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Purpose – After gaining traction in business practice the “brand engagement” (BE) concept has transpired in the academic marketing/branding literature. BE has been defined as the level of a consumer's “cognitive, emotional and behavioral investment in specific brand interactions”. Although pioneering research provides exploratory insights, the majority of literature to-date addresses consumers' specific positively-valenced BE; thus largely overlooking potential negatively-valenced manifestations of this emerging concept and their ensuing implications. The purpose of this paper is to propose a novel BE conceptualization that extends to cover focal negatively-valenced, in addition to positively-valenced BE expressions, thus providing a more comprehensive theoretical model of BE. Specifically, while positively-valenced BE addresses consumers' favorable/affirmative cognitive, emotional and behavioral brand-related dynamics during focal brand interactions (e.g. brand-usage); negatively-valenced BE, by contrast, is exhibited through consumers' unfavorable brand-related thoughts, feelings, and behaviors during brand interactions. Design/methodology/approach – Drawing on netnographic methodology, the authors develop a conceptual model addressing the key characteristics of consumers' positively-/negatively-valenced BE, and derive a set of key BE triggers and consequences. Findings – Based on their analyses the authors develop a conceptual model, which addresses consumers' positively/negatively valenced BE, and key antecedents and consequences. Research limitations/implications – Future research is required, which tests and validates the proposed model for specific categories and brands using large-scale, quantitative analyses. Practical implications – Generating enhanced managerial understanding of positively/negatively valenced BE, this research contributes to guiding managerial decision making regarding the management of specific brands. Originality/value – By proposing a conceptual model incorporating positively-/negatively-valenced BE, this paper extends current insights in the branding/marketing literatures, thus contributing to managers and scholars.

PurposePeople are responsible for their wellbeing, yet whether they take ownership of their own or even others' wellbeing might vary from actor to actor. Such psychological ownership (PO) influences the dynamics of how wellbeing is co-created, particularly amongst actors, and ultimately determines actors' subjective wellbeing. The paper's research objective pertains to explicating the concept of the co-creation of wellbeing and conceptualizing the dynamics inherent to the co-creation of wellbeing with consideration of the influences of all involved actors from a PO perspective.Design/methodology/approachTo provide a new conceptualization and framework for the dynamics of wellbeing co-creation, this research synthesizes wellbeing, PO and value co-creation literature. Four healthcare cases serve to illustrate the effects of engaged actors' PO on the co-creation of wellbeing.FindingsThe derived conceptual framework of dynamic co-creation of wellbeing suggests four main propositions: (1) the focal actor's wellbeing state is the intangible target of the focal actor's and other engaged actors' PO, transformed throughout the process of wellbeing co-creation, (2) PO over the focal actor's wellbeing state is subject to the three interrelated routes of exercising control, investing in the target, and intimately knowing the target, which determine the instigation of wellbeing co-creation, (3) the level of PO over the focal actor's wellbeing state can vary, influence and be influenced by the extent of wellbeing co-creation, (4) the co-creation of wellbeing, evoked by PO, is founded on resource integration, which influences the resources–challenges equilibrium of focal actor and of all other engaged actors, affecting individual subjective wellbeing.Originality/valueThis article provides a novel conceptual framework that can shed new light on the co-creation of wellbeing in service research. Through the introduction of PO the transformation of lives and wellbeing can be better understood.

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