The effect of self-city brand connection on city brand ambassadorial behavior in a cultural city: the mediating role of city attachment

Cities construct attractive urban images by formulating brand strategies to gain a competitive advantage, with widespread application of the cultural city brand. However, the mutual influence and effects between brand construction and urban residents still require further exploration. Therefore, this study explores the relationships among cultural city characteristics, self-city brand connection, city attachment, and city brand ambassadorial behavior. Through an online survey of residents in Chengdu, a cultural city in China, 285 valid questionnaires were collected, and structural equation modeling was employed to test the research hypotheses. The findings indicate that cultural city characteristics significantly and positively impact the formation of the self-city brand connection. Self-city brand connection plays a significant positive role in city attachment and city brand ambassadorial behavior. Moreover, city attachment acts not only as a driving factor for city brand ambassadorial behavior but also as a mediating factor between self-city brand connection and brand ambassadorial behavior. The results of this study contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the impact of the cultural city brand on residents, providing a deeper theoretical foundation and practical guidance for future urban brand management and development.