Bo Liu, Ethel D. Catamco, Boheng Liu
The study examines the role of virtual brand communities in brand building and management, particularly for enhancing corporate brand equity. It surveyed 400 Chinese customers in Huawei’s official virtual brand community, with the majority being male (51.2%) and aged 59–77 years (21.8%). The majority had a bachelor’s degree (35.8%) and had been in the community for 1.2 years (33.3%). The results show that, there is a positive relationship between virtual informational interaction and brand equity. There is a positive relationship between virtual interpersonal interaction and brand equity. Virtual information interaction is not positively and significantly influenced customer perceived value (0.070, p = 0.334 > 0.05). The Virtual interpersonal information is positively and significantly influenced customer perceived value. Consumer perceived value mediates the relationship between Virtual interpersonal information and brand equity. But consumer perceived value do not mediates the relationship between Virtual information interaction and brand equity. There is significant differences on the level of virtual information interaction between female and male. There is significant differences on the level of virtual information interaction (p < 0.000) and virtual interpersonal interaction ((p < 0.016) between and within age groups. The study suggests that virtual informational interaction and virtual interpersonal interactions and customer perceived value can be enhanced to enhance the enterprise’s brand equity in the virtual brand community. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2024.
Guangzhou City University of Technology, No.1 Xuefu Road, Huadu District, Guangdong, Guangzhou, China; University of San Carlos, P. del Rosario Street, Cebu, Philippines; Guangzhou City University of Technology, No.1 Xuefu Road, Huadu District, Guangdong, Guangzhou, China
