Riassunto analitico
Brand Engagement (BE) is becoming increasingly popular among scholars as a central element in the relationship between customer and brand. New research on BE, mainly of a conceptual nature or, when empirical, more focused on a qualitative approach, provides only a partial vision of BE, neglecting the analysis of its constituent elements and of the factors that fuel it. For example, no study has been conducted to identify a model in which all the drivers of BE are considered simultaneously to understand the response of the Brand Engagement itself and, therefore, to be able to explore their role in the customer engagement process with the brand.
Furthermore, recent studies have reported the ever-increasing importance that Technological Innovation has in the context of Brand Engagement, as a lever that can be used to increase a brand's engagement levels. However, this statement has been exposed by several scholars more on a theoretical level, while a more empirical approach to the topic is lacking.
In this context, the main objective of this master thesis is to study the construct of Brand Engagement and then, to identify the antecedent factors related to the engagement process in order to be able to integrate them into an overall model. After having obtained a complete model of Brand Engagement, it will be possible to investigate the actual effect that the implementation of technological innovations has first on the antecedents of BE and then on the BE itself.
Therefore, through a quantitative methodological approach, this research examines the factors that drive BE and evaluates how they directly influence it. From this perspective, Technological Innovation will be considered as a moderating variable that can amplify or attenuate the causal effects of the antecedent factors. The data to conduct the empirical tests were obtained through a case study on the Oral-B brand, which allowed to obtain a survey conducted on 228 respondents of which 133 were found to be valid for the purposes of the thesis.
The results of the analysis report a particular significance of some antecedent factors in explaining the brand engagement construct through a complete model that simultaneously considers all the drivers generating the engagement process, such as Commitment, Cumulative Satisfaction, Involvement. Similarly, the observation of the moderation effect exerted by the implementation of technologies in the existing relationships between the individual antecedents and BE reported an amplification of the already positive relationships existing between these constructs. This means that the use of technologies by brands increases the positive connection between drivers and engagement, especially in reference to some antecedents such as Word-of-mouth referrals, Participation and Trust perceived by the consumers.
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