Social media brand communities and brand value co-creation: Evidences from Italy

Journal title MERCATI & COMPETITIVITÀ
Author/s Riccardo Rialti, Lamberto Zollo, Maria Carmen Laudano, Cristiano Ciappei
Publishing Year 2018 Issue 2018/3
Language English Pages 23 P. 111-133 File size 122 KB
DOI 10.3280/MC2018-003007
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This paper aims to demonstrate how consumers’ identification and engagement in social media brand communities are antecedents of brand loyalty intention and electronicword of mouth (E-WOM). Because E-WOM may be considered as a proxy to measure consumers’ propensity to participate in brand value co-creation, the present study assessed which factors influence value co-creation in social media brand communities. A survey was administered online to members of Italian Nike+ runners’ communities. A multiple mediation analysis based on the use of SPSS PROCESS Macro has been selected as that consumers’ identification in social media brand community influences main methodology of this research. The results showed that consumers’ identification in the community influences consumers’ engagement which, in turn, influences brand loyalty intention. Moreover, this relation is moderated by consumers’ trust.

Keywords: Brand communities, social media brand communities, brand value cocreation, consumers’ engagement, trust, E-WOM.

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Riccardo Rialti, Lamberto Zollo, Maria Carmen Laudano, Cristiano Ciappei, Social media brand communities and brand value co-creation: Evidences from Italy in "MERCATI & COMPETITIVITÀ" 3/2018, pp 111-133, DOI: 10.3280/MC2018-003007