The Mediating Role of Consumer Brand Engagement in Social Media Marketing and Brand Equity

Abstract

This research investigates the role of consumer brand engagement as a mediator between social media marketing and consumer-based brand equity within the context of luxury perfume brands. By employing a quantitative methodology, data were gathered from 322 participants who not only possess significant knowledge of luxury perfume brands but are also actively engaged on social media platforms. The study highlights several important findings, particularly the positive correlations between consumer brand engagement and consumer-based brand equity, identifying cognition, emotion, and behavior as key dimensions of CBE that contribute to the development of CBBE. The research further emphasizes the influence of various SMM dimensions, including entertainment, interaction, personalization, trendiness, and word of mouth, on CBBE components such as brand loyalty, perceived quality, and brand awareness/associations. These dimensions of social media marketing were found to positively impact how consumers engage with the brand and how they form perceptions of the brand's value. Additionally, the study confirms that compelling content in social media marketing significantly enhances consumer brand engagement, establishing a direct link between SMM and CBE. Moreover, the study supports the existence of a sequential relationship from social media marketing to consumer brand engagement and, in turn, to consumer-based brand equity. This suggests that social media marketing not only directly influences consumer engagement but also indirectly enhances brand equity by fostering greater consumer loyalty, awareness, and perceived quality. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of how social media marketing strategies can leverage consumer engagement to strengthen brand equity, especially in the luxury perfume industry.