Destination brand love and evangelism among international tourists in Vietnam: Roles of corrective engagement, empowerment, and authenticity
- Author(s)
-
DOIhttp://dx.doi.org/10.21511/im.22(2).2026.12
-
Article InfoVolume 22 2026, Issue #2, pp. 165-178
- 15 Views
-
2 Downloads
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
Type of the article: Research Article
Abstract
Recent tourism studies increasingly emphasize tourists’ active roles in destination experiences, prompting closer examination of how different forms of participation relate to destination brand outcomes. This study examines how corrective engagement, empowerment experience, and perceived authenticity influence destination brand love and, in turn, destination brand evangelism among international tourists in Vietnam. Data were collected from 257 international tourists and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings indicate that destination brand love is a strong predictor of destination brand evangelism. Empowerment experience and perceived authenticity show positive effects on destination brand love, highlighting the roles of perceived autonomy and culturally genuine experiences in strengthening tourists’ emotional attachment. Corrective engagement exhibits a dual effect: it positively affects destination brand love but negatively affects destination brand evangelism, suggesting that improvement-oriented participation may coincide with a temporary reluctance to advocate for the destination. These results indicate that participatory behaviors do not translate uniformly into destination brand advocacy and reinforce the importance of distinguishing emotional attachment from advocacy-oriented outcomes in destination branding research. In addition, empowerment experience shows a significant positive influence on both destination brand love and destination brand evangelism, suggesting that tourists who perceive greater autonomy and participation are more inclined to advocate for the destination. Perceived authenticity also demonstrates a positive but weaker direct effect on brand evangelism, indicating that authentic experiences primarily strengthen emotional attachment that subsequently encourages advocacy behavior.
- Keywords
-
JEL Classification (Paper profile tab)Z31, M31
-
References53
-
Tables5
-
Figures2
-
- Figure 1. Proposed research model
- Figure 2. Measurement model assessment results
-
- Table 1. Demographic characteristics of the sample (n = 257)
- Table 2. Reliability and convergent validity of measurement scales
- Table 3. Discriminant validity test using HTMT
- Table 4. Model Coefficients of Determination
- Table 5. Path coefficient, effect size (f2), and hypotheses testing conclusion
-
- Aghazamani, Y., & Hunt, C. A. (2017). Empowerment in tourism: A review of peer-reviewed literature. Tourism Review International, 21(4), 333-346.
- Aro, K., & Tähtinen, J. (2025). Feeling good-bodies in destination brand love. Annals of Tourism Research, 114, 103998.
- Babolian Hendijani, R., & Jaszus, K. (2024). The rise of virtual food tourism experiences: integrating diffusion of innovation theory and self-determination theory. Tourism and Hospitality Management, 30(2), 249-258.
- Basri, A. I., Hidayat, S. A., Ramadan, B., & Kasnowo, K. (2025). The Influence of Brand Trust, Brand Identification, Brand Involvement, and Brand Commitment on Brand Evangelism. Jurnal Ilmiah Manajemen Kesatuan [Scientific Journal of Unity Management], 13(3), 1433-1444.
- Bhandari, M. P., Bhattarai, C., & Mulholland, G. (2024). Online brand community engagement and brand evangelism: the role of age, gender and membership number. Journal of Product & Brand Management, 33(3), 301-313.
- Blut, M., Kulikovskaja, V., Hubert, M., Brock, C., & Grewal, D. (2023). Effectiveness of engagement initiatives across engagement platforms: A meta-analysis. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 51, 941-965.
- Bouchriha, Z., Farid, S., & Ouiddad, S. (2023). Enhancing Value Co-creation Behaviors Through Customer Engagement In The Moroccan Hotel Context: How Does It Influence Customer Satisfaction And Brand Image? Journal of Quality Assurance in Hospitality & Tourism, 25, 1581-1606.
- Brodie, R. J., Hollebeek, L. D., Jurić, B., & Ilić, A. (2011). Customer engagement: Conceptual domain, fundamental propositions, and implications for research. Journal of Service Research, 14(3), 252-271.
- Cheung, M. L., Leung, W. K., Taheri, B., & Tse, S. Y. (2023). Driving destination brand engagement: the role of traveler participation. International Journal of Tourism Research, 25(6), 565-580.
- Eletxigerra, A., Caldeira, A. M., & Kastenholz, E. (2023). A cost-benefit approach of consumers’ intentions to participate in highly co-creative tourism activities during and after COVID-19: Evidence from wine tourism. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 56, 506-518.
- Fan, Y., Isa, S. M., & Yang, S. (2024). Driving force of well-being and tourism memory on eWOM behavior. In Handbook of Tourism and Consumer Behavior (pp. 223-235). Edward Elgar Publishing.
- Fang, Y. P., & Liu, C. H. (2024). Unraveling the difference mechanism of authenticity experience in determining antecedents and consequences of destination loyalty. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 41(6), 849-863.
- Hair, Jr, J. F., Hult, G. T. M., Ringle, C. M., Sarstedt, M., Danks, N. P., & Ray, S. (2021). Evaluation of reflective measurement models. In Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) using R: A workbook (pp. 75-90). Cham: Springer International Publishing.
- Haq, M. D., Tseng, T. H., Cheng, H. L., Chiu, C. M., & Kuo, Y. H. (2024). This country is Loveable: A model of destination brand love considering consumption authenticity and social experience. Journal of Destination Marketing & Management, 32, 100878.
- Harrigan, P., Evers, U., Miles, M. P., & Daly, T. (2018). Customer engagement and the relationship between involvement, engagement, self-brand connection and brand usage intent. Journal of Business Research, 88, 388-396.
- Hussain, K., Jing, F., Junaid, M., Zaman, Q. U., & Shi, H. (2021). The role of co-creation experience in engaging customers with service brands. Journal of Product & Brand Management, 30(1), 12-27.
- Katsifaraki, G. D., & Theodosiou, M. (2020). How different (dis)engagement behaviours affect firms’ performance: Evidence from an e-market ecosystem. Journal of Business Research, 121, 578-591.
- Kumarasinghe, K. H. A. N., & Hendeniya, H. M. U. S. (2025). Impact of Brand Trust, Identification, and Quality of Service on Brand Evangelism with the Moderation of Brand Love: Special Reference to Sri Lanka’s Real Estate Sector. Sri Lanka Journal of Marketing, 10(2).
- Leong, A. M. W., Yeh, S. S., Zhou, Y., Hung, C. W., & Huan, T. C. (2024). Exploring the influence of historical storytelling on cultural heritage tourists’ value co-creation using tour guide interaction and authentic place as mediators. Tourism Management Perspectives, 50, 101198.
- Li, Y., Xia, L., Wang, L., Qiu, M., & Utomo, S. (2024). How Are Rural Homestays Achieving Sustainable Development in the Post-COVID-19 Period: Value Co-Creation by Operators, Tourists, and Government. Sustainability, 16(3), 1088.
- Liutikas, D. (2017). The manifestation of values and identity in travelling: The social engagement of pilgrimage. Tourism Management Perspectives, 24, 217-224.
- Mandagi, D. W., & Centeno, D. (2025). Destination brand gestalt: dimensionalizing co-created tourism destination branding. International Journal of Tourism Cities, 11(3-4), 530-563.
- Marques, C., da Silva, R. V., Davcik, N. S., & Faria, R. T. (2020). The role of brand equity in a new rebranding strategy of a private label brand. Journal of Business Research, 117, 497-507.
- Mgoduka, S., Kaseeram, I., & Heeralal, S. (2025). Assessing the Extent to which Customer Feedback Contributes to Value Co-Creation: A Focus on the Tourism Industry. Journal of Sustainable Development Law and Policy, 16(1), 187-208.
- Mishra, M., Kesharwani, A., & Gautam, D. R. V. (2021). Examining the relationship between consumer brand relationships and brand evangelism. Australian Journal of Business and Management Research, 6, 84-95.
- Movono, A., & Dahles, H. (2017). Female empowerment and tourism: A focus on businesses in a Fijian village. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 22(6), 681-692.
- Mujahid, S., & Khandai, S. (2025). From Affection to Action: The Role of Brand Love in Facilitating Co-creation in Online Brand Communities. Journal of Creating Value, 11, 121-134.
- Nkoulou Mvondo, G. F., Jing, F., Hussain, K., Jin, S., & Raza, M. A. (2022). Impact of international tourists’ co-creation experience on Brand Trust, brand passion, and brand evangelism. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 866362.
- Nguyen, H. N., & Nguyen, T. B. (2021). Sense of online betrayal, brand hate, and outrage customers’ anti-brand activism. Innovative Marketing, 17(4), 75-87.
- Park, J., Zou, S., & Soulard, J. (2024). Transforming rural communities through tourism development: An examination of empowerment and disempowerment processes. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 32(4), 835-855.
- Pham, T. D., Le, T. L. H., Nguyen, H. N. (2026). Endorser attributes, customer experience, and brand advocacy in the Vietnamese personal care market. Innovative Marketing, 22(1), 27-39.
- Podsakoff, P. M., Podsakoff, N. P., Williams, L. J., Huang, C., & Yang, J. (2024). Common method bias: It’s bad, it’s complex, it’s widespread, and it’s not easy to fix. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 11(1), 17-61.
- Prayag, G., Hosany, S., Muskat, B., & Del Chiappa, G. (2017). Understanding the relationships between tourists’ emotional experiences, perceived overall image, satisfaction, and intention to recommend. Journal of Travel Research, 56(1), 41-54.
- Rasool, A. (2021). Relational dynamics between customer engagement, experience and customer loyalty. Journal of Relationships Marketing.
- Rasoolimanesh, S. M. (2022). Discriminant validity assessment in PLS-SEM: A comprehensive composite-based approach. Data Analysis Perspectives Journal, 3(2), 1-8.
- Rather, R., Parrey, S., Gulzar, R., & Rehman, S. (2022). Does gamification effect customer brand engagement and co-creation during pandemic? A moderated-mediation analysis. Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science, 33, 285-311.
- Roy, S., Singh, G., Hope, M., Nguyen, B., & Harrigan, P. (2019). The rise of smart consumers: role of smart servicescape and smart consumer experience co-creation. Journal of Marketing Management, 35, 1480-1513.
- Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivations: Classic definitions and new directions. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 25(1), 54-67.
- Shahid Satar, M., Ahmad Rather, R., Hussain Parrey, S., Elbayoumi Salem, I., Rafi, A., & Ghaderi, Z. (2025). Understanding customer brand engagement through service environment: a multilevel analysis. The Service Industries Journal, 45(5-6), 500-525.
- Strzelecka, M., Boley, B. B., & Woosnam, K. M. (2017). Place attachment and empowerment: Do residents need to be attached to be empowered? Annals of Tourism Research, 66, 61-73.
- Sun, J., & Guo, Y. (2022). Influence of tourists’ well-being in the post-COVID-19 era: Moderating effect of physical distancing. Tourism Management Perspectives, 44, 101029.
- Taheri, B., Hosany, S., & Altinay, L. (2019). Consumer engagement in the tourism industry: new trends and implications for research. The Service Industries Journal, 39(7-8), 463-468.
- Tang, J., Wang, J., Zhang, M., & Huang, W. (2023). How destination brand experience influences tourist citizenship behavior: Testing mediation of brand relationship quality and moderation effects on commitment. Frontiers in Psychology, 14.
- Timothy, D. J. (2025). Politics and tourism governance: tourism, power and empowerment. In Handbook on Tourism Governance (pp. 30-45). Edward Elgar Publishing.
- Van Doorn, J., Lemon, K. N., Mittal, V., Nass, S., Pick, D., Pirner, P., & Verhoef, P. C. (2010). Customer engagement behavior: Theoretical foundations and research directions. Journal of Service Research, 13(3), 253-266.
- Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT). (2024). Vietnam Tourism Outlook 2023 (PDF).
- VNA (2025). Tourism sector thriving in 2024.
- World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). (2023). International Tourism Highlights – 2024 Edition.
- Xu, F., Bai, Y., & Li, S. (2020). Examining the Antecedents of Brand Engagement of Tourists Based on the Theory of Value Co-Creation. Sustainability, 12(5), 1958.
- Yeh, S. S., Leong, A. M. W., Hung, C. W., & Huan, T. C. (2025). Destination authenticity influence on tourists’ behavioral intentions, involvement and nostalgic sentiments. Tourism Review, 80(2), 456-471.
- Yin, S., & Dai, G. (2021). Authenticity and tourist loyalty: a meta-analysis. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 26(12), 1331-1349.
- Zhang, H., & Xu, H. (2024). Good match, deep love: Three studies examining the celebrity endorsement’s influence on destination brand love. Journal of Travel Research, 63(3), 565-587.
- Zhao, Y., Zhan, Q., Du, G., & Wei, Y. (2024). The effects of involvement, authenticity, and destination image on tourist satisfaction in the context of Chinese ancient village tourism. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 60, 51-62.
-
How to convert Millennial consumers to brand evangelists through social media micro-influencers
Kanyawee Pornsrimate
,
Anon Khamwon
doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.21511/im.17(2).2021.03
Innovative Marketing Volume 17, 2021 Issue #2 pp. 18-32 Views: 3580 Downloads: 1698 TO CITE АНОТАЦІЯUndoubtedly, in the modern age of digitalization, Millennials, who are considered digital natives, have become a massive target market for salespersons. Changes in the way Millennials think accompanied by an explosion of social media have led to an increased focus on social media influencer marketing in the company sector. To help establish a new marketing paradigm that accounts for these changes, this research aims to conceptualize and investigate the process of building consumer-brand relationships with Millennial consumers through social media micro-influencers. Findings based on structural equation modeling revealed that four core characteristics of social media micro-influencers (i.e., authenticity, the meaning of the influencer, specific content, and secret sharing) were a significant antecedent of brand engagement and brand love, which, in turn, mediated the pathway from social media micro-influencer characteristics to brand evangelism. Understanding what social media micro-influencers mean to Millennials offers the promise of improving brand evangelism through more precise market analysis and market strategy. In the discussion, the paper introduces a three-stage building method towards brand evangelism through social media micro-influencer, including: (1) the stage of selecting influencers; (2) the stage of constructing intense emotional responses to the brand (brand engagement and brand love); and ultimately (3) the stage of becoming a brand evangelist. Lastly, limitations and future directions were discussed.
