Brand heritage and customer advocacy in the textile sector: the mediating role of authenticity and the paradox of brand experience
Sitara Kanwal, Arslan Umar, Saqib Jamil, Hamdy Abdullah, Talat IslamPurpose
The textile industry faces intense competition and rapidly shifting consumer preferences, making brand differentiation crucial. Therefore, this study aims to examine how brand heritage influences brand advocacy, with brand authenticity serving as a mediator and customer brand experience serving as a moderator, to understand the mechanisms that strengthen customer advocacy.
Design/methodology/approach
The study collected data from 406 consumers who had purchased clothing products from Khaadi at two different times. Further, structural equation modeling was applied to analyze the data.
Findings
The findings confirmed a significant positive impact of brand heritage on customer brand advocacy, with brand authenticity mediating this relationship. Interestingly, results showed that customers with lower brand experience are more likely to exhibit brand advocacy when brand authenticity is high.
Research limitations/implications
The study used a time-lagged design, which may restrict causality. The findings of this study contribute to signaling theory and suggest that managers actively integrate brand heritage into storytelling, campaigns and engagement initiatives while considering the consumer experience, as certain interactions may weaken advocacy.
Originality/value
This study offers a novel contribution to the literature by examining the mediating role of brand authenticity in the relationship between brand heritage and brand advocacy within the textile industry. Additionally, it examines the moderating influence of customer brand experience, providing new insights into the dynamics of consumer–brand relationships.