Digital brand loyalty

Abstract

The transformative impact of social media on consumer digital loyalty to brands has been studied in the context of the latest technological, communi­cative, and behavioural trends. It is substantiated that digital loyalty is no longer purely an emotional attachment to a brand; instead, it has become the result of personalized multi-channel interaction based on analytical data, emotional synchroniza­tion, algorithmic targeting, and co-created content. It has been hypothesized that the use of gamification, social proof elements, dynamic personalization, and active interaction with communities in social media environments can significantly enhance user enga­gement, emotional attachment, and the repeated performance of target actions. The research metho­dology is based on a mixed approach: the qualitative analysis includes content analysis of digital commu­nication marketing cases of popular brands, visual content analysis, and interpretation of user-gene­rated content (UGC); the quantitative approach, in turn, includes the analysis of key loyalty metrics such as Net Promoter Score (NPS), Customer Lifetime Value (CLV), and Customer Effort Score (CES), as well as aggregated indicators measuring consumer behaviour parameters on social media. The novelty of the research lies in integrating a strategic approach to brand management with the theories of modern behavioural economics, the influence of social networks, and the consideration of cognitive effects on consumers from a psychological perspective. The research results allow us to reconsider the role of social networks not only as a communication channel, but also as a complex digital environment for fostering loyalty to brands and individual products. A model titled "Social Media – Emotional Engagement – Behavioural Loyalty" is proposed, which elucidates the mechanisms influencing long-term brand loyalty. The practical significance of the study lies in the possibility of applying its results to enhance the effectiveness of companiesʼ and brandsʼ digital marketing strategies, particularly in small and medium-sized enterprises.