How is brand love shaped through virtual event value co-creation and sponsorship? A multi-method approach

Purpose The surge of virtual events caused by COVID-19 has changed the way customers and companies engage. However, the existing body of literature is constrained in understanding interactive marketing in the virtual event space. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine the dynamics of on-site and off-site sponsorship content, customer participation and citizenship behaviours, as well as brand love. Design/methodology/approach This study utilized the Delphi (Study 1) as well as structural equation modelling and artificial neural network (Study 2) to analyse the responses collected from 6 experts and 485 respondents. Findings The findings of this study revealed that sponsorship content significantly facilitates value co-creation behaviours in the virtual event setting. Notably, on-site sponsorship content has a greater influence on customer citizenship behaviour, whereas off-site sponsorship content has a greater influence on customer participation behaviour. In addition, the value co-creation behaviours of customer participation and citizenship were also found to significantly facilitate brand love. Research limitations/implications Multiple countries data should be adopted in future studies in order to overcome the cultural effects of framing value co-creation behaviour and brand love. Practical implications Practitioners should focus on their sponsorship content strategy in relation to stimulating customer value co-creation behaviours and make better decisions on the type of sponsorship content that they should employ in a virtual event. Originality/value This study is among the few to focus on interactive and brand marketing in virtual events by examining on-site and off-site sponsorship content as antecedents of value co-creation behaviours and subsequently brand love.