Özet:

Target - Turkey is one of the countries ranked top in the world according to the social media use rates. As a result of the benefits of brand communities, such as the rapid spread of knowledge and the satisfaction of membership needs, the number of people who want to join these communities is increasing every day. However, there is a limited number of research in Turkey that addresses consumers' experiences, online brand communities, the relationship with brand confidence and brand loyalty. The aim of the research is to determine the influence of online brand communities on brand trust and brand loyalty. Method - For the purpose of the research, data were collected by the application of a face-to-face survey of 347 consumers in Ankara and Aksaray. The impact of brand communities on brand trust and brand loyalty has been studied by the Structural Equality Model. Results - Analysis results have revealed the role of brand confidence; brand use, influence management and social networking effects. Brand confidence has a positive and significant impact on brand loyalty. The factor that has the most impact on brand confidence is the sharing of information about the use of the brand in brand communities. Discussions - Factors that have a positive impact on consumers’ brand confidence and brand loyalty appear to be associated with the possibility that social media brand communities recognize consumers in a easier way than ever before and the possibility of accessing a wide variety of information, use advice or tips. The possibility that the brand community allows consumers to communicate their own ideas about the brand and create a debate environment and the practice of the brand community that makes consumers feel different or privileged from other consumers positively affects the brand confidence and therefore the brand loyalty.

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