Factors effecting consumer brand relationship in the mobile Telecom industry of Bangladesh

Understanding and strengthening consumer brand relationship has become vital for brand managers and practitioners since it makes consumers loyal, enhance consumers tolerance in case of failure of brands and stimulate consumers to spread the brand positively by word of mouth and increase brand equity. However, consumer brand relationship lacks a substantial amount of studies. From this consideration, this study intended to investigate how consumer brand relationship can be strengthened. This empirical study examined the predictor role of brand experience, brand personality, customer relationship management on customer satisfaction and consumer brand relationship. The study was also intended to examine the role of customer satisfaction as a mediator in the context of consumer brand relationship. Cross-sectional data were collected using questionnaire at Dhaka division in Bangladesh which produced a total of 280 usable response. The study employed Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) for data analysis. The findings of this study revealed that brand experience and customer satisfaction significantly influence consumer brand relationship directly. Nonetheless, the effect of brand personality and customer relationship management on consumer brand relationship was non-significant. Whereas the significant relationship was found between brand experience, brand personality, customer relationship management and customer satisfaction. Likewise, customer satisfaction was found as a significant mediator between brand experience, brand personality, customer relationship management and consumer brand relationship. The study has significant contribution as it incorporates customer relationship management as a predictor from business to customers’ perspectives and incorporates customer satisfaction as a mediator for strengthening consumer brand relationship. This study has important implications for brand managers and practitioner as they will get important insight how their brand relationship with consumers can be strengthen. The future researchers could replicate the study in different countries in different industry context and incorporate other relationship constructs to extend the existing body of knowledge.