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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Brands as relationship builders in the virtual world: A bibliometric analysis

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Abstract Given the growing role of brands as relationship partners and relationship facilitators and the pre-eminence of the online environment for consumers, this article contributes to the understanding of virtual brand-centric relationships by presenting the first bibliometric mapping analysis of the academic research into the topic from its conception until 2018. Using keyword co-occurrence, it examines 585 records and identifies the most productive countries, journals, influential authors and papers, and research clusters. With 96% of the published records appearing between 2010 and 2018, this analysis revealed that the field is emergent. The research primarily originates from authors based in the USA, China and the UK. It also is highly fragmented, with papers being published in information management and marketing/branding journals, with cross-citations lacking. In addition, its foundations rest on a small number of works published in a handful of journals by just a few academics. The analysis also identified three main clusters of keywords: (a) identity, feelings and relationship outcomes; (b) relational elements; and (c) relationship facilitation. This bibliometric analysis brings insights together from different research streams, adds to the categorization of the literature on the topic, and provides promising future research directions in terms of research areas and strategies.