Brand Experience and Emotional Attachment in Services: The Moderating Role of Gender

Studies have acknowledged the importance of providing superior brand experience and developing emotional attachment between a brand and a consumer. However, the significance of brand experience and emotional attachment in enhancing brand loyalty remains underexplored, especially in the context of service brands. The present study examines the effect of emotional attachment and brand experience on brand loyalty in banking services. This study also examines the role of gender as a moderator in the relations that emotional attachment and brand experience share with brand loyalty. Data were collected from 356 bank account users through an online questionnaire survey. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling techniques were used for data analysis. Results suggest that brand experience positively influenced emotional attachment, and that both brand experience and emotional attachment have a significant positive influence on brand loyalty. Results also suggest that gender moderates the relationships shared by emotional attachment and brand experience with brand loyalty. This study empirically establishes that marketers should consider not only the rational aspect of consumers, but also their emotional aspects. To address such emotional needs, it is crucial to provide pleasurable brand experiences and develop emotional attachment within customers toward the brand. The relationships examined in the present study have not been tested before; this is the first attempt of the kind. Thus, the associations established in this study form an important, original, and unique contribution to existing body of brand experience and emotional attachment literature.