From Affection to Action: The Role of Brand Love in Facilitating Co-creation in Online Brand Communities

Relationship marketing is an indispensable marketing concept that leads marketers to increasingly incorporate the principles of service-dominant logic to boost customer involvement in various business processes, due to which the term co-creation has gained popularity as a branding and marketing strategy among successful companies. In the digital age, online brand communities (OBCs) have become essential platforms where consumers can interact with brands and fellow customers. This study investigates the relationship between OBCs, brand love and brand co-creation through the stimulus-organism-response framework. We applied structural equation modelling (SEM) and the Hayes Process Macro to validate the proposed model. The findings highlight the critical role of OBCs in cultivating emotional connections that motivate consumers to become active co-creators. Theoretical and practical implications provide insights into how brands can leverage emotional connections with consumers to encourage innovation driven by their engagement in brand communities.