The Influence of On-Line Brand Community Characteristics on Community Commitment and Brand Loyalty

Analysis of how on-line brand community's characteristics affect community commitment and brand loyalty shows that the hosting type of a community has a significant moderating effect and that community commitment increases brand loyalty.

Abstract

The relationship between on-line communities and on-line brands is investigated by examining how on-line brand community's characteristics affect community commitment and brand loyalty-in particular, how the hosting type of an on-line brand community affects the relationships between characteristics and community commitment. A survey of 250 respondents revealed that their community commitment was significantly influenced by their community interaction and the rewards for their activities, but not by information quality and system quality. The analysis shows that the hosting type of a community has a significant moderating effect and that community commitment increases brand loyalty. Interpretations and implications of the findings, as well as future research directions, are discussed.