The purpose of this paper is to investigate empirically the relative emphasis accorded by members of a brand community to identification with that community and identification with the brand‐owner, and thereby close a gap in the literature to date.
Based on a review of the literature relating to identification, loyalty, and potentially mediating brand‐related constructs, a cross‐sectional questionnaire‐based survey was carried out at a brandfest organised by a major European motorcycle manufacturer. Data collected from 256 respondents were analysed by structural equation modelling, testing seven hypothesised causal links.
Brand loyalty is primarily influenced by identification with the brand community, through the mediating role of brand affect.
The findings require confirmation in other settings and industry sectors before they can be generalised with confidence, but point to several fruitful research directions.
Brand strategists have new evidence to guide allocation of effort and resources to the effective cultivation and maintenance of brand loyalty.
The study makes an original contribution, in a real‐world setting, to the understanding of how members of a brand community relate to the brand, and of how their brand loyalty is activated.
