Brand love and brand loyalty among college students: a systematic review of literature using the PRISMA approach, 2013-2023
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15381/gtm.v28i55.28259Keywords:
brand love, brand loyalty, emotional connection, university, studentsAbstract
The purpose of this systematic literature review was to analyze the impact of brand love and brand loyalty constructs on the relationship between universities and their students during the period 2013-2023, and to identify strategies to strengthen this relationship. The PRISMA 2020 approach was used to collect 21 relevant scientific papers from various academic databases such as Web of Science, EBSCOhost, ProQuest and Redalyc. The results showed that brand love and brand loyalty strengthen the emotional bond between the institution and its students. Factors such as developing emotional connections, meeting student expectations, and providing quality education had a positive impact on this bond. Effective strategies for enhancing both constructs in areas such as student experience, university brand image, and service communication were also identified. The study concludes by recommending that high academic standards be maintained along with comprehensive student support, and that an emotional connection be fostered from the early years of education to consolidate brand love and brand loyalty. In addition, it suggests that other moderating factors should be explored in future research.
References
Ahuvia, A. C. (2005). Beyond the Extended Self: Loved Objects and Consumers’ Identity Narratives. Journal of Consumer Research, 32(1), 171–184. https://doi.org/10.1086/429607
Alqirem, R. M., Alnaimi, H. M., & Shuhaiber, A. (2018). A Best-Practice Model of University-Students Relationship Development. International Journal of Knowledge Management, 14(4), 46–67. https://doi.org/10.4018/IJKM.2018100104
Amani, D. (2022). The Student Psychological Contract as a Predictor of University Brand Evangelism in Tanzanian Higher Education: Insights from Social Exchange Theory. International Journal of African Higher Education, 9(2), 150–171. https://doi.org/10.6017/ijahe.v9i2.15379
Babu, D., & Babu, A. (2021). Brand Love Creates Brand Loyalty - Evidence Among The Youth. Academy of Marketing Studies Journal, 25(3), 1–12. https://www.abacademies.org/articles/Brand-love-creates-brand-loyalty-evidence-among-the-youth-1528-2678-25-S3-532.pdf
Bairrada, C., Coelho, F., & Coelho, A. (2018). Antecedents and outcomes of brand love: utilitarian and symbolic brand qualities. European Journal of Marketing, 52(3/4), 656–682. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJM-02-2016-0081
Batra, R., Ahuvia, A., & Bagozzi, R. (2012). Brand Love. Journal of Marketing, 76(2), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1509/jm.09.0339
Bergkvist, L., & Bech-Larsen, T. (2010). Two studies of consequences and actionable antecedents of brand love. Journal of Brand Management, 17, 504–518. https://doi.org/10.1057/bm.2010.6
Chandra, T., Hafni, L., Chandra, S., Purwati, A., & Chandra, J. (2019). The influence of service quality, university image on student satisfaction and student loyalty. Benchmarking: An International Journal, 26(5), 1533–1549. https://doi.org/10.1108/BIJ-07-2018-0212
Dass, S., Popli, S., Sarkar, A., Sarkar, J., & Vinay, M. (2021). Empirically examining the psychological mechanism of a loved and trusted business school brand. Journal of Marketing for Higher Education, 31(1), 23–40. https://doi.org/10.1080/08841241.2020.1742846
Delgado-Ballester, E., Palazón, M., & Pelaez-Muñoz, J. (2017). This anthropomorphised brand is so loveable: The role of self-brand integration. Spanish Journal of Marketing - ESIC, 21(2), 89–101. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sjme.2017.04.002
Duque Oliva, E., & Sánchez-Torres, J. (2023). Building a University City Brand: Colombian University Students’ Perceptions. Sustainability (Switzerland), 15(8), 6463. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15086463
Duque Rengel, V., Abendaño Ramírez, M., & Velásquez Benavides, A. (2017). Análisis de los factores de comunicación que influyen en la fidelidad del cliente entre estudiantes universitarios. Revista Latina de Comunicación Socia, (72), 751-764. https://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=81952828040
Erdoğmuş, İ., & Ergun, S. (2016). Understanding University Brand Loyalty: The Mediating Role of Attitudes towards the Department and University. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 229, 141–150. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2016.07.123
Gallegos, J., & Vasquez, A. (2019). Explaining university student loyalty: theory, method, and empirical research in Chile. Academia Revista Latinoamericana de Administración, 32(4), 525–540. https://doi.org/10.1108/ARLA-02-2019-0049
Garza Salgado, E., & Royo Vela, M. (2019). Brand Fan Pages experience and strength as antecedents to engagement and intensity of use to achieve HEIS’ brand loyalty. Journal of Marketing for Higher Education, 29(1), 102–120. https://doi.org/10.1080/08841241.2019.1605437
Ghorbanzadeh, D., & Rahehagh, A. (2021). Emotional brand attachment and brand love: the emotional bridges in the process of transition from satisfaction to loyalty. Rajagiri Management Journal, 15(1), 16–38. https://doi.org/10.1108/RAMJ-05-2020-0024
Goh, J.-H., Goh, Y.-N., & Ramayah, T. (2017). Student Satisfaction and Loyalty in Malaysia Private Higher Education Institutions. Global Business and Management Research, Suppl. Special Issue, 9(4s), 315–327. http://www.gbmrjournal.com/pdf/vol.%209%20no.%204s/V9N4s.pdf
Goyal, A., & Verma, P. (2023). Impact of Brand Engagement on Behavioral Loyalty, Brand Equity and WOM Through Attitudinal Loyalty. Journal of International Food & Agribusiness Marketing, 35(1), 88–109. https://doi.org/10.1080/08974438.2021.1956667
Hines, R. L. (2018). Assembling the Pieces of a Systematic Review: A Guide for Librarians, edited by Margaret J. Foster and Sarah T. Jewell. Medical Reference Services Quarterly, 37(3), 325–326. https://doi.org/10.1080/02763869.2018.1477725
Huang, C.-C. (2017). The impacts of brand experiences on brand loyalty: mediators of brand love and trust. Management Decision, 55(5), 915–934. https://doi.org/10.1108/MD-10-2015-0465
Hwang, J., & Kandampully, J. (2012). The role of emotional aspects in younger consumer‐brand relationships. Journal of Product & Brand Management, 21(2), 98–108. https://doi.org/10.1108/10610421211215517
Kaushal, V., & Ali, N. (2020). University Reputation, Brand Attachment and Brand Personality as Antecedents of Student Loyalty: A Study in Higher Education Context. Corporate Reputation Review, 23, 254–266. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41299-019-00084-y
Khattak, M., Ahmad, W., & Ahmad, A. (2015). Investigating Customer- Based Brand Equity of Private Sector Universities of Pakistan. The Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 23(2), 97–108. http://ojs.uop.edu.pk/jhss/article/view/743
Kilburn, A., Kilburn, B., & Cates, T. (2014). Drivers Of Student Retention: System Availability, Privacy, Value And Loyalty In Online Higher Education. Academy of Educational Leadership Journal, 18, 1–14. https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Drivers-of-Student-Retention%3A-System-Availability%2C-Kilburn-Kilburn/baf41401fc3de0f1b852b53f9ce3f430b44dbf7d
Lacap, J., & Cortez, J. (2023). Does Reputation Lead to Student Loyalty? The Case of a Private Higher Education Institution, a State University, and a Local College. The South East Asian Journal of Management, 17(2), 26–49. https://doi.org/10.21002/seam.v17i2.1343
Latif, K., Bunce, L., & Ahmad, M. (2021). How can universities improve student loyalty? The roles of university social responsibility, service quality, and “customer” satisfaction and trust. International Journal of Educational Management, 35(4), 815–829. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEM-11-2020-0524
Lay-Hwa Bowden, J. (2013). What’s in a relationship?: Affective commitment, bonding and the tertiary first year experience - a student and faculty perspective. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, 25(3), 428–451. https://doi.org/10.1108/APJML-07-2012-0067
Le, M. (2021). The impact of brand love on brand loyalty: the moderating role of self-esteem, and social influences. Spanish Journal of Marketing - ESIC, 25(1), 156–180. https://doi.org/10.1108/SJME-05-2020-0086
Li, X. (Robert), & Petrick, J. (2008). Examining the Antecedents of Brand Loyalty from an Investment Model Perspective. Journal of Travel Research, 47(1), 25–34. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047287507312409
Loureiro, S., Ruediger, K., & Demetris, V. (2012). Brand emotional connection and loyalty. Journal of Brand Management, 20, 13–27. https://doi.org/10.1057/bm.2012.3
Manov, N., Mujkić, A., & Husić-Mehmedović, M. (2020). Universities’ Enrollment Challenge: The Role Of Corporate Image In Higher Education. Ekonomski vjesnik/Econviews - Review of Contemporary Business, Entrepreneurship and Economic Issues, 33(1), 205–216. https://hrcak.srce.hr/ojs/index.php/ekonomski-vjesnik/article/view/9200
Maresova, P., Hruska, J., & Kuca, K. (2020). Social Media University Branding. Education Sciences, 10(3), 74. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci10030074
Montoya-Restrepo, I., Sánchez Torres, J., Rojas Berrio, S., & Montoya-Restrepo, A. (2020). Lovemark effect: analysis of the differences between students and graduates in a love brand study at a public university. Innovar, 30(75), 43–56. https://doi.org/10.15446/innovar.v30n75.83256
Mutum, D., Hussein, A., & Ghazali, E. (2023). The antecedents of university loyalty: a study of postgraduate students in Malaysia. International Journal of Educational Management, 37(3), 591–609. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEM-07-2021-0286
Ngwira, G., & Intravisit, A. (2023). Factors Influencing Undergraduate Students’ Loyalty: A Study of Thai Private Universities Offering International Programs. ABAC ODI Journal Vision. Action. Outcome, 10(2), 175–198. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.14456/abacodijournal.2023.10
Page, M. J., McKenzie, J. E., Bossuyt, P. M., Boutron, I., Hoffmann, T. C., Mulrow, C. D., Shamseer, L., Tetzlaff, J. M., Akl, E. A., Brennan, S. E., Chou, R., Glanville, J., Grimshaw, J. M., Hróbjartsson, A., Lalu, M. M., Li, T., Loder, E. W., Mayo-Wilson, E., McDonald, S., ... Moher, D. (2021). Declaración PRISMA 2020: una guía actualizada para la publicación de revisiones sistemáticas. Revista Española de Cardiología, 74(9), 790–799. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.recesp.2021.06.016
Pinar, M., Girard, T., & Basfirinci, C. (2020). Examining the relationship between brand equity dimensions and university brand equity: An empirical study in Turkey. International Journal of Educational Management, 34(7), 1119–1141. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEM-08-2019-0313
Retamosa, M., Millán, Á., & Moital, M. (2020). Does the Type of Degree Predict Different Levels of Satisfaction and Loyalty? A Brand Equity Perspective. Corporate Reputation Review, 23, 57–77. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41299-019-00073-1
Vianden, J., & Barlow, P. J. (2014). Showing the Love: Predictors of Student Loyalty to Undergraduate Institutions. Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice, 51(1), 16–29. https://doi.org/10.1515/jsarp-2014-0002
Wong, L., Ling, P., & Ling, T. (2023). A conceptual framework for higher education student loyalty from the green marketing perspective. Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning, 13(2), 387–402. https://doi.org/10.1108/HESWBL-08-2022-0165
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Augusto Antonio Cieza Esteban

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
THE AUTHORS RETAIN THEIR RIGHTS:
(a) The authors retain their trademark and patent rights, and also over any process or procedure described in the article.
(b) The authors retain the right to share, copy, distribute, execute and publicly communicate the article published in Gestión en el Tercer Milenio journal (for example, place it in an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with acknowledgment of its initial publication in the Gestión en el Tercer Milenio.
(c) Authors retain the right to make a subsequent publication of their work, to use the article or any part of it (for example: a compilation of their work, lecture notes, thesis, or for a book), provided that they indicate the source. of publication (authors of the work, magazine, volume, number and date).