Author

  • Rizwan Shabbir

    • Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P.R. China
    • China

  • Jing Zhang

    • Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P.R. China
    • China

  • Chatchai Pitsaphol

    • Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P.R. China
    • China

  • Waseem Hassan

    • China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, P. R. China
    • China

Abstract

As the clout of social networking is growing, brand managers are exploring diversified marketing strategies and consumer attitudes. The current study reveals the impact of value creation practices and brand loyalty in online brand communities based on perceived benefits enjoyed by consumers. Based on quantitative research approach, a sample of 308 respondents were collected to investigate relationships among online brand community participation, value creation practices and brand loyalty. The results highlighted hedonic, learning, self-esteem and social benefits as antecedents for online brand community participation. Moreover, value creation practices are derived as essential factor for enhancing brand loyalty among online community members. The finding exhibited valuable insights about developing corporate strategies to achieve customer intimacy for long-term relationship. Managerial implications are explained by identifying value-creation practices as a mechanism for enhancing consumer engagement and relationship management.

Keywords

References

  • Adjei, M., Noble, S. & Noble, C. (2010). The influence of C2C communications in online brand communities on customer purchase behavior. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science , 38(5), 634–653.
  • Ambler, T. (1992). Need-to-Know-Marketing, Century Business, London.
  • Andersen, P. H. (2005). Relationship marketing and brand involvement of professionals through webenhanced brand communities: the case of Coloplast. Industrial Marketing Management , 34(1), 39– 51. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2004.07.002 .
  • Casaló, L. V., Flavián, C. & Guinalíu, M. (2008). Promoting consumer's participation in virtual brand communities: A new paradigm in branding strategy. Journal of Marketing Communications , 14(1), 19-36. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13527260701535236 .
  • Coleman, J. S. (1988). Social capital in the creation of human capital. American Journal of Sociology , 94, 95–120.
  • Cova, B. & Pace, S. (2006). Brand community of convenience products: New forms of customer empowerment: The case ‘My Nutella the Community. European Journal of Marketing, 40, 1087–1105.
  • Dholakia, U. M., Bagozzi, R. P. & Pearo, L. K. (2004). A social influence model of consumer participation in network- and small-group-based virtual communities. International Journal of Research in Marketing , 21, 241–263.
  • Grayson, K. & Martinec, R. (2004). Consumer perceptions of iconicity and indexicality and their influence on assessments of authentic market offerings. Journal of Consumer Research , 31(2), 296–312.
  • Habibi, M. R., Laroche, M. & Richard, M. O. (2014). Brand communities based in social media: How unique are they? Evidence from two exemplary brand communities. International Journal of Information Management , 34(2), 123-132.
  • Hanna, R., Rohm, A. & Crittenden, V. L. (2011). We’re all connected: The power of the social media ecosystem. Business Horizons , 54(3), 265–273.
  • Hutcheson, G. D. & Sofroniou, N. (1999). The multivariate social scientist: Introductory statistics using generalized linear models. Sage.
  • Kapferer, J. N. & Bastien, V. (2009). The specificity of luxury management: Turning marketing upside down. Journal of Brand Management , 16(5), 311-322.
  • Kaplan, R. S. & Norton, D. P. (2000). Having trouble with your strategy? Then map it. Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation.
  • Katz, E., Gurevith, M. & Haas, H. (1973). On the use of the mass media for important things. American Sociological Review , 38, 164–181.
  • Keller, K. L. (1993). Conceptualizing, measuring, and managing customer-based brand equity. The Journal of Marketing , 1-22. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/1252054 .
  • Kietzmann, J. H., Hermkens, K., McCarthy, I. P. & Silvestre, B. S. (2011). Social media? Get serious! Understanding the functional building blocks of social media. Business Horizons , 54(3), 241–251.
  • Kozinets, R. V. & Kedzior, R. (2009). I, Avatar: Auto-netnographic Research in Virtual Worlds. Virtual Social Identity and Consumer Behavior , 2, 3-19.
  • Kozinets, R., de Valck, K., Wojinicki, A. C. & Wilner, S. (2010). Networked narratives: Understanding word-ofmouth marketing in online communities. Journal of Marketing, 74, 71–89. http://dx.doi.org/10.1509/jmkg.74.2.71 .
  • McAlexander, J. H., John, S. W. & Koening, F. H. (2002). Building brand community. Journal of Marketing , 66, 38–54. http://dx.doi.org/10.1509/jmkg.66.1.38.18451 .
  • McWilliam, G. (2000). Building stronger brands through online communities. Sloan Management Review, 41(3), 43–54.
  • Muniz, Jr. A. M. & O’Guinn, T. C. (2001). Brand community. Journal of consumer research , 27(4), 412-432. http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/319618 .
  • Muniz, A. & Schau, H. J. (2005). Religiosity in the abandoned Apple Newton brand community. Journal of Consumer Research , 31, 737–747. http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/426607 .
  • Nambisan, S. & Baron, R. A. (2009). Virtual customer environments: Testing a model of voluntary participation in value co-creation activities. Journal of Product Innovation Management , 26(4), 388– 406. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-5885.2009.00667.x
  • Ouwersloot, H. & Odekerken-Schröder, G. (2008). Who's who in brand communities–and why?. European Journal of Marketing, 42(5/6), 571-585. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/03090560810862516
  • Powers, T., Advincula, D., Austin, M. S., Graiko, S. & Snyder, J. (2012). Digital and Social Media in the Purchase Decision Process A Special Report from the Advertising Research Foundation. Journal of advertising research , 52(4), 479-489.
  • Schau, H. J., Muñiz, A. M. Jr. & Arnould, E. J. (2009). How brand community practices create value. Journal of Marketing , 73(5), 30-51. http://dx.doi.org/10.1509/jmkg.73.5.30
  • Schouten, J. W., McAlexander, J. H. & Koenig, H. F. (2007). Transcendent customer experience and brand community. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science , 35(3), 357–368.
  • Sicilia, M. & Palazon, M. (2008). Brand communities on the internet: A case study of Coca-Cola’s Spanish virtual community. Corporate Communications: An Inter-national Journal , 13(3), 255–270. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/13563280810893643 .
  • Tajfel, H. & Turner, J. C. (1985). The social identity theory of intergroup behavior. InS. Worchel, & W. G. Austin (Eds.), Psychology of intergroup relations (pp. 7–24).Chicago: Nelson Hall.
  • Thompson, S. A. & Sinha, R. K. (2008). Brand communities and new product adoption: the influence and limits of oppositional loyalty. Journal of Marketing , 72(6), 65-80.
  • Wang, Y. C. & Fesenmaier, D. R. (2004). Modeling participation in an online travel community. Journal of Travel Research , 42(3), 261–270. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0047287503258824 .
  • Wirtz, J., Den Ambtman, A., Bloemer, J., Horváth, C., Ramaseshan, B., Van De Klundert, J. & Kandampully, J. (2013). Managing brands and customer engagement in online brand communities. Journal of Service Management , 24(3), 223-244. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/09564231311326978 .
  • Woisetschläger, D. M., Hartleb, V. & Blut, M. (2008). How to Make Brand Communities Work: Antecedents and Consequences of Consumer Participation. Journal of Relationship Marketing, 7(3), 237–256.
  • Yen, H. R., Hsu, S. H. Y. & Huang, C. Y. (2011). Good soldiers on the web: Under-standing the drivers of participation in online communities of consumption. International Journal of Electronic Commerce , 15(4), 89–120. http://dx.doi.org/10.2753/JEC1086-4415150403 .
  • Yoo, W. S., Suh, K. S. & Lee, M. B. (2002). Exploring the factors enhancing member participation in virtual communities. Journal of Global Information Management (JGIM) , 10(3), 55-71.

Downloads

No downloads have been recorded for this article yet. Figures appear here once readers begin downloading the full text.

How to Cite

Shabbir, R., Zhang, J., Pitsaphol, C., & Hassan, W. (2015). The Dynamics of Value Creation in Online Brand Communities: Strategy Map Approach. Information Management and Business Review, 7(1), 48-58. https://doi.org/10.22610/imbr.v7i1.1138

Share this article

License

Copyright (c) 2015 Rizwan Shabbir, Jing Zhang, Chatchai Pitsaphol, Waseem Hassan (Author)

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Author (s) should affirm that the material has not been published previously. It has not been submitted and it is not under consideration by any other journal. At the same time author (s) need to execute a publication permission agreement to assume the responsibility of the submitted content and any omissions and errors therein. After submission of revised paper in the light of suggestions of the reviewers, the editorial team  edits and formats manuscripts to bring uniformity and standardization in published material.

This work will be licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) and under condition of the license, users are free to read, copy, remix, transform, redistribute, download, print, search or link to the full texts of articles and even build upon their work as long as they credit the author for the original work. Moreover, as per journal policy author (s) hold and retain copyrights without any restrictions.

Keywords

Section

Research Paper

Published in

Vol. 7 No. 1 (2015) Trade Finance, Brand Communities & Agribusiness View issue contents

Published

2015-02-28

Submissions

Have research to publish? Information Management and Business Review welcomes submissions.

Make a Submission