Customer Engagement through Love and Trust: Building Brand Equity in the Retail Industry

Abstract

This research study examines retailer brand equity on the basis of customer brand engagement with the mediating effect of brand love and brand trust. The main objective of this study is to find how customer’s engagement, interaction and trust lead to an increased Retailers Brand Equity. The study has been conducted using a consumer lens whereby it also gives recommendations as to how a brand can control and utilize its customer brand engagement to develop superior customer intimacy and build long term brand equity. This research also exhibits how brand trust acts as a mediator to build strong relationships between the retailer and customer. One of the major aims of this study is to enrich the literature regarding the study variables and developing a clearer picture regarding their relationship with one another. Specifically, the path through the mediating role of Brand Love is a comparatively novel one, as previous researches mainly rely on brand intimacy and loyalty. The data was collected through questionnaires from 300 respondents, consisting of consumers of leading retail chains. Data analysis was done using Process Hayes double mediation model 4 in SPSS. The study makes a theoretical contribution by applying the attachment theory to a new avenue of behavioural research. It will help understand how the interaction between brands/retailers and their customers contribute towards their long term bonding and mutual trust. Brands can use the findings of this research to better understand the art of creating valuable relationships with their customers.

Keywords

• retailer brand equity
• brand love
• brand trust
• customer engagement
• attachment theory