The word “advocate” has French and Latin origins. It has multiple applications, including legal, political, social care, and marketplace. It is the marketplace applications where the business, academic marketing, and management consulting communities have focused. Essentially, advocacy can be defined as active personal espousal or support of a brand, product, service, or company. As a concept and measurement technique, advocacy should not be confused with recommendation, which is simply one possible outcome of advocacy behavior.

 …