摘要：Objective: To develop and test a theoretical model on brand love and its consequences on behavioral intentions related to loyalty and word-of-mouth communication among participants in the street carnival in Belo Horizonte. Methodology: A survey research was carried out on the internet and reached 522 valid responses. The target audience was the revelers who participated in the street carnival in Belo Horizonte. Data analysis used structural equation modeling techniques. Originality: This is a model developed specifically to understand a phenomenon that is the growth of Belo Horizonte's street carnival. This study is a pioneer in Brazil on brand love and carnival. Thus, a model based on brand love was developed in conjunction with word-of-mouth communication to explain this event's high level of loyalty and growth. Main results: The brand love for the Belo Horizonte carnival is high, and the developed model reached nomological validity, as supported by all hypotheses. Thus, it is concluded that brand love significantly and positively impacts loyalty and the intention to make word of mouth, just as loyalty also impacts word of mouth. Theoretical contributions: Developing an explanatory model about loyalty and WOM based on brand love. This work also brings as an academic contribution the study in an unexplored sector for this theme, deepening the knowledge on the subject and its consequences in terms of loyalty and word of mouth.
