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.
