The Role of Associative and Relational Moderators on Experiential Branding

This study aims to (1) evaluate the moderating effect of associative moderators (e.g., brand personality and brand association) on the relationship between experiential values (e.g., enjoyment value, aesthetic value, and entertainment value) on brand attachment and brand love; (2) investigate the moderating effect of relational moderatos (e.g., brand trust and brand commitment) on the relationship between brand attachment, brand love and behavioral intentions (e.g., purchase intention and word-of-mouth). This study conducted both paper-based and online-based questionnaires to collect the data. The respondents were 323 cosmetic users in Taiwan and Indonesia. The results indicate that brand personality and brand association moderate the effects of experiential values (e.g., enjoyment value, aesthetic value, and entertainment value) on brand attachment and brand love. Brand trust and brand commitment moderate the effects of brand attachment and brand love on purchase intention and word-of-mouth. Therefore, marketers who are able to create more positive brand personality and higher brand associations can amplify the influence of customers’ experiential values on their attachment and love toward the brand. Customers who have higher trust and commitment toward the brand can accelerate the influences of brand attachment and brand love on purchase intention and word-of-mouth. Since previous studies of experiential branding are still underdeveloped, the results of this study can provide important insight for brand managers in order to enhance their branding performance especially from experiential aspect. This study results can also be very helpful for academicians in the marketing field to further validate the moderators on experiential branding. This study examined the important of associative moderators and relational moderators on branding, particularly from experiential branding.