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ABSTRACT Purpose: Developing and keeping customers' loyalty in relation to the brand is a strategic requisite for well-succeeded business. Thus, our main purpose was to develop and validate a theoretical model concerning customers brand loyalty. Originality/value: We explored perceived quality, brand awareness, brand personality, and brand love as brand loyalty determinants. In this sense, the focus of this study was to analyze the impact of some brand loyalty determinant constructs. Design/methodology/approach: The study was implemented by means of a survey, applied to 284 customers of a soft drink brand from Northeast Brazil that was acquired by one of the biggest soft drink producers in the world. Data were analyzed through multivariate statistics and applying structural equation modeling technic. Findings: It was possible to evidence that there is a positive relation between the constructs brand awareness and perceived quality and positive influence of brand personality over brand awareness, as well as perceived quality over brand love. Also, evidence showed that brand love influences brand loyalty and that consumption level is a meaningful moderator of this relation.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) ; Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) ; Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness ; Government of Catalonia ; European Union (COST Action) ; Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness: CGL2013-43822-R ; Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness: CGL2015-69311-REDT ; Government of Catalonia: 2014 SGR 484 ; European Union (COST Action): TD1209 ; Zika, chikungunya, yellow fever, and dengue are mainly transmitted to humans through Aedes mosquitoes. In attempts to control these diseases, governments and the public have encouraged the use of fish predators to control mosquito populations. However, the efficacy of using these predators for mosquito-population control is largely unproven and dubious, particularly for container-breeding mosquitoes that reproduce in minute aquatic habitats, which are unsuitable for fish. Moreover, the use of nonnative fish for biological control entails a high potential risk of promoting escapes and invasions, which can impair ecosystem functioning and biodiversity. Although this risk is recognized, the practice may intensify in countries affected by recent epidemics transmitted by Aedes spp. Therefore, we argue that the use of nonnative fishes to control Aedes mosquitoes is ungrounded and ecologically damaging and point out that other approaches (e.g., habitat management, biotechnological tools, and more evidence-based integrated management) should be used to combat mosquito-borne human diseases.

Plastics are dominant pollutants in freshwater ecosystems worldwide. Scientific studies that investigated the interaction between plastics and freshwater biodiversity are incipient, especially if compared to the marine realm. In this review, we provide a brief overview of plastic pollution in freshwater ecosystems around the world. We found evidence of plastic ingestion by 206 freshwater species, from invertebrates to mammals, in natural or semi-natural ecosystems. In addition, we reported other consequences of synthetic polymers in freshwater ecosystems—including, for instance, the entanglement of animals of different groups (e.g., birds). The problem of plastic pollution is complex and will need coordinated actions, such as recycling programs, correct disposal, stringent legislation, regular inspection, replacement of synthetic polymers with other materials, and ecological restoration. Current information indicates that the situation in freshwater ecosystems may be as detrimental as the pollution found in the ocean, although highly underappreciated. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version of this article (10.1007/s13280-020-01496-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.