Effects of Social Media on Consumers' Sports Brand Experiences and Loyalty

Brand experience has been noted as a key attribute affecting buying behavior. Although research into the determinants of brand loyalty in sport context has grown in recent years, the focus has predominantly been on brand experience, brand personality and satisfaction, not on social media variables. In addition, we lack empirically verified evidence of the brand experience and brand loyalty relationship mediated through brand identification. In this research the authors address the role of four different social media platforms and how they drive brand loyalty through different types of brand experiences, brand identification and satisfaction to the brand experience. Structural equation modelling is used to test the model based on data from a survey of 815 ice hockey fans of a particular ice hockey team. The results show that brand experience is positively affected by brand engagement in social media and the relationship is strengthened when more different social media platforms are used for following the brand. Brand experience affects brand loyalty mainly indirectly through brand identification and satisfaction constructs.