The Mediating Role of Brand Trust and Brand Love between Brand Experience and Loyalty: A Study on Smartphones in China

Abstract

Smartphones have become increasingly essential in people’s daily lives. Studying the enablers that influence students’ smartphone buying intentions can inform technology-enhanced learning development, whereas research on brand loyalty and experience is important for marketing strategies. While prior research has acknowledged the importance of brand experience and customer loyalty, little literature has investigated the specific dimensions of brand loyalty and their connection to brand love and trust. This study investigates the effects of brand attributes on loyalty and word-of-mouth engagement in choosing smartphones in China, including the mediating role of brand trust and brand love between brand experience and loyalty. The study adopted a research framework based on the previous literature and tested it empirically. The study adopted a cross-sectional survey method, collecting 369 questionnaires from Chinese students in mainland China. The collected data were analyzed with the help of structural equation modelling by applying AMOS software version 26. The results showed that brand experience had a significant influence on brand trust, brand love, attitudinal loyalty, and word-of-mouth, except for behavioral loyalty. Likewise, the link between brand trust and attitudinal loyalty, behavioral loyalty, and brand love was found to be significant. The effect of brand love on attitudinal loyalty and behavioral loyalty became significant. Additionally, the study confirmed that behavioral trust and brand love significantly mediates the relationship between brand experience–attitudinal loyalty, and brand experience–behavioral loyalty, respectively. The study results provide numerous theoretical and managerial implications to help academicians and practitioners provide better customer and brand relationship management.

Brand Love: Mediating Effect of the Relationship Between Social Media Marketing, Brand Loyalty and Brand Equity iPhone Brand Smartphone in Ambon City

“…The strong emotional feelings in consumers who love and are attached to iPhone brand smartphones when viewing content increasingly ensure that these consumers will spend more money than using other brands of smartphones. Thus, the results of this research further emphasize the function of brand love as a mediating variable and are fully supported by previous research by (Na et al, 2023), and (Ferreira et al, 2019).…”

“…In this research, one mediator is used, namely brand love. Research results (Na et al, 2023) confirm that brand love is a mediating variable in the relationship between brand experience and loyalty. Likewise, research from (Ferreira et al, 2019) proves brand love as a mediator of the relationship between brand experience and consumer satisfaction and consumer loyalty to retail fashion brands.…”

Servant leadership, brand love, and work ethic: important predictors of general health in workers in the education sector

“…Approximately since 1990, the relationship between the company and its brand has been investigated (Batra et al, 2012;Bagozzi et al, 2017;Na et al, 2023), in terms of loyalty, trust and commitment toward organizations, for this reason the study highlights the theme concerning the relationship and emotional connection that is established through trust, commitment, and loyalty (Larregui-Candelaria et al, 2019). In the research by Shi et al (2022), refers that the positive connection between trust in the brand and love for the brand has been recently established.…”