Exploring the antecedents and outcomes of destination brand love

Abstract

Purpose This study aims to apply the concept of brand love to a destination and investigate its antecedents and consequences. It also explores the moderating effects of time elapsed since the establishment of the destination brand love relationship on the outcomes of destination brand love. Design/methodology/approach A total of 5,511 valid responses were obtained from an online survey distributed among former international students from the Erasmus program of the European Union. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was conducted to assess the hypotheses. Findings Destination brand love was found to have a significant impact on electronic word of mouth (eWOM), WOM, WOM intensity, recommendation and revisit intention. Moderation analysis revealed that the amount of time elapsed since the establishment of the destination brand love relationship did not affect these outcomes. Moreover, destination image and the Erasmus experience had a positive effect on destination brand love. Practical implications Destination marketers should focus on enhancing the Erasmus experience and on improving destination image perception, as these factors help develop destination brand love. Marketers should also be aware that this relationship has long-lasting effects. Originality/value This study adds to the sparse literature on brand love in relation to a destination. This gives the first results for the importance of Erasmus students to the promotion of a host country. It also contributes to the question of how long the brand love relationship can last.

Memorable experience, tourist-destination identification and destination love

“…Destination love can be defined as a strong emotional bond between a tourist and a destination (Yuksel et al, 2010). Numerous studies have shown the importance of love in destination marketing (e.g., Amaro et al, 2020;Aro et al, 2018;Lee and Hyun, 2016;Swanson et al, 2017). For example, it has been considered that the creation and increase of feelings towards destinations are necessary for motivating positive tourist behaviour (Amaro et al, 2020) and resistance to a negative attitude (Swanson et al, 2017).…”

The role of storytelling in the creation of brand love: the PANDORA case

“…One of the main goals of these relationships is prompting frequent and/or increased purchases, thus leading to loyalty (Swimberghe et al, 2014). Amaro et al (2020) point to an important difference between satisfaction and loyalty: Satisfaction is a momentary cognitive judgment resulting from a transaction with a brand, while loyalty implies a long-term affective connection with a brand. However, Ghorbanzadeh and Rahehagh (2020) argue that a theoretical construct that explains "the regular and rational sequence of satisfaction ultimately leading to the formation of consumer loyalty" (p. 1) is lacking and point to emotional attachment and love as possibilities to explore.…”

“…Consumers who love a brand are more likely to comment positively and recommend a brand to others. Amaro et al (2020), who studied destination brands specifically, stressed WOM and eWOM as good reasons for building brand love. More recently, Giovanis and Athanasopoulous (2020) reiterate that the main positive consequences of brand love are loyalty, willingness to pay premium price and positive eWOM.…”

“…(2013);Batra et al (2012);Albert and Merunka (2013);Bairrada, Coelho and Coelho (2018),Junaid et al (2019);Palazon et al (2019);Amaro et al (2020);Ghorbanzadeh and Rahehagh (2020) …”

Is one good enough? Gauging brand love using a visual single-item measure

“…Brand love is currently considered as “an intrinsically interesting topic” (Bagozzi et al , 2017, p. 1) and “a central aim of brand managers” (Amaro et al , 2020, p. 433). Some branding experts assert that “‘brand love’ is universal” and that “marketers need to think about ‘love’ not within a specific product category but across the entire universe of brands” (Barker et al , 2015, p. 669).…”