The impact of brand familiarity, customer brand engagement and self-identification on word-of-mouth

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to check for the effects of brand familiarity, customer brand engagement and self-identification on word-of-mouth (WOM) communication. Design/methodology/approach A systematic review of the literature regarding brand familiarity and customer brand engagement CBE) was conducted and data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Findings The results revealed that brand familiarity had a positive impact on CBE; self-identification also had a positive impact on WOM communication. Research limitations/implications The model was tested in the context of service sector; future research may investigate in different context. Practical implications The framework advances insight into customer engagement and service dominant logic, which, despite having been recognized for their significant theoretical fit, have remained largely disparate in the literature. Originality/value This study is among the first few attempts to examine the impact of brand familiarity on different dimensions, namely, cognitive, affective and activation dimensions of CBE. This study contributes to a more detailed description of the brand familiarity construct and improves understanding of WOM communication. The study provides implications for practitioners and marketers.