Title

Building Stronger Hospitality Brands Through Online Communities

Keywords

Brand relationships; Enjoyment; eWOM; Online communities; Online trust; Sense of community

Abstract

Purpose: Companies increasingly rely on online communities for social customer support, to develop and nurture relationships with customers, and to generate product and service development ideas. As yet, few studies have established the relationship between online communities and branding strategies. Therefore, the impact of online communities on branding requires investigation. The purpose of this paper is to examine the factors that influence brand relationships developed through online communities. Design/methodology/approach: A theoretical model was developed based on marketing literature and tested using structural equation modeling with a sample size of 253 respondents. Findings: Findings present the underlying reasons why and how online communities build stronger brand relationships with consumers. Online communities have been found to cultivate consumers’ sense of collectiveness with shared values conveyed through brand engagement; enhance consumers’ trust, leading to the establishment of a trustworthy image of the brand; and increase enjoyment and enrich consumers’ experience with the brand through participation and engagement. Originality/value: This study provides insights to understand the direct relationship between online communities and brand performance. The findings of the study provide practical implications for brand relationship management and online community design.

Publication Date

11-13-2018

Publication Title

Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology

Volume

9

Issue

2

Number of Pages

158-171

Document Type

Article

Personal Identifier

scopus

DOI Link

https://doi.org/10.1108/JHTT-04-2017-0032

Socpus ID

85048358105 (Scopus)

Source API URL

https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/85048358105

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