Determinants of Brand Evangelism in the Fashion Clothing Industry in Benin Metropolis, Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigated the determinants of brand evangelism within the native fashion clothing industry in Benin Metropolis, Nigeria. As global brands increasingly dominate the Nigerian fashion market, indigenous fashion designers face mounting pressure to build sustainable customer engagement and loyalty. Brand evangelism defined as customers' voluntary and passionate promotion of a brand, has emerged as a vital strategy for enhancing consumer advocacy and driving brand growth. The study adopts a quantitative approach, employing a structured survey design to collect data from a sample of 385 respondents, selected using Cochran’s formula. A structured questionnaire was used to gather information on customer perceptions of service failure recovery, brand trust, brand love, brand identification, and opinion leadership, as well as their expressions of brand evangelism through positive brand referral, purchase intention, and oppositional brand referral. Data were analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics via SPSS version 20. Findings reveal that service failure recovery significantly influences positive brand referral, while brand trust, brand love, and brand identification strongly predict purchase intention. Opinion leadership, though significant in influencing purchase intention, has limited effect on positive or oppositional brand referrals. These results highlight the pivotal role of emotional, cognitive, and experiential factors in driving customer advocacy. The study concludes that fostering trust, emotional attachment, and brand identification among customers can meaningfully promote brand evangelism. It recommends that local fashion brands enhance service responsiveness, develop emotionally resonant marketing, and actively engage influential consumers to cultivate brand loyalty and advocacy.