How Does Brand Community Identity Affect Brand Loyalty and Brand Recommendation?

Once consumers identified a brand community, will they be loyal to the brand or recommend it to others? To answer the question, our study investigated the relationship between brand community identity and consumer behaviors (brand loyalty and brand recommendation); also, we examined the mediation role of brand identity. Results showed that brand identity can fully mediate the relationship between brand community identity and brand loyalty. However, as for the impact of brand community identity on brand recommendation, it can only play a partial mediation role. Specifically, when consumers identified with a brand, they are certainly loyal to it instead of recommending it to others. These conclusions complement brand community theory and provide significant guidance to corporate marketing activities when building brand community.