從線上品牌社群觀點探討消費者──品牌關係形成之影響因素

Factors Influencing Consumer-Brand Relationships from the Perspective of Online Brand Communities

儘管文獻屢屢提及，然線上品牌社群參與過程對消費者– 品牌關係形成之影響的探討，仍不完整。本文參考社群和關係行銷、資訊系統及社會心理的理論，以便從線上品牌社群參與者之角度，設計參與過程– 品牌關係形成之模型。在兩項調查、864位參與者之基礎上，本研究顯示轉換成本、價值共創、分享價值及機會行為確實是參與者後續與品牌建立關係時的重要影響因素，亦即其將與品牌承諾、信任及忠誠產生緊密之關連性。此證實了虛擬世界對實體世界所可能產生之外溢效果，而這正是本研究最重要的管理和理論貢獻。同時，本研究也針對OBC– 品牌之關係行銷模型提出修正建議。預計研究結果將能為擬透過線上品牌社群以深化消費者– 品牌關係的廠商，提供策略思考之面向。

Although numerous studies have investigated the effect of consumer participationin online brand communities (OBCs) on establishing consumer-brand relationships, theunderstanding of this topic remains limited. By referencing theories on community andrelationship marketing, information systems, and social psychology, we designed a modelfor examining the establishment of consumer-brand relationships from the perspectiveof OBC participants. On the basis of two surveys completed by 864 participants, weconfirmed that switching costs, value co-creation, shared values, and opportunisticbehaviors were critical factors that affected consumers when they established relationshipswith brands. In other words, these factors revealed close relationships among brandcommitment, trust, and loyalty. This finding, the most crucial management and theoreticalcontribution of this study, verified the potential spillover effect of the virtual world intothe real world. In addition, we propose recommendations for revising the marketing modelregarding OBC-brand relationships. The results of this study can serve as a reference tocompanies as they strategically plan to strengthen consumer-brand relationships throughOBCs.