Consumer Brand Identification and Purchase Intentions: The Mediating Role of Customer Brand Engagement

Abstract

Although there has been significant growth in the literature on customer brand engagement, there have been relatively few empirical investigations on its causes and effects. Companies increasingly seek customer engagement with their services and/or products to track their brand performance. The primary purpose of this research was to evaluate the relationship between consumer brand identification and customer brand engagement. This research examines the mediating influence of customer brand engagement on the connection between consumer brand identification and purchase intention. Furthermore, the impact of brand engagement on purchase intention is investigated in this article. The responses of 443 participants were collected using a convenient sampling method. A structural equation modelling (SEM) approach using partial least squares (PLS) was used to conduct the analysis of the data. This investigation's theoretical underpinning is supported by social identity theory. According to the findings of this research, consumer brand identification is the primary driver of customer brand engagement. Customer brand engagement partially mediates the link between consumer brand identification and purchase intention. Additionally, this study reveals that customer brand engagement impacts the purchase intention of fashion clothing businesses. In the context of fashion clothing brands, brand managers should analyse customer brand engagement's role, specifically in generating purchase intention. This study broadens our understanding of customer brand engagement within the context of the fashion apparel industry. This research contributes to the existing body of knowledge by expanding our understanding of the interrelationships between consumer brand identification, customer brand engagement, and purchase intention among consumers of fashion apparel brands in the emerging economy of Pakistan. Moreover, this study is exceptional since it investigates consumer brand identification in a novel context.