Towards a sustainable resistance to brand switching: A social influence theory perspective

In the realm of branding and consumer attitudes towards brands, the focus has primarily revolved around the functional utility of products, overlooking the significance of socio-psychological attributes of brands. This study aims to address this gap by delving into the concept of brand loyalty, which encompasses various dimensions such as the intention to repeatedly purchase and repurchase a specific brand, the willingness to pay premium prices, resistance to brand switching, and advocacy of the brand to others. The current study centres on online brand communities (OBCs). OBCs offer companies a unique opportunity to share brand information, gain valuable insights into customer needs, preferences and desires, both current and potential. Employing a social constructivist approach, the study seeks to explore why customers resist brand switching. Qualitative survey data were analysed using thematic analysis to examine customers' engagement in OBCs to understand its distinctive impact on brand loyalty. Additionally, this study incorporates social influence theory to assess its effects on customer loyalty within OBCs. Findings suggest that firstly, OBC members develop attitudinal loyalty, which represents a more long-term and emotional commitment to a brand; secondly, responses relating to social influence show that there were intentional or unintentional communications that produced change(s) in others’ attitudes, beliefs, intentions, motivations or behaviours. Consumers often look to others’ opinions in OBCs when making a purchase decision.