The impact of consumers' participation in virtual brand communities on brand loyalty and co-creation: mediating role of affective commitment

The purpose of this paper is to examine motivations for encouraging consumers to actively participate in virtual brand communities (VBCs) and the impact of such participation on brand loyalty and co-creation. Moreover, this research examines the mediating role of affective commitment to a VBC in the relationship between active participation in a VBC and brand loyalty. The subject of the study is the Tunisia market (North Africa). The study's sample size was 425 consumers who actively participated in virtual communities of their favorite brands. The established model was validated by factor analysis and structural equation method. The results show that functional, socio-psychological, hedonic and monetary motivations had positive effects on consumers' active participation in VBCs. Furthermore, affective commitment to a VBC helps mediate between active participation in VBCs and brand loyalty. Finally, loyalty has a positive impact on brand co-creation