Fostering brand love through branded memes on social media

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the psychological mechanisms underpinning the impact of branded memes on brand love on social media. Design/methodology/approach: Using a self-reported online survey, data from 479 verified Facebook users were analyzed using structural equation modeling to examine the interrelationships among sense of liberation, perceived trendiness, hedonic engagement, perceived humor, self-brand connection and brand love. Findings: The results indicate that a sense of liberation significantly influences self-brand connection but does not directly affect perceived humor. Perceived trendiness is a key predictor of both perceived humor and self-brand connection. However, hedonic engagement has no substantial effect on perceived humor or self-brand connections. Importantly, perceived humor plays a crucial role in strengthening self-brand connections and fostering brand love. Originality/value: To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first empirical exploration to showcase the consumer brand love formation process facilitated by branded memes, offering valuable insights into meme-marketing strategies. This highlights the importance of perceived humor and trendiness in enhancing brand love through social media platforms.