Authors:
Rameshwaran Byloppilly
Addresses:
Department of Business, International American University, Ras Al-Khaimah, United Arab Emirates.
Abstract:
The fast growth of digital technologies has changed the global marketing environment and has resulted in new forms of communication between organisations and consumers and the creation of long-term relationships with the brand. Companies in highly digitalised economies such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are increasingly turning to digital marketing strategies to influence consumer behaviour and enhance brand loyalty. The current study examines the effects of digital marketing on consumer behaviour and brand loyalty, with customer engagement as a mediating variable. This research adopted a mixed-methods design, combining quantitative and qualitative methods to provide a holistic understanding of consumer responses. Data were collected primarily from 250 respondents using a structured questionnaire with a five-point Likert scale. The proposed hypotheses were tested using correlation analysis, multiple regression and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). The findings show that digital marketing significantly influences consumer behaviour and positively affects brand loyalty. Digital marketing partially mediates the relationship between customer engagement and brand loyalty, suggesting that engagement is an important psychological mechanism that shapes loyalty formation. The SEM model shows a good fit (CFI = 0.93, RMSEA = 0.05), indicating the robustness of the proposed conceptual framework. The study contributes to the existing literature by integrating the behavioural and engagement perspectives within the context of digital marketing in the UAE. Furthermore, it has practical implications for marketers who want to improve customer retention through targeted digital strategies.
Keywords: Digital Marketing; Consumer Behaviour; Brand Loyalty; Customer Engagement; Customer Trust; Structural Equation Modelling; Digital Technologies; Marketing Campaigns.
Received on: 26/04/2025, Revised on: 17/07/2025, Accepted on: 22/10/2025, Published on: 05/06/2026
DOI: 10.64091/ATISL.2026.000320
AVE Trends in Intelligent Social Letters, 2026 Vol. 3 No. 2 , Pages: 94-107