Oppositional brand loyalty in online brand communities: Perspectives on social identity theory and consumer-brand relationship

Oppositional brand loyalty is a psychological phenomenon observed among members of a brand community who hold negative and opposing views about rival brands, and even exhibit antagonistic behaviors towards those brands. The research of oppositional brand loyalty is in its infancy and requires deeper investigation. This study employs social identity theory and consumer-brand relationship as a theoretical framework to verify the formation process of oppositional brand loyalty. Using a sample of online automobile communities in Taiwan, we collected 232 valid samples and analyzed the data using structural equation modeling (SEM) techniques. The results indicate that members who identify with their online brand community develop brand commitment and self-brand connection, which lead to oppositional brand loyalty. Furthermore, brand commitment partially mediated and self-brand connection fully mediated the relationship between brand community identification and oppositional brand loyalty. Based on these findings, theoretical and practical implications are discussed.