Impact of Brand Relationship Quality on Brand Love with Mediating Effect of Customer Engagement with Special Reference to Beauty Care Industry in Western Province of Sri Lanka

Abstract

In today’s digital era, social media has reshaped consumer brand interactions, making emotional connections a crucial factor for loyalty in the beauty care industry. Despite growing evidence that brand relationship quality drives brand love, limited research has examined how customer engagement mediates this relationship in emerging markets such as Sri Lanka. Addressing this gap, the present study investigated the impact of Brand Relationship Quality on Brand Love through Customer Engagement within social media-based brand communities (SMBBCs) in the Western Province. The study specifically aimed to assess the influence of Brand Relationship Quality and its dimensions (Partner Quality, Intimacy, Self-Concept Connection, and Nostalgic Connection) on Brand Love, examine the effect of Brand Relationship Quality on Customer Engagement, test the impact of Customer Engagement on Brand Love, and explore the mediating role of Customer Engagement between Brand Relationship Quality and Brand Love. A quantitative survey design was employed, targeting a population of beauty care consumers active on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok brand communities. Using a convenience sample of 384 respondents, data were collected via structured questionnaires and analysed using SPSS and PROCESS Macro. Findings indicate that all brand relationship quality dimensions significantly predicted brand love, and customer engagement partially mediates the link between partner quality and brand love. These results highlighted the strategic role of customer engagement in strengthening emotional bonds between consumers and beauty brands in digital spaces. The study contributed to the literature by contextualising Brand Relationship Quality—Brand Love dynamics in a South Asian market and provides practical insights for marketers to enhance consumer loyalty through interactive and trust-based online engagement.