Examination of the psychological sense of a brand community in a case of a music festival

Abstract

AIM
Brand communities have become a popular research area in the last decades which raises several questions. This paper examines how the psychological sense of a brand community influences commitment, loyalty and word-of-mouth.

METHOD
In the frame of a primary research, a paper and pencil interview was carried out on the spot of the SZÍN (Szegedi Ifjúsági Napok) Festival in 2015. 707 answers were collected and PLS path analysis was applied for answ ering the research question.

RESULTS
This study introduces a new model which offers a basis for further scientific and practical implications. Placing self-concept congruency into this model and the effect of self-concept congruency on the psychological sense of a brand community is a new result. Furthermore, the psychological sense of a brand community has a direct effect on commitment and on word-of-mouth and has an indirect effect on loyalty.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS
It is worth doing brand community building activities in the case of music festivals; hence the psychological sense of a brand community has a positive effect on loyalty and on word-of-mouth. Furthermore, the congruence between the atmosphere of the festival and the self-concept of visitors is important because it results in higher level of satisfaction.