| Abstract [eng] |
Long–term relationships are one of the main goals of companies and one which is becoming increasingly difficult to achieve. Researchers constantly carry out studies on what can contribute to building and maintaining long–term relationships, which leads to greater focus on encouraging consumer engagement. Consumer brand engagement is a very relevant and important topic in today’s context (Taylor & Kent, 2014). Given that the majority of consumers spend a lot of time on social networks, where each brand aims to attract the consumer’s attention, the relevance of finding ways to not only attract and retain the consumer’s attention, but also contribute to the creation of sustainable relationships on social networks in particular, becomes clear. It is believed that one way could be by having the consumer identify with the virtual brand community, as brands are likely to form a circle of loyal consumers by building successful virtual brand communities. Both consumer brand engagement and their identification with the brand’s virtual community are new, little–researched topics; therefore, it is very important to contribute to their analysis in order to clarify the relationship between the consumer’s identification with the virtual brand community and brand engagement in the context of the development of long–term relationships between the brand and the consumer. The problem of the project − what is the impact of the consumer’s identification with the virtual brand community on consumer brand engagement in the context of long–term relationship development? The object of the project is consumer brand engagement affected by the identification of the consumer with the virtual brand community in the context of the development of long–term relationships. The aim of the project is to theoretically justify and empirically determine the impact of the consumer’s identification with the virtual brand community on brand engagement in the context of the development of long–term relationships. The objectives of the project are to: 1. Reveal the relevance and problems of interactions between the consumer’s identification with the virtual brand community and brand engagement in the context of the development of long–term relationships. 2. Define the concept of consumer identification with the brand’s virtual community in the context of social identity and compatibility theories. 3. Reveal the concept and dimensions of consumer brand engagement. 4. Understand the factors and results of consumer brand engagement in the context of the development of long–term relationships. 5. Substantiate the conceptual model of the impact of consumer identification with the virtual brand community on brand engagement in the context of the development of long–term relationships. 6. Develop a methodology of empirical research aimed at verifying the conceptual model of the consumer’s identification with the virtual brand community on brand engagement in the context of the development of long–term relationships. 7. Based on the results of the empirical research, develop recommendations for brands seeking to increase consumer brand engagement and strengthen long–term relationships with consumers. |
