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Linda Hollebeek

Visiting professor

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Fifteen years of customer engagement research : a bibliometric and network analysis

Author

  • Linda D. Hollebeek
  • Tripti Ghosh Sharma
  • Ritesh Pandey
  • Priyavrat Sanyal
  • Moira K. Clark

Summary, in English

Purpose:
In recent years, customer engagement (CE) with brands, which has been shown to yield enhanced firm sales, competitive advantage and stock returns, has risen to occupy a prominent position in brand management research and practice. Correspondingly, scholars have explored CE’s conceptualization, operationalization and its nomological networks as informed by different theoretical perspectives. However, in spite of important advances, the knowledge structure of the overall corpus of CE research remains tenuous. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to explore the intellectual structure of CE research.

Design/methodology/approach:
Based on this gap, this study deploys bibliometric and network analysis to map CE’s literature-based landscape. Using bibliometric analysis, important CE-publishing journals, authors and influential CE articles (2005–2020) are uncovered. Using network analysis, prominent CE themes are also unearthed.

Findings:
The results document key CE-publishing journals and authors and their respective contributions to the literature. Five CE themes are also identified, including CE measurement/methods, online CE, CE’s value co-creating capacity, CE conceptualization and customer/consumer brand engagement. Further, an agenda for future CE research is provided based on the presented network analysis results.

Practical implications:
The reported findings generate important implications for brand managers. For example, the identified critical role of online (vs offline) CE offers a range of strategic opportunities, as outlined.

Originality/value:
This paper offers a pioneering bibliometric and network analysis of the CE literature, thus mapping the field. From the identified CE themes, important avenues for further CE research are also identified.

Publishing year

2022-02-03

Language

English

Pages

293-309

Publication/Series

Journal of Product and Brand Management

Volume

31

Issue

2

Document type

Journal article review

Publisher

Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Topic

  • Business Administration

Keywords

  • Bibliometric analysis
  • Brand engagement
  • Customer engagement
  • Network analysis

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 1061-0421