Brand Community Loyalty: A Self Determination Theory Perpective

ABSTRACT In this paper, we introduce a Self-Determination Theory (SDT)-based framework to better understand the relationship that individuals have with their brand communities. In particular, we first introduce the concept of internalization from SDT, which describes the process by which an individual allows a brand community to become part of self. We then develop a conceptual model that addresses the impact that social influences, social comparisons, and self-determination have on brand community loyalty. Finally, we identify propositions that directly flow out of our conceptual model. This research represents an important extension to the brand community literature by considering not only the social but also the volitional aspects of brand community loyalty. INTRODUCTION Branding is an effective way for organizations to identify and differentiate their products in the market place. For example, few consumers will have difficulty identifying the brand symbols of well-known companies like Honda, Audi, and Lexus as well as the unique bottle shape of Coca-Cola. Interestingly, in addition to their usefulness as a differentiating tool, brands enable marketers to develop close and often enduring relationships with consumers. Fournier's (1998) research suggests that consumers frequently form emotional bonds with their favorite brands. Organizations such as Proctor and Gamble, Starbucks, and IBM that have successfully connected with consumers have experienced high levels of brand equity and shareholder value (Madden, Fehle & Fournier, 2006). Thus, the ability to create strong relationships between one's brands and consumers is an important source of success. Brand communities represent an effective strategy to develop and maintain strong relationships with consumers (Fournier & Lee, 2009). A brand community is a specialized, nongeographically bound community which is built upon a structured set of social relationships among admirers of a branded good or service (Muniz and O'Guinn, 2001). Companies such as Harley-Davidson and Jeep have been very successful in their efforts to create and maintain successful brand communities (Schouten & Mc Alexander, 1995; McAlexander, Schouten & Koenig, 2002). In fact, many members of these groups demonstrate almost zealot-like loyalty to the brand and the brand community that they belong too. But what makes brand communities so successful at developing and maintaining committed and loyal customers? We will attempt to address this question by introducing a theoretical framework that links various social and volitional influences to the loyalty that an individual has toward his/her brand community. Brand communities provide an ideal venue to fulfill an individual's needs. For example, a person may fulfill a need for affiliation by attending rallies or by chatting with other likeminded people on a brand related web page; moreover, a need for esteem maintenance or enhancement may be fulfilled through comparisons to others within the community or to others outside the community. Unfortunately, a widely accepted theoretical framework describing the process by which individuals come to identify with a brand community appears to be missing in the current literature. As a result, much of the research in brand community tends to be more descriptive in nature. In this paper, we extend the current research by introducing a Self Determination Theory (SDT)-based framework (Deci & Ryan, 1985) to better understand the relationship that individuals have with their brand communities. In particular, we extend SDT's concept of internalization (Ryan & Connell, 1989; Ryan & Deci, 2002; Ryan, Deci & Grolnick, 1995) to more completely describe the process by which an individual allows a particular brand community to become part of self (Ryan & Deci, 2002). We also examine the impact that social influences, social comparisons, and self-determination have on the internalization process or as will be further clarified in this paper, brand community loyalty. …