Emotional Brand Attachment as a Pathway to Brand Nostalgia, Brand Involvement and Brand Forgiveness

Patcharee Hongthong; Pensri Jaroenwanit; James E. Nelson; Bilal Khalid

doi:10.32479/irmm.18512

Authors

Patcharee Hongthong Faculty of Business Administration and Accountancy, Khon Kaen University, Thailand
Pensri Jaroenwanit Faculty of Business Administration and Accountancy, Khon Kaen University, Thailand
James E. Nelson Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado Boulder, United States
Bilal Khalid King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Thailand

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32479/irmm.18512

Keywords:

Emotional Brand Attachment, Brand Nostalgia, Brand Involvement, Brand Forgiveness, Customer Behavior, Structural Equation Modeling

Abstract

This study explores the relationships between Emotional Brand Attachment (EBA), Brand Nostalgia, Brand Involvement, and Brand Forgiveness, focusing on their roles in consumer-brand recovery dynamics. Using Emotional Brand Attachment Theory and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), the findings reveal that EBA strongly influences Brand Involvement and directly contributes to Brand Forgiveness, while Brand Involvement serves as a key mediator in restoring trust. However, Brand Nostalgia shows minimal direct impact on forgiveness, highlighting its context-dependent nature. These insights emphasize the importance of fostering emotional connections and consumer involvement in brand recovery strategies, while suggesting that the effectiveness of nostalgia may vary across scenarios. The study provides actionable recommendations for leveraging emotional attachment and involvement in post-failure brand management while encouraging further exploration of contextual influences.