Trust and loyalty in online brand communities

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyse the effects of brand trust and online brand community (OBC) trust on consumer repurchase intention and the positive electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) intention of OBC members. Design/methodology/approach – The research model was assessed using data from a sample of 628 OBC users using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). Findings – The results show that brand trust positively affects repurchase intention and positive eWOM intention, both directly and indirectly through OBC trust. The total effect of brand trust on the results is greater than that of OBC trust. Originality/value – This research contributes to marketing theory and practice by analysing the combined effect of OBC trust and brand trust on the consumer–brand relationship in the context of OBCs.

Keywords

• ewom
• trust
• loyalty
• online community
• brand
• repurchase