Brand Experience, Engagement, and Relationship Quality as Antecedents of Brand Equity: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Purpose: Brand equity is a multi-dimensional, multi-faceted, and contextually determined construct, oscillating from branding to experience, engagement, trust, and relationship. As antecedents of brand equity‚ experiential‚ relational‚ emotional/affectual‚ psychological‚ health‚ and self-expressive dimensions have not yet been integrated into a single model‚ the branding literature is fragmented․

Methods: The study performed a systematic literature search based on the PRISMA checklist. Researchers identified‚ screened‚ and extracted articles from 2000 to 2025‚ resulting in the inclusion of 184 peer-reviewed articles․ All bibliometric analyses were conducted using Biblioshiny and VOSviewer.

Findings: Research on brand equity antecedents is increasing at an annual rate of 9․37%․ Five intellectual clusters are identified from the brand equity antecedent literature: brand experience, brand trust, brand love, brand relationship quality, and branding in digital and social media channels. The network analysis suggests that brand trust is the most central bridging construct that connects brand experience and relational antecedents to brand equity outcomes.

Implications: The study has a theoretical contribution in the form of the Brand Experience-Equity Model (BEEM)‚ which introduces experiential‚ relational‚ and emotional constructs into a full model․

Originality: First, this study conceptually and systematically explores the antecedents of brand equity in terms of brand experience, brand engagement, and brand relationship quality. Second, it addresses the role of two thematized constructs, brand trust and brand love.

Ultimately, the research develops a unified theoretical framework and recognizes areas for future research to overcome the fragmentation in the literature.

  • Page Number : 55-65

  • Published Date : 2026-09-01

  • Keywords
    Brand equity‚ Brand trust‚ Brand engagement‚ Bibliometric analysis

  • DOI Number
    10.15415/jtmge/2026.171006

  • Authors
    Ajay Kumar Dogra and Manpreet Kaur

References

  • Aaker, D. A. (1991). Managing brand equity: Capitalizing on the value of a brand name. New York, 28(1), 35–37. https://doi.org/10.2307/1252048
  • Aaker, D. A. (1996). Building strong brands. Free Press. https://books.google.com/books?id=E_cOAQAAMAAJ
  • Aria, M., & Cuccurullo, C. (2017). bibliometrix: An R-tool for comprehensive science mapping analysis. Journal of Informetrics, 11(4), 959–975. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joi.2017.08.007
  • Barney, J. B. (1991). Firm resources and sustained competitive advantage. Journal of Management, 17(1), 99–120. https://doi.org/10.1177/014920639101700108
  • Batra, R., Ahuvia, A., & Bagozzi, R. P. (2012). Brand love. Journal of Marketing, 76(2), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1509/jm.09.0339
  • Blau, P. M. (1964). Exchange and power in social life (Vol. 1964). John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated.
  • Bowlby, J. (1969). Attachment and loss: Vol. 1. Attachment. Basic Books.
  • Brakus, J. J., Schmitt, B. H., & Zarantonello, L. (2009). Brand experience: What is it? How is it measured? Does it affect loyalty? Journal of Marketing, 73(3), 52–68. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmkg.73.3.52
  • Brodie, R. J., Hollebeek, L. D., Jurić, B., & Ilić, A. (2011). Customer engagement: Conceptual domain, fundamental propositions, and implications for research. Journal of Service Research, 14(3), 252–271. https://doi.org/10.1177/1094670511411703
  • Callon, M., Courtial, J. P., & Laville, F. (1991). Co-word analysis as a tool for describing the network of interactions between basic and technological research. Scientometrics, 22(1), 155–205. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02019280
  • Carroll, B. A., & Ahuvia, A. C. (2006). Some antecedents and outcomes of brand love. Marketing Letters, 17(2), 79–89. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11002-006-4219-2
  • Chaudhuri, A., & Holbrook, M. B. (2001). The chain of effects from brand trust and brand affect to brand performance: The role of brand loyalty. Journal of Marketing, 65(2), 81–93. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmkg.65.2.81.18255
  • Fournier, S. (1998). Consumers and their brands: Developing relationship theory in consumer research. Journal of Consumer Research, 24(4), 343–373. https://doi.org/10.1086/209515
  • Hollebeek, L. D. (2011). Demystifying customer brand engagement: Exploring the loyalty nexus. Journal of Marketing Management, 27(7–8), 785–807. https://doi.org/10.1080/0267257X.2010.500132
  • Hollebeek, L. D., Glynn, M. S., & Brodie, R. J. (2014). Consumer brand engagement in social media: Conceptualization, scale development and validation. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 28(2), 149–165. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intmar.2013.12.002
  • Islam, J. U., & Rahman, Z. (2017). The impact of online brand community characteristics on customer engagement: An application of Stimulus-Organism-Response paradigm. Telematics and Informatics, 34(4), 96–109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tele.2017.01.004
  • Kapferer, J. N. (2012). The new strategic brand management: Advanced insights and strategic thinking. Kogan Page Publishers.
  • Keller, K. L. (1993). Conceptualizing, measuring, and managing customer-based brand equity. Journal of Marketing, 57(1), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1177/002224299305700101
  • Khan, I., & Rahman, Z. (2015). Brand experience anatomy in retailing: An interpretive structural modeling approach. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 24, 60–69. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2015.02.003
  • Morgan, R. M., & Hunt, S. D. (1994). The commitment-trust theory of relationship marketing. Journal of Marketing, 58(3), 20–38. https://doi.org/10.1177/002224299405800302
  • Page, M. J., McKenzie, J. E., Bossuyt, P. M., Boutron, I., Hoffmann, T. C., Mulrow, C. D., ... & Moher, D. (2021). The PRISMA 2020 statement: An updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. BMJ, 372, n71. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n71
  • Rather, R. A. (2019). Consequences of consumer engagement in service marketing: An empirical exploration. Journal of Global Marketing, 32(2), 116–135. https://doi.org/10.1080/08911762.2018.1454995
  • Riivits-Arkonsuo, I., & Leppiman, A. (2015). Young consumers and their brand love. International Journal of Business and Social Research, 5(10), 33–44. https://ideas.repec.org/a/mir/mirbus/v5y2015i10p33-44.html
  • Spence, M. (1974). Market signaling: Informational transfer in hiring and related screening processes. Harvard University Press. https://lccn.loc.gov/73083419
  • Thomson, M., MacInnis, D. J., & Whan Park, C. (2005). The ties that bind: Measuring the strength of consumers’ emotional attachments to brands. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 15(1), 77–91. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327663jcp1501_10
  • Van Eck, N. J., & Waltman, L. (2010). Software survey: VOSviewer, a computer program for bibliometric mapping. Scientometrics, 84(2), 523–538. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-009-0146-3
  • Yoo, B., & Donthu, N. (2001). Developing and validating a multidimensional consumer-based brand equity scale. Journal of Business Research, 52(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0148-2963(99)00098-3
  • Zarantonello, L., & Schmitt, B. H. (2010). Using the brand experience scale to profile consumers and predict consumer behaviour. Journal of Brand Management, 17(7), 532–540. https://doi.org/10.1057/bm.2010.4