How WeChat official account marketing activities enhance brand loyalty among yoga consumers: the role of consumer trust and shopping motivations

Purpose The purpose of this research is to investigate how WeChat official account marketing activities influence consumer brand loyalty through instrument- and emotion-based paths (i.e. cognitive and affective brand trust) and how these paths operate depending on consumer shopping motivation. Design/methodology/approach We tested hypotheses using structural equation modeling with a three-wave online survey of two-week intervals administered to 179 individuals who follow the WeChat official account of a yoga gym brand. Findings WeChat official account marketing activities are positively related to cognitive and affective brand trust. Affective trust mediated the relationship between WeChat official account marketing activities and brand loyalty, and hedonic motivation moderated this relationship. Originality/value Our research extends the current knowledge by articulating that the influence of WeChat official account marketing activities on brand loyalty is mediated by affective brand trust, and hedonic motivation as a key contingency affects this mediation effect.