VOlUME 05 ISSUE 06 June 2026
1Yanfei Jia, 2Wah Kian Mooi
1,2Centre for Postgraduate Studies, Kuala Lumpur University of Science and Technology, Malaysia
DOI : https://doi.org/10.58806/ijsshmr.2026.v5i6n43Google Scholar Download Pdf
ABSTRACT
In the rapidly evolving co-branding landscape, understanding how brand alliance characteristics translate into consumer brand loyalty remains a critical theoretical and practical challenge. Drawing on trust-commitment theory, signaling theory, and conceptual combination theory, this study constructs a mediated influence model to investigate how brand image congruence and brand reputation affect brand loyalty through the mediating role of customer trust. Using the co-branding partnership between Luckin Coffee and the culturally iconic video game Black Myth: Wukong as the empirical context, the study collected survey data from 420 consumers who had purchased the co-branded product. Structural equation modeling was employed to test the proposed hypotheses. The results reveal that both brand image congruence and brand reputation exert significant positive direct effects on brand loyalty. Furthermore, brand image congruence and brand reputation each have significant positive effects on customer trust, which in turn significantly enhances brand loyalty. Critically, customer trust partially mediates the relationships between both brand image congruence and brand loyalty, and between brand reputation and brand loyalty, with indirect effects accounting for approximately 34% of the total effects in both paths. These findings extend trust-commitment theory to the dual-brand alliance context, highlighting customer trust as a central psychological bridge. The study also underscores the importance of symbolic fit and cultural resonance in emerging markets such as China. Practically, the results suggest that managers should prioritize partner congruence, actively cultivate brand reputation, and strategically build consumer trust to maximize the effectiveness of co-branding initiatives. Limitations regarding sample generalizability and cross-sectional design are discussed, with future research directions proposed.
KEYWORDS:Brand image congruence; Brand reputation; Customer trust; Brand loyalty; Co-branding
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Cite this Article:Jia, Y., & Mooi, W. K. (2026). The Impact of Brand Image Congruence and Brand Reputation on Brand Loyalty: The Mediating Role of Customer Trust. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCE HUMANITY & MANAGEMENT RESEARCHS, 5(6), 1757-1770. https://doi.org/10.58806/ijsshmr.2026.v5i6n43