.101949.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lages, C.R., and N.F. Piercy. 2012. Key drivers of frontline employee generation of ideas for customer service improvement. Journal of Service Research 15 (2): 215–230.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lam, D. 2007. Cultural influence on proneness to brand loyalty. Journal of International Consumer Marketing 19 (3): 7–21.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee, C.T., and S.H. Hsieh. 2021. Can social media-based brand communities build brand relationships? Examining the Effect of Community Engagement on Brand Love, Behaviour & Information Technology. https://doi.org/10.1080/0144929X.2021.1872704.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li, D., and X. Han. 2021. Assessing the influence of goal pursuit and emotional attachment on customer engagement behaviors. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services 59: 102355. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2020.102355.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu, F., J. Li, D. Mizerski, and H. Soh. 2012. Self-congruity, brand attitude, and brand loyalty: A study on luxury brands. European Journal of Marketing 46 (7–8): 922–937.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Loureiro, S.M., and E.M. Sarmento. 2019. Exploring the determinants of Instagram as a social network for online consumer–brand relationship. Journal of Promotion Management. 25 (3): 354–366.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Malthouse, E.C., M. Haenlein, B. Skiera, E. Wege, and M. Zhang. 2013. Managing customer relationships in the social media era: Introducing the social CRM house. Journal of Interactive Marketing 27 (4): 270–280.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MCIT - Ministry of Communications and Information Technology. 2020. Over 18 million users of social media programs and applications in Saudi Arabia. https://www.mcit.gov.sa/en/media-center/news/89698.

  • Oh, C., Y. Roumani, J.K. Nwankpa, and H. Hu. 2007. Beyond likes and tweets: Consumer engagement behavior and movie box office in social media. Information & Management 54 (1): 25–37.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pan, H. 2020. Consumer engagement in online brand communities: Community values, brand symbolism and social strategies. Interdisciplinary Journal of Information, Knowledge, and Management 15 (1): 65–90.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pansari, A., and V. Kumar. 2017. Customer engagement: The construct, antecedents, and consequences. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science 45 (3): 294–311.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Park, C.W., D.J. Macinnis, J. Priester, A.B. Eisingerich, and D. Iacobucci. 2010. Brand attachment and Brand attitude strength: Conceptual and empirical differentiation of two critical Brand equity drivers. Journal of Marketing 74 (6): 1–17.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Podsakoff, P.M., S.B. Mackenzie, J.Y. Lee, and N.P. Podsakoff. 2003. Common method biases in behavioral research: A critical review of the literature and recommended remedies. Journal of Applied Psychology 88 (5): 879–903.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rooney, T., E. Krolikowska, and H.L. Bruce. 2021. Rethinking relationship marketing as consumer led and technology driven: Propositions for research and practice. Journal of Relationship Marketing 20 (1): 42–61.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rubin, Z. 1973. Liking and loving: An invitation to social psychology. Rinehart and Winston, New York: Holt.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schouten, J.W., and J.H. McAlexander. 1995. Subcultures of consumption: An ethnography of the new bikers. Journal of Consumer Research 22: 43–61.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scott, J.E. 1995. The measurement of information systems effectiveness: Evaluating a measuring instrument. ACM SIGMIS Database: THe DATABASE for Advances in Information Systems 26 (1): 43–61.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shimp, T.A., and T.J. Madden. 1988. Consumer-object relations: A conceptual framework based analogously on Sternberg’s triangular theory of love. Advances in Consumer Research 15: 163–168.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sohail, M.S., and A.M. Al-Gwaiz. 2013. Determinants of advertising attitudes: The influence of cultural and environmental context. International Journal of Academic Research 5 (4): 7–13.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Soltani-Nejad, N., F. Taheri-Azad, N. Zarei-Maram, and M.K. Saberi. 2020. Developing a model to identify the antecedents and consequences of user satisfaction with digital libraries. Aslib Journal of Information Management 72 (6): 979–997.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sprott, D., S. Czellar, and E. Spangenberg. 2009. The importance of a general measure of brand engagement on market behavior: Development and validation of a scale. Journal of Marketing Research 46 (1): 92–104.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sternberg, R. 1986. A triangular theory of love. Psychological Review: American Psychological Association.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Thomson, M., D.J. MacInnis, and C.W. Park. 2005. The ties that bind: measuring the strength of consumers’ emotional attachments to brands. Journal of Consumer Psychology 15 (1): 77–91.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • van Doorn, J., K. Lemon, V. Mittal, S. Naas, D. Pick, P. Pirner, and P. Verhoef. 2010. Consumer engagement behaviour: Theoretical foundations and research directions. Journal of Service Research 13 (3): 253–266.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vargo, S.L., K. Koskela-Huotari, and J. Vink. 2020. Service dominant logic: Foundations and applications. In The Routledge handbook of service research insights and ideas, ed. E. Bridges and K. Fowler, 3–23. New York.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Verhoef, P.C., W.J. Reinartz, and M. Krafft. 2010. Customer engagement as a new perspective in customer management. Journal of Service Research 13 (3): 247–252.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Verleye, K., P. Gemmel, and D. Rangarajan. 2014. Managing engagement behaviors in a network of customers and stakeholders evidence from the nursing home sector. Journal of Service Research 17 (1): 1–17.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vrontis, D., A. Makrides, M. Christofi, and A. Thrassou. 2021. Social media influencer marketing: A systematic review, integrative framework and future research agenda. International Journal of Consumer Studies. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcs.12647.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xu, Z., C. Vail, A.S. Kohli, and S. Tasjdini. 2021. Understanding changes in a brand’s core positioning and customer engagement: A sentiment analysis of a brand-owned Facebook site. Journal of Marketing Analytics 9 (1): 3–16.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yoo, W.S., K.S. Suh, and M.B. Lee. 2002. Exploring the factors enhancing member participation in virtual communities. Journal of Global Information Management 10 (3): 55–71.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The author gratefully acknowledges the funding received from Deanship of Research, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, under Project Number SB181028.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. KFUPM Business School, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia

    M. Sadiq Sohail

Authors
  1. M. Sadiq Sohail
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. Sadiq Sohail.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The author declare(s) that there is no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Appendix: Constructs and measurement items

Appendix: Constructs and measurement items

Construct

Item

Measurement

References

Emotional attachment

EMOT1

I feel emotionally bonded with this brand

Thomson et al. (2005)

EMOT2

I feel emotionally connected with this brand

EMOT3

I feel emotionally attached with this brand

Cultural values

CULVAL1

I think a lot about the brand nationality when I am using the social media sites

Abuljadail (2017)

CULVAL2

Using the local brand’s social media pages stimulates my interest to learn more about the brand

CULVAL3

I like the portray (characteristics) of family values that the local brands’ communicate in their pages

CULVAL4

I feel better when I see our traditions such as male dress and veiled lady in the local brands social media pages

CULVAL5

I feel I am sharing the same interest, language and values that the other local brands’ social media users have

Brand love

BRLOV1

This is a wonderful brand (BL1)

Carroll and Ahuvia (2006)

BRLOV2

This brand makes me feel good (BL2)

BRLOV3

This brand is totally awesome (BL3)

BRLOV4

This brand makes me very happy (BL4)

BRLOV5

I love this brand!

Customer engagement

CUSENG1

This OBC upgrades member privileges

Hollebeek et al. (2014)

CUSENG2

Using this OBC gets me to think about the brand

CUSENG3

I think about this OBC a lot when I’m using it

CUSENG4

Using this OBC stimulates my interest to learn more about the brand

CUSENG5

I feel very positive when I use this OBC

CUSENG6

I am proud to use this OBC

Brand loyalty

BRLOYAL1

I consider myself to be loyal to X

Yoo et al. (2002)

BRLOYAL2

X would be my first choice

BRLOYAL3

I will not buy other brands if X is available at the store

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Sohail, M.S. Understanding consumer engagement in online brand communities: An application of self-expansion theory. J Market Anal 11, 69–81 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41270-021-00148-1

Download citation

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41270-021-00148-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation