Positive and negative effects of affective and continuance brand commitment in a service context

Purpose The findings from the brand commitment literature suggest that the outcomes of commitment are not always favorable to the brand. This research aims to integrate the multi-component view of commitment with the relationship investment model to suggest a possible explanation to understand the mixed findings in the literature. Design/methodology/approach A random mall intercept method was used. A total of 1,000 surveys were distributed to participants to answer and mail back. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Findings This research finds that consumers in affective and continuance commitment relationships differ significantly from each other both from an antecedent and an outcome perspective. Specifically, affective commitment consumers were more willing to make sacrifices, felt better about their brand relationship, held less favorable impressions about a competitor brand and were likely to continue patronizing the brand in the future. Continuance commitment consumers were unwilling to make sacrifices for the relationship, did not feel that their brand relationship was superior, were not keen on continuing the brand relationship in the future and were more favorable toward a competitor brand. Originality/value This paper contributes to the development of theory on brand commitment and provides a way to understand the mixed findings in the literature. Importantly, by examining the antecedents and outcomes, a more complete understanding of affective and continuance commitment is possible. The marketing manager benefits by understanding that not all brand commitments are the same. This research might help them to think more broadly about important brand-related outcomes in a service setting.