The Differential Impact of Brand Loyalty on Traditional and Online Word of Mouth: The Moderating Roles of Self-brand Connection and the Desire to Help the Brand

Marketers increasingly seek to build brand advocacy not only via traditional word of mouth (in-person WOM) but also by engaging their (loyal) customers via online media (eWOM). In a survey and three follow-up experiments, however, we show that brand loyalty is less positively related to spreading eWOM than in-person WOM (Studies 1–3). We find that loyal consumers’ willingness to engage in eWOM increases when they are motivated to signal their identity through a brand (i.e., high self-brand connection in Studies 1–3) or to help a brand (Study 4). Our findings support the notion that online communication spreads faster and is less spontaneous and more deliberate than face-to-face communication. In turn, loyal consumers need strong motivation tied to the brand to engage in eWOM.