The Mediating Effect of Online Brand Engagement on Customer Experience: An Emerging Market Perspective

Of rapidly growing importance to practitioners and scholars is customer brand engagement and customer experience. The study examines the mediating effect of online brand engagement in the relationship between customer satisfaction, electronic word-of-mouth, digital platform and COVID-19 and customer experience from a developing country perspective, through the lens of the Service-Dominant Logic theory. Using the online survey method of data collection, a total of 552 valid responses were conveniently collected through a carefully designed questionnaire. The study employed the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling technique (PLS-SEM) to test the various hypotheses. The study revealed positive relationships between Covid-19, customer satisfaction electronic word of mouth and online brand engagement with the relationship being stronger for electronic word of mouth. The findings provide valuable insights into how providers of services can create valuable customer experiences through customer online brand engagement. The study emphasizes the need for business practitioners to innovatively engage their customers, particularly through electronic word of mouth in their efforts to improve customer experience with their brands.