Emotional brand attachment: a factor in customer-bank relationships

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the relationship between customers' emotional attachment toward bank service providers and bank loyalty. In particular, the study examines the impact of the emotional attachment factor while treating established effecting variables by employing a new conceptual framework that integrates these variables. Design/methodology/approach - The study employs data collected from a survey involving 436 participants. The study employs Exploratory Factor Analysis and Confirmatory Factor Analysis methods following a path analysis method and structural equation modeling for testing research hypotheses. Findings - The empirical results support the claim that the conceptual framework applied in this study better explains the relationship between customers' emotional attachment toward bank service providers and bank loyalty. Specifically, the findings show a significant, direct and positive relationship between the customer's emotional attachment and bank loyalty; an indirect positive relationship also exists through the connection of customer satisfaction. The study distinguishes between two integrated pathways consumers possibly follow when making decisions about services: the conscious decision-making process path and the emotional process path. Practical implications - The paper provides managerial and planning implications to bank service providers who seek to achieve excellent performance and a positive brand personality, thus maintaining long-lasting relationships with their customers. Originality/value - The study is among the few empirical works to specifically examine the impact of customers' emotional attachment on bank loyalty and contributes to the available literature in that it suggests a systematic conceptual framework that evaluates the impact of key factors on bank loyalty.