Systematic Review on Online Brand Advocacy's (OBA) Antecedents and Consequences

Abstract

Objective: The primary objective of this study is to discern and synthesize the antecedents and consequences of online brand advocacy (OBA) through a systematic review of empirical studies that employ OBA as a measurable construct. In this study, the gap in our knowledge about the drivers and the effect of OBA is identified, with the synthesis of empirical evidence being made on a systematic level to determine the main antecedents and outcomes of OBA. Methodology: A total of 35 peer-reviewed articles were compiled from Web of Science, Taylor and Francis, Springer, and Sage databases. The search keywords included “OBA”, “Online brand advocacy,” and “brand advocacy.” Inclusion criteria were restricted to quantitative, survey-based empirical studies conducted between 2010 to 2021. Findings: The antecedents, consequences and theories of OBA were categorised into six themes: customer-brand relational factors were brand identification, brand equity, trust factors, brand loyalty, brand authenticity, customer satisfaction, individual factors were intrinsic and extrinsic motivations, personality congruence, brand experience, brand love, cognitive and affective image and social factors were community involvement, brand community attachment, social identity, firm performance, wealth creation. Based on theoretical foundations, we have the social identity theory and the social influence theory as the last theme. Originality/value: This review is novel in compiling and categorising the antecedents, consequences, and theories of OBA as used in empirical studies, providing a solid foundation for advancing research on OBA.