It’s all about the brand: place brand credibility, place attachment, and consumer loyalty

Abstract Despite the growing attention brand credibility attracts in recent marketing literature, little is known about the credibility of place brands and their relationship with consumers’ loyalty. The present study builds on brand signalling and attachment theory to investigate whether credible place brands affect consumers’ attachment formation, their subsequent word of mouth (WOM) and intention to return. Survey data from an Alpine winter sport destination reveal that place brand credibility is a key antecedent of consumers’ attachment. Moreover, consistent with brand signalling theory, credible place brands exert a particularly strong direct effect on consumers’ WOM. A positive effect on their intention to return, however, will result only if they feel attached with the place brand beforehand. Implications for marketing scholars and brand managers are offered.