Customer engagement, moral identity and oppositional brand loyalty in virtual communities
| Date | 26 July 2024 |
| Pages | 855-868 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JPBM-11-2023-4831 |
| Published date | 26 July 2024 |
| Author | Guo Cheng,Xiaoyun Han,Weiping Yu,Mingli He |
Customer engagement, moral identity and
oppositional brand loyalty in virtual
communities
Guo Cheng
Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Yibin University, Yibin, China
Xiaoyun Han
Alibaba Business School, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China, and
Weiping Yu and Mingli He
Business School, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
Abstract
Purpose –Oppositional brand loyalty poses a challenge to the management of virtual communities. This study aims to categorize these loyalty
behaviors into positive (willingness to pay a price premium and brand evangelism) and negative (schadenfreude and anti-brand actions) dimensions.
It then explores how customer engagement and moral identity influence these dimensions in the context of brand competition.
Design/methodology/approach –Structural equation modeling was conducted to analyze the main and moderating effects, using survey data
obtained from 498 valid responses out of a total of 636 responses from Xiaomi’s virtual communities.
Findings –The results indicate that customer engagement significantly influences all four dimensions of oppositional brand loyalty. The relationship
between customer engagement and brand evangelism is notably stronger among customers with a strong moral identity. Conversely, the effects of
customer engagement on schadenfreude and anti-brand actions are attenuated for these customers.
Originality/value –Anchored in theories of brand tribalism, social identity and brand polarization, this studybifurcates oppositional brand loyalty
into directions of preference and antagonism, empirically showcasing moral identity’s moderating effect. It contributes to the literature on
antagonistic loyalty and moral identity, offering strategic insights for companies to navigate schadenfreude and anti-brand actions in online
communities.
Keywords Customer engagement, Moral identity, Willingness to pay a price premium, Brand evangelism, Schadenfreude, Anti-brand actions
Paper type Research paper
1. Introduction
Customer engagementwith brands is critically important in the
dynamic realms of internet and relationship marketing
(Khashan et al., 2023;Meyer-Waardenet al.,2023). The focus
on consumer engagement stems from its significant benefits,
including increased sales,competitive advantage and improved
stock performance (Hollebeeket al., 2022;Kumar and Pansari,
2016). An in-depth examinationof user engagement reveals its
bifurcation into positive and negative forms (Naumann et al.,
2020). Positive engagement, characterized by identification,
enthusiasm, attention, absorption and interaction (So et al.,
2014), yields various favorable results such as community
identification, commitment, brand trust, attachment and
loyalty, enhancingtheconsumer-brand relationship (Bazi et al.,
2023;De Oliveira Santini et al.,2020;Vivek et al.,2012).
Conversely, negative engagement can inflictserious harm on a
brand’s reputation and value, evidenced by adverse word-of-
mouth, brand switching, avoidance and possible retaliation,
emphasizing the need for strategic management of customer
engagement (Alexander et al.,2018;Hollebeek and Chen,
2014;Hua et al.,2021).
In virtual communities, consumer engagementmay result in
positive and negative forms of oppositional brand loyalty,
where customers show loyalty to a preferred brand by actively
opposing its rivals (Kuo and Feng, 2013;Liao et al.,2021).
This loyalty is evidenced by customers’commitment to
preferred brands through oppositiontorivalproducts, fans and
sponsors (Dessart et al.,2020;Hickman and Ward, 2013).
Antagonistic loyalty has significant implications; for favored
brands, it serves as an intangible asset, enhancing their market
position and reputation. Conversely, oppositional loyalty
The current issue and full text archiveof this journal is available on Emerald
Insight at: https://www.emerald.com/insight/1061-0421.htm
Journal of Product & Brand Management
33/7 (2024) 855–868
© Emerald Publishing Limited [ISSN 1061-0421]
[DOI 10.1108/JPBM-11-2023-4831]
This project is supported by High-level Talent Enlightenment Program of
Yibin University (2023QH32); The National Office for Philosophy and
Social Sciences of China (Grant No. 18AGL010) and the Major Program
of the Sichuan Office of Philosophy and Social Science of China
(SC22ZD008).
Conflict of interests: The authors report no conflict of interest.
Received 22 November 2023
Revised 10 April 2024
24 June 2024
Accepted 24 June 2024
855
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