Modelling drivers and outcomes of fashion and apparel social media brand communities engagement

Abstract

In today's highly competitive situation of brands, marketers have acknowledged and embraced the use of brand communities as an effective instrument to attract, engage and retain customers. Regardless of extensive work on customer engagement in the milieu of social media brand communities (SMBC), the nitty-gritty of its factors and their relationships lacks robust understanding. In this regard, this study aims to explore factors of customer engagement in SMBC and construct hierarchical relationships among these factors in the fashion and apparel sector. The study employed a qualitative research design through focus group discussions and interviews with industry and academic experts. The result thereof is analysed using the interpretive structural modelling (ISM) approach. The findings revealed that purchase intention and customer-brand co-creation behaviour led to hierarchical order followed by customer-brand relationships and brand loyalty. The study is limited to the SMBCs of the fashion and apparel sector. Further studies may be carried out for different sectors or product categories. This research work has significant inferences for academicians and brand practitioners involved in the management and promotions of online fashion brand pages to strategise their moves towards engaging customers.