“Does brand love strictly increase purchase intention? The case of Linio”

Given that feelings toward a brand allow for a mutually beneficial relationship, it is easy to assume that they are closely related to the customer’s willingness to buy as if they increase or decrease probably in the same proportion. Consequently, this study aims to observe the attractiveness of the Linio brand, one of Latin America’s most important e-commerce platforms, on the part of its consumers in northern Peru. The paper is quantitative, correlational, cross-sectional, and non-experimental; a probabilistic sampling was applied to 385 young consumers. The study used Microsoft Excel for the descriptive analysis, while the coefficients were applied with IBM SPSS Statistics. After applying Spearman’s Rho tests, the results showed a moderate relationship, with the satisfaction and love dimensions having the highest values. In contrast, the word-of-mouth communication and commitment dimensions have the lowest values. The study presents a moderate positive relationship between the variables brand love and purchase intention, which shows that the link is not as close as initially thought. Furthermore, brand loyalty has a slightly contradictory behavior despite individuals’ level of brand love.


INTRODUCTION
In the information age, competition and change are constantly increasing along with globalization, so consumers and marketers in the 21st century have to keep up with the pace of the world (Guaña et al., 2017). However, COVID-19 has left the global economy vulnerable to a new crisis that will continue to intensify for the rest of the year and have long-term effects on the whole world (Băhnăreanu, 2020). As a result, many companies around the world were forced to enter fully or partially into the electronic world (Rodríguez et al., 2020), as e-commerce is one of the few sectors that has been able to profit from being a model whose value fits the situation (Pantelimon & Georgescu, 2020).
According to Cuervo (2020) and Tejeda (2021), e-commerce in Peru in 2020 has grown by 132% compared to 2019. It gained a 35% share of card-based consumption; months before the pandemic, the figure was only 12.5%. We Are Social and HootSuite show that online shoppers grew from 6 million in 2019 to 11.8 million at the end of 2020, while entrepreneurship has quadruplicated, reaching more than 260,000 (Kemp, 2021). The Chamber of Commerce and Production of Lima sustains that 33% of Peruvian users do online shopping once a month, 20% -every 15 days, 20.1% -buy online weekly, and 10.9% -every two months (Perú Retail, 2022).
For these reasons, Palomino et al. (2020) argue that it is nearly a requirement for companies to adopt an e-commerce dimension, as it is known that having only one sale and communication channel is not compatible with the modern marketplace (Ivanova, 2020). Álvarez and Marín (2020) and Limas (2020) mentioned that e-commerce makes it easier for companies to reach a high number of consumers, as it works as an additional or alternative marketing channel, stimulating the economic movement of nations at the same time. Companies need features that ensure greater security, experience, and satisfaction for purchasing and consumption decisions (Ganichev & Koshovets, 2021). In summary, the pandemic has accelerated the e-commerce that would be expected in 5 years to just 3 months, along with a 300% growth in the number of deliveries (Cámara Peruana de Comercio Electrónico, 2021).
Linio, a marketplace with a steady trajectory since its founding in 2012, has achieved a strong positioning as a brand at the level of several Latin American countries. Since 2018, it has taken part in the Falabella Group, which acquired greater stock strength (Forbes, 2018). In Peru, Linio has accomplished the greatest brand recall among the people who buy online (Perú Retail, 2021). It is also recognized as one of the quickest online stores, owning more than 170 pick-up points in the country, a number of visits of 4,650,000, and more than 8,800 professional sellers (Cámara Peruana de Comercio Electrónico, 2021). Nowadays, it ranks seventh in Peru in its category (SimilarWeb, n.d.).
The city of Cajamarca, located in northern Peru, is the fifth Peruvian region with the highest population and growth rate, according to the 2018 Census (Instituto Nacional de Estadística e Informática, 2018). The city is also seeing this change in the outlook due to the remarkable progress of e-commerce and has more and more online retail brands at its disposal; moreover, the percentage of internet users reached 56.6% of the population (Secretaría Nacional de la Juventud, 2021). With this background, the following question arises: what is the relationship between the love for the Linio brand and consumer purchase intention in Cajamarca in 2021? Rahman et al. (2021) conducted a study with 222 business students. They considered brand love a critical goal, especially for managing consumer goods, given its positive effects on desirable behavioral outcomes. Thus, consumers are willing to pay higher prices, forgive brand mistakes, speak positively about the brand, and show loyalty when they love a brand.

LITERATURE REVIEW
Otero and Pérez (2020) mentioned that consumers are not wholly rational. It has been shown that appealing to reason is not as effective as dealing with feelings because the latter allows developing relationships with the brand rather than simple purchases for convenience. In other words, it enables consumer loyalty and establishes a win-win relationship. Camirra and Jiménez (2015) indicated that brand love increases the opportunities for the company since a much higher degree of profitability, competitiveness, and positioning is achieved. Larregui et al. (2019) noted how important it is for a brand to develop emotional bonds with its consumers. In addition, companies should give more importance to this competition to win the heart of each customer. Affection toward a brand translates into greater satisfaction and loyalty, encouraging consumers to share their experiences with others. Sandoval et al. (2018) referred to opposite cases, where a consumer has had a negative experience or gained a wrong perception toward a company (either due to bad practices, lack of ethics, pollution, etc.). This can lead to avoiding everything related to the brand, something very harmful in terms of marketing. Caro and Sicilia (2014) supported the previous case. Their study observes that first impressions are decisive in defining an attitude, and they propose two possible scenarios. Taken to the business environment, it can be said that if the first impression toward a brand is positive, it will enable a greater adherence to it. On the contrary, if it is negative, its effect will be much stronger, as well as the effort required to solve the case and get a user to change to a favorable attitude.
The IPSOS (2021) report points to the growing use of electronic media by the general population. There are 7.1 million internet shoppers, representing half of the adult population of urban Peru within 18-70 years old and socioeconomic levels ABCD. In addition, 75% of online shopping is done through web pages, 46% in apps, and 38% in social networks. As for devices, smartphones and computers are the most used, reaching 61% and 60%, respectively.
Subsequently, IPSOS (2021) updated its report, revealing that Internet users increased to 13.5 million (having grown by half a million in 3 years), representing 80% of the urban population between 17 and 80 years old in the country. However, smartphones remain the first device used, and the most frequent uses of the internet are research, communication, social networks, entertainment, and news.
In these inconsistent times that are affecting in different ways both people and the business environment, it is essential to be alert to any change in consumers. This study is another step in this whole process to achieve an understanding between brands and consumers, which will serve both to conduct and promote future studies and as a reference for current companies and future entrepreneurs to be interested in strategies that lead to an emotional bond with their consumers.
The concept of brand has been identified from several perspectives. Twedt (1960) noted it as "a name, symbol or design, or a combination aimed to identify the products or services of a seller or sales group and to differentiate them from the rest of competitors." For Ogilvy (1963), it is the addition of various attributes or factors that composes a product: its name, packaging, price, history, reputation, and the way it is advertised. At the same time, it highlights that "a brand resides above everything, in the people's mind, who access it through one or more of their contact points." According to McLaughlin (2011), the value that people grants to brands lives mainly in the mental construction that they build about them, with the perceptions, emotions, and generated experiences resulting essential; namely, their existence lives in the people's mind. In the same line, John Hegarty, the advertising industry icon (McMains, 2014), ensured that a brand is "the world's most valuable piece of ground, a corner in one person's mind." This is meaningful not only for big companies but also for the SMEs, independently of their size. Gallart-Camahort et al. (2019) noted that a brand would aid in outlining the relationship that a customer establishes with the business.
Love has been identified as an indicator of the quality of the brand-consumer relationship. As a result, several studies have been carried out on this new marketing term. This concept aims to create an emotional bond between a consumer and a brand or brands of his or her preference, thus building loyalty that goes beyond logic. Some authors consider love for a brand to be a unidirectional sense (Fournier, 1998 In today's marketing, understanding the emotional aspects of a consumer when selecting a brand has become one of the main objectives for companies. This way, the relationship between customers and brands becomes stronger and longer-lasting (Coelho et al., 2019). The love between a brand and a consumer is a feeling that can be characterized as intimate and exciting, with a high level of commitment, working similarly to the bonds created between people. Moreover, the most relevant aspects when analyzing this relationship are satisfaction, commitment, love, and word-of-mouth communication ( On its dimensions, satisfaction is the level of cohesion between the expectation of service and what is actually obtained, providing evidence of how good or bad the service rendered is. Word-of-mouth or WOM communication refers to what a person expresses to others about something (commonly based on experiences). Given the modern reality, the term electronic WOM or e-WOM has recently been coined, which is a form of highly relevant information in decisions and is considered a good reason to build brand love ( . Love has been a pervasive and debated term over the years. However, for this study, it will be summarized as an intense feeling of esteem, interest, or concern for someone or something. In terms of commitment, it can be understood as the dedication to a certain activity that generates satisfaction. Applying the idea of marketing involves creating or sustaining bonds with a brand ( A concept that has been used in specialized marketing literature to predict subsequent or successive purchase behavior is defined as the willingness of a consumer to make a purchase through the internet. It is also considered a good predictor of actual consumer behavior. It is born from the expectation of what will be obtained (it can be something positive or negative) by performing a particular action. If what is expected is more beneficial than harmful in an individual's mind, the latter will be more likely to act. Transferred to the modern world, the dimensions of perception of the norm, perception of behavioral control, frequency of internet use, and use of social networks can be distinguished ( Talking about the perception of the norm, this is determined by the perceived social pressure to perform, or not to perform, a given behavior. Once attitudes have been formed, the perception of the norm and the perception of behavioral control are directly available to guide intentions and behavior (Fishbein & Ajzen, 2009; Cordova-Buiza et al., 2022a; Dogliotti et al., 2020). On the other hand, the frequency of internet use is discussed, starting from the amount of time it is used or the type of activities performed online, being this last way of conceptualizing it the one that is receiving more attention lately (the interest is more focused on how and not so much on how much). Finally, social networks are detailed as media where users can spread information and communicate at different levels, both with friends and strangers (Boyd & Ellison, 2007;Celaya, 2008).

AIMS AND HYPOTHESES
The aim is to measure the relationship between brand love and purchase intention of Linio in Cajamarca in 2021. Therefore, the study hypotheses seek to identify how strong the relationship between the love for the Linio brand is (including every dimension that composes it on its own). The hypotheses are: H1: There is a positive relationship between brand love and purchase intention in Cajamarca.
H2: There is a positive relationship between consumer satisfaction and intention to purchase the Linio brand in Cajamarca.
H3: There is a positive relationship between word-of-mouth communication and consumer intention to purchase the Linio brand in Cajamarca.
H4: There is a positive relationship between love and consumers' intention to purchase the Linio brand in Cajamarca.
H5: There is a positive relationship between commitment and consumers' intention to purchase the Linio brand in Cajamarca. Figure 1 shows the study design, with the brand love variable and its dimensions in relation to purchase intention.

METHODOLOGY
The population was delimited to the city of Cajamarca, in northern Peru, whose total population is 225,800 inhabitants (Compañía Peruana de Estudios de Mercados y Opinión Pública . By calculating the total population in Cajamarca (the population at the regional level was used since the study only segmented by age for regions and not for cities) and the population of young people from Cajamarca aged 18 to 24, it was obtained that the latter segment comprises 10.84% of the total population. It resulted in an estimated 24,487 young people aged between 18 and 24, a figure that became the actual population.
A probabilistic random sampling of 95% reliability with an error of 5% has been proposed. By applying the corresponding formula, it was obtained that the sample is 385 young people from Cajamarca between 18 and 24 years old, a number that is taken into consideration for the study. Individuals who do not belong to this age range, do not reside in the city of Cajamarca, or made no purchases through Linio are not taken into account in the results.
The data collection instrument is the questionnaire, with a Likert scale of 1 to 5, translated impartially as null, low, neutral, high, and very high, respectively. The survey was used as a collection technique.
In order to evaluate brand love, 12 items indicated by Larregui et al. (2019) were considered; Cronbach's Alpha is 0.961, demonstrating that it is valid for use. On the purchase intention, an instrument presented by Jimenez (2018) with Cronbach's Alpha of 0.821 was taken into account, implying a set of 7 items. With this set of 19 items, a survey was created in Google Forms. This instrument was distributed through digital media such as social networks, various websites, and referrals/contacts of the authors, among other possible means, during the period programmed in the schedule of activities.
The software used for the descriptive analysis was Microsoft Excel. At the same time, everything related to the application of coefficients was done by using IBM SPSS Statistics, one of the most representative programs in the field of statistics. Regarding the brand love and purchase intention variables, individually, a descriptive analysis was made through frequency tables, obtaining values such as mean, mode, median, variance, and standard deviation. On the correlational aspect, a nor-mality test was performed to define the appropriate correlation coefficient to evaluate the inference between both variables. Table 1 shows a reliability check of the instruments using Cronbach's Alpha to reaffirm the validity of the questionnaire. Next, Table 2 shows the normality tests for a sample > 50 (Kolmogorov-Smirnov) to determine the non-parametric statistical test used in this paper.

RESULTS
As specified in the schedule, within the designated period, 385 valid surveys were collected (slightly exceeding the required sample); that is, reliable responses from individuals who met the inclusion criteria: being between 18 and 24 years old, living in the city of Cajamarca, and having used the Linio platform. However, it should be mentioned that some data were not considered relevant for the study (for example, gender, occupation, marital status, among others) and were omitted.
The study aims to determine whether there is a positive relationship between the proposed variables, for which it is necessary to test the validity of the general assumption: there is a significant relationship between the love for the Linio brand and consumer purchase intention in Cajamarca. This then becomes the alternative hypothesis (H1) and its specific hypotheses (H2, H3, H4, and H5). Naturally, there is a possibility that the alternative hypothesis will be rejected. Consequently, the null hypothesis (Ho) is obtained; it is translated into: there is no significant relationship between the love for the Linio brand and consumer purchase intention in Cajamarca. Note: ** -Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (two-tailed).

Correlation between satisfaction dimension and purchase intention Satisfaction Purchase intention
Spearman's Rho Note: ** -Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (two-tailed). Note: ** -Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (two-tailed). Note: ** -Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (two-tailed). Note: ** -Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (two-tailed).
Following the guidelines proposed in the methodology, Spearman's Rho correlation coefficient was obtained for the study since it measures the degree of association and the sense of this link, being applied through IBM SPSS Statistics. First, the procedures were done for brand love in relation to the purchase intention variable according to the general hypothesis. Then the process was repeated for each dimension of the first variable in relation to the four specific hypotheses of the study (Tables  3-7). Figure 2 shows the results of Spearman's rho tests following each of the hypotheses proposed. Figure 2 shows the correlation coefficient for brand love and each of its dimensions towards purchase intention. As seen, all of them point a positive link between both variables, as it was assumed for this study.

DISCUSSION
In the Spearman's Rho tests, shown in Figure  After evaluating the coefficients, the following can be affirmed: there is a moderate positive relationship between the brand love variable (as well as each of its dimensions separately) and the purchase intention variable. These correspond to the general hypothesis and the respective specific hypotheses so that the null hypothesis (Ho) is rejected: there is no significant relationship between the love for the Linio brand and consumer purchase intention in Cajamarca.
In contrast, the alternative hypothesis (Hi) is accepted: there is a significant relationship between the love for the Linio brand and consumer purchase intention in Cajamarca (Martínez et al., 2009).
The item: "My life would be unbalanced if I had to replace Linio" shows a more negative than positive trend, implying that, although Linio consumers show a positive bond to the brand, it does not reach a level that could be close to emotional dependence. It is believed that this is because in Cajamarca, marketing, in general, is not yet practiced with as much frequency or magnitude as in other places. Therefore, a consumer is not used to becoming tied to a brand. In the case of "Even if I wanted to, it would be very difficult for me to replace Linio," there is a very slight increase in unfavorable responses. For "In general, I trust the opinions of users on the Internet more than what company X says in its advertising," the distribution of responses, although positive, is more balanced, indicating a distinct difference of opinions between whether the statements of other users or those of the brand itself are more important.
The distribution of frequencies has a very similar behavior among all items, achieving a positive trend in general terms. A consumer in Cajamarca is highly willing to purchase products through Linio, more than an emotional connection to a brand itself expresses. Linio duly meets the needs of its customers, although they do not remember the brand to the same extent. The evidence shows that users can easily switch brands, even if they have already developed a bond with anyone.
The criterion rating implies a regular impact. Online shopping is conspicuous, and the use of social networks is very high. These facts may have been reinforced since the beginning of the quaran- tine in February 2020. In addition, the amount of time spent searching for information online is high in relation to the description of a modern consumer, who has a large amount of easily accessible information available to him/her (Guaña et al., 2017).
Concerning brand love and purchase intention, despite having positive results, they only have a moderate level of relationship. Kumar et al. (2021) found the same positive relationship between both variables. On the other hand, Navaneethakrishnan and Sathish (2020) also obtained a positive result, but at a substantial level, which marks a slight difference to be considered.
On consumer satisfaction and purchase intention, it is found that both have a relevant degree of relationship, proving that anyone who feels satisfied with the service provided by Linio is more likely to purchase products on this platform. Wonyoung et al. (2017) achieved similar results, arguing that satisfaction is both a predictor of the consumer's future purchase intention and a guide to how he or she can act. Fazal-e-Hasan et al. (2019) concluded that consumer purchase intention could be assessed by examining satisfaction levels.
The link between word-of-mouth (WOM) communication and purchase intention is minor. Shuaib et al. (2021) suggested an indirect (with the brand image in between) positive relationship between these variables. Yuan and Pelusso (2021) confirmed this relationship. They added new information by explaining how word-of-mouth references influence purchase intention in two cases: when a user has an independent perception and when it is interdependent. Belanche et al. (2013) emphasized that word-of-mouth has become one of the most important sources of information in purchase intention. Consumers tend to prefer to rely on a more personal and informal type of communication (such as the recommendation of another buyer) than on direct sources with obvious marketing objectives, as in the case of advertising. Plidtookpai and Yoopetch (2021) and Ladhari and Michaud (2015) agree that word-of-mouth communication affects a consumer's purchase intention.
Regarding the love dimension and the purchase intention variable, the relationship between them is noticed, suggesting that if love increases, so will purchase intention. Larregui et al. (2019) argued that the love developed by a consumer creates more significant commitment. This emotional bond positively intervenes in a consumer's expectations by matching or exceeding them, strengthening, in turn, the intention to continue buying and recommending the brand. Navaneethakrishnan and Sathish (2020) agreed that the feeling of brand love is essential to achieve a sale or repeat it.
As for commitment and the purchase intention variable, they have a moderate relationship. Das (2014) found a significant effect of loyalty on purchase intention. Bustamante (2015) mentioned that purchase intention is related to loyalty because a customer has a preference and commitment to the brand, which will lead him/her to purchase the product.
However, the study has some limitations. The scarce literature with the same variables meant that it was only possible to contrast with other studies partially (each variable separately). This makes it challenging to verify possible changes, evolutions, or differences that may have been generated over time, especially in the current scenario. The survey was conducted only by virtual means since the pandemic represents a risk that should not be ignored, together with the different security measures that could impede the application of the instrument, had it been carried out physically. In addition, there was little information about the company under study (Linio) in Cajamarca. Previously, studies have been carried out on the degree of popularity of the company, but only in Lima (as this is the capital of the country and has more activity).
Based on what has already been mentioned, the future projections that can result from this paper should be highlighted. The first is based on the fact that future research will try to use new marketing terms, such as the one discussed in this study, to enrich knowledge and research that will contribute to developing new business marketing strategies. Secondly, new studies should be conducted on the importance of e-commerce and its accelerated growth due to the pandemic, representing new opportunities for all companies. Finally, possible studies that investigate the singularities found, such as why the relationship between the two variables is not as strong as in other studies, are needed.

CONCLUSION
There is a moderate relationship between the love for the Linio brand and the purchase intention of Cajamarca consumers aged between 18 and 24 years old, accepting the alternative hypothesis (H1). Likewise, the four specific hypotheses (H2, H3, H4, and H5) have been accepted after testing that each brand love dimension has the same relationship level with the purchase intention variable.
The opinions collected through the survey show that Linio achieves a high level of satisfaction among most of its consumers, and a satisfied customer will be more likely to repeat the purchase. This positive experience generates good reviews for the brand (responses to items in both dimensions have similar behavior), which may have greater value than brand advertising. It can also be seen, thanks to the love dimension, that Linio has already advanced in terms of creating emotional bonds with its consumers. This is the dimension with the most significant influence on purchase intention simultaneously. As far as commitment is concerned, this is where it is perceived that a consumer in Cajamarca does not tend to be loyal to a brand. Despite caring about the brand, most of them state that they would have few problems if they stopped using this platform. However, this does not change the fact that commitment is linked to purchase intention. Therefore, it is recommended to pay special attention to this point for future applications and thus compare their results with the rest.