Modeling Social Media Driven Brand Loyalty in the Digital Sportswear Market

The rapidly evolving digital landscape, particularly in emerging markets like Indonesia, presents new challenges and opportunities for fostering brand loyalty within the sportswear sector. Driven by significant digital transformation and shifting consumer values towards online engagement, this study aims to develop a comprehensive model elucidating how social media influences brand loyalty. The research specifically investigates the intricate relationships among brand attachment, brand passion, and various loyalty-related outcomes in a non-Western, video-centric environment. Utilizing a quantitative approach, data were meticulously collected from 150 digitally active Indonesian respondents, predominantly active on platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was rigorously employed to analyze these complex interdependencies. Findings unequivocally confirm that brand attachment strongly predicts brand passion, which, in turn, significantly drives attitudinal brand loyalty, brand advocacy, social media following, sense of community, willingness to pay premium prices, and alternative devaluation. These results provide robust validation for emotional branding frameworks in a unique digital and cultural context, offering critical theoretical insights and actionable guidance for marketers. This model underscores the imperative for brands to leverage digital platforms effectively to cultivate profound consumer-to-brand connections, ensuring sustained loyalty and competitive advantage in the dynamic digital sportswear market.