The Formation Mechanism of Brand Addiction Under Social Network Influence

Yue Yin, Yuxiang Gao and Sheng Wei

SAGE Open, 2025, vol. 15, issue 3, 21582440251377739

Abstract: Social networks are radically changing the marketing landscape, offering new ways to connect with others, which can be used to maintain and build new consumer brand relationships. The conceptual domain of the connection between consumers and brands has expanded from general attitudinal tendencies to closer relationships, giving rise to brand addiction. With Nike and HUAWEI as the focus brands in two sub-studies, the formation mechanism model of brand addiction under social network influence is constructed. The results of the two studies in this paper (study 1 and study 2) confirm that social network influence positively stimulates brand attachment and brand attachment has a positive effect on brand addiction. Furthermore, both studies propose that brand attachment mediates the effects of social network influence on brand addiction. Study 1 shows that brand attachment plays a full mediating role, and social network influence indirectly impacts brand addiction through brand attachment; Study 2 finds that brand attachment plays a partial mediating role, and social network influence not only indirectly promotes brand addiction through brand attachment, but also directly influences brand addiction. The study provides valuable insights for brand marketers on how to identify social network influence and strengthen relationships with consumers.

Keywords: social network influence; consumer brand relationships; brand attachment; brand addiction (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:sagope:v:15:y:2025:i:3:p:21582440251377739

DOI: 10.1177/21582440251377739

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