THE INFLUENCE OF BRAND COMMUNITY INTEGRATION, WORD OF MOUTH AND COMMUNITY LOYALTY ON BRAND LOYALTY

this paper develops an empirical analysis within the context of a large Internet community for enthusiasts of roses of a specific brand, answering the calls from recent literature and proving empirical foundation to some theoretical suggestions. We investigate the effect that the online brand community exerts on members behavior. More specifically, by means of a structural equation model, we test a set of hypotheses regarding the causal relationship between brand community integration, community loyalty, brand loyalty and positive word of mouth. Findings suggest that brand community can impact brand loyalty, and highlight a significant interplay between the theoretical constructs. Managerial implications are addressed.