The social aspects of consumption as predictors of consumer loyalty : Online vs offline services

Purpose – Nowadays, companies are seeking to create meaningful and long-term relationships with their customers. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to examine the role of parasocial and social aspects of consumption in building trustworthy and loyal relationships in both offline and online services. Design/methodology/approach – Two studies were conducted using the survey research method. The first study collected data from 285 soccer fans, and the second study collected data from 298 Facebook consumers. Findings – The study confirms the proposed model and suggests that parasocial and social relationships act as significant antecedents of service brand loyalty in both offline and online services. Originality/value – This is the first study that examines parasocial and social relationships in tandem and their role in developing loyal relationships with service brands. It also confirms that social relationships in a service setting play a significant role in predicting brand trust and loyalty.