Customer-based brand equity and eWOM: the mediating effect of brand attachment in higher education

The study aims to examine the relationship between customer-based brand equity, brand attachment, and electronic word-of-mouth in the context of higher education. Positive customer-based brand equity strengthens students' attachment to higher education institutions and encourages active sharing of experiences and opinions on social media platforms. This study used purposive sampling to select a sample of 707 postgraduate business students from business schools in Lima, Peru. The sample size was determined based on the total population and statistical power analysis, which guarantees an adequate sample size for robust analysis. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to test the proposed hypotheses. Results showed positive bilateral associations between customer-based brand equity and brand attachment and electronic word-of-mouth. Furthermore, brand attachment has a mediating role in the relationship between customer-based brand equity and electronic word-of-mouth. Additionally, customer-based brand equity can increase electronic word-of-mouth by directly increasing students' intention to share their experiences and indirectly fostering stronger brand attachment. Theoretical and practical implications of the association between study variables in higher education are discussed. Based on the results, specific strategies are proposed for practitioners to enhance the presence of higher education institutions on social media through student engagement in electronic word-of-mouth.