Confirmatory Factor Analysis of Consumer Brand Tribalism: A Case Study of a Premium Smartphone Brand in Thailand
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Abstract
In an era where technology plays a crucial role in daily life and smartphone products face intense competition, the phenomenon of "brand tribalism" has become increasingly significant. Smartphone brands have created emotional bonds with consumers, serving as a medium through which consumers express their identity, lifestyle, and social status. This study therefore analyzes the first-order and second-order confirmatory factor components of brand tribalism using empirical data from consumers of a premium smartphone brands in Thailand. Data collection was conducted through online questionnaires from a total sample of 600 respondents, using purposive sampling targeting individuals with experience using and expressing preference for the products. The results of the first-order confirmatory factor analysis measurement model for brand tribalism revealed that the variables of shared values and beliefs, community participation, brand advocacy, and behavioral engagement all demonstrated standardized regression coefficients (β) ranging from 0.591 to 0.938, indicating the indicators' strong ability to reflect the latent variables effectively. The internal reliability and content validity were deemed complete, confirming that the measurement instrument possessed sufficient statistical quality for analyzing relationships between latent variables.
The second-order confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the brand tribalism model comprising four variables showed positive factor loadings across all values, ranging from 0.783 to 0.975. Shared values and beliefs exhibited the highest loading, followed by community participation, brand advocacy, and behavioral engagement, explaining 61.30% to 95.10% of the variance. Model fit testing demonstrated that all values met the established criteria. The study findings confirm that the brand tribalism model demonstrates a good fit with empirical data and can be effectively measured through all four components, with shared values and beliefs having the greatest impact on brand tribalism. This strong influence occurs because the shared values they embrace-innovation, quality, and social identity expression-align with the symbolic values that the brand communicates. The resulting model provides valuable insights for marketers in developing approaches to build brand tribal communities and designing strategies to create and maintain long-term brand-loyal customer groups.
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