Modeling e-loyalty of Polish young consumers : comparing the impact of selected online communication tools in 2016 and 2021

The dynamic changes on the market make it necessary to undertake marketing activities that are tailored to the expectations of customers. The wide availability of the Internet and the opportunities it creates, on the one hand, open up space for new forms of reaching customers, and on the other hand, expand the market of competitors to global companies. In order to ensure a stable position in the online space, companies should take actions that allow them to build e-loyalty determined by factors such as: trust, satisfaction, and commitment. For this, it is necessary to know the target group to which the actions are to be directed. The aim of the article is to identify the impact of selected online communication tools on the strength e-loyalty between a young consumer and the company and to verify the changes that have occurred in this area in the last 5 years. The article is divided into theoretical, methodological and empirical parts. The empirical part presents the results of research conducted among young people aged 15-24. The research was conducted in 2016 and in 2021 using the CATI and PAPI method, in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in Poland. The sample size was in 2016 n = 502; in 2021 n = 472. The obtained results indicate a significant change in the impact of the tested online communication tools over 5 years. This differentiation is visible both in the definition of e-loyalty by young consumers, and in the strength and direction of the impact of the studied constructs. This achievement emphasizes the need to conduct systematic research among representatives of the young generation, whose preferences and expectations regarding the company’s online activities are changing dynamically.