Online Brand Advocacy Scale

What it measures

A 16-item, four-dimensional scale measuring the extent to which brand-experienced consumers voluntarily and non-incentivised advocate for a brand in online settings. Developed via a multi-stage process including netnography, test-retest reliability, academic judge sorting, and two general online consumer samples. OBA is conceptualised as distinct from eWOM and consumer-brand engagement (CBE), capturing purposeful, elaborate, and publicly visible brand support that includes both verbal advocacy and virtual visual expression (emoticons, emojis). Grounded in Social Exchange Theory.

Representative items

• Defend the brand when others talk it down (Brand Defense)
• Stand up for the brand when others talk negatively about it (Brand Defense)
• Say positive things about the brand (Brand Positivity)
• Talk about the brand favorably (Brand Positivity)
• Provide extra details about the brand, e.g. price, store locations, availability of discounts or a link to a website (Brand Information Sharing)

Citation

Wilk, V., Soutar, G.N., & Harrigan, P. (2020). Online brand advocacy (OBA): the development of a multiple item scale. Journal of Product & Brand Management, 29(4), 415–429.