Consequences of customer engagement and customer self-brand connection
ISSN: 0887-6045
Article publication date: 8 February 2018
Issue publication date: 3 July 2018
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the impact of the customer engagement and customer self-brand connection on customer advocacy and firms’ financial performance. The research focuses on the financial sector and studies a complex organization with a uniform strategy, but which attends the public in different centers (bank branches).
Design/methodology/approach
A theoretical model of effects is tested using dyadic methodology, with 225 dyads (bank branch manager – average of five customers). The authors use structural equation modeling (EQS6.1) to test the relationships.
Findings
The results corroborate the hypotheses, with the exception of the influence of customer self-brand connection on financial performance. These analyses show that in the banking sector, where the intensive use of new information and technologies has led to a reduction in direct physical contact with the customer, the off-line experience continues to have a notable economic impact. Furthermore, investment in the brand from an experiential approach determines customer advocacy.
Originality/value
The contribution of this paper is twofold. This research analyzes from a theoretical and empirical perspective the impact of the customer engagement and customer self-brand connection on customer advocacy and firms’ financial performance.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support provided by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness via the research project “La confianza del consumidor respecto a la calidad de la relación y la orientación al mercado de las entidades financieras: los efectos de la crisis” (ECO2013-47134- P).
Citation
Moliner, M.Á., Monferrer-Tirado, D. and Estrada-Guillén, M. (2018), "Consequences of customer engagement and customer self-brand connection", Journal of Services Marketing, Vol. 32 No. 4, pp. 387-399. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSM-08-2016-0320
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited