Online brand advocacy and video game consumers

Purpose This study aims to examine how video game brand communities express online brand advocacy, revealing distinct patterns of consumer engagement that challenge traditional marketing approaches. By drawing on social identity theory, authentic brand advocacy behaviours in Call of Duty and Battlefield video game brand communities were explored to understand how consumers support their preferred brands. Design/methodology/approach Over 23,000 Call of Duty and Battlefield brand community discussions from Reddit were analysed using advanced computational methods to discover how brand advocacy naturally emerges from consumer discourse. Rather than relying on traditional surveys, this approach captures real advocacy behaviours as they occur in video game communities to reveal authentic language and expressions consumers use to support their favourite brands. Findings Six distinct dimensions of brand advocacy emerged: Brand Positivity, Brand Defence, Virtual Positive Expression, Brand Zest, Brand Knowledge and Brand Appraisal. The analysis revealed two distinct advocacy orientations: Call of Duty communities focus on narrative experiences and storytelling, while Battlefield communities emphasise technical expertise and mechanical complexity, yet both generate equally intense brand advocacy through different emotional pathways. Originality/value This research contributes to the research of authentic online brand advocacy in consumer communities by demonstrating that genuine advocacy emerges from consumer experiences, rather than promotional activities. This research examines video game brand communities as a context for understanding modern brand relationships, showing how narrative immersion and technical expertise create different forms of consumer advocacy with important implications for brand management.