The Impact of Emotional Brand Attachment on Customer Loyalty of Ayurvedic Skin Care Products: The Mediating Effect of Brand Love Among Young Consumers in Sri Lanka: A Literature Review

Abstract

This study mainly focused the inter connections amongst Emotional Brand Attachment, Brand Love, and Customer Loyalty while concentrating on the Ayurvedic skincare market in Sri Lanka, especially among young consumers aged 15-29. Due to risk related to synthetic skin care products, young consumers seemed to become loyal to Ayurveda beauty care products that are organic, environmentally friendly, and culturally appropriate. Accordingly, the study investigates how brand love mediates emotional ties to brands and how these influence loyalty behaviors in a diverse and evolving market, drawing on the theories of attachment, self-expansion, and social identity. This paper fills the above-listed gap by exploring these constructs in the context of Ayurvedic skincare, which is a field that is all about consumer values, and traditional practices in combination with current preferences. This study applied a quantitative research design whereby 385 respondents were given structured questionnaires to complete for data collection, and convenient sampling method was used to execute the survey. The statistical analysis carried out by using SPSS-23 version revealed that brand love mediates the impact of Emotional Brand Attachment on Customer Loyalty, Moreover, affection, passion, and self-brand integration of the Emotional Brand Attachment were recognized as the critical elements that boost Brand Love. It then leads to customer loyalty behaviors which can also extend to repurchasing, advocating for the brand, identifying with the brand, and resisting other brands. In addition, the current research points out that loyalty behaviors are not restricted to consumption experiences but create a positive sense of belonging and identification among consumers on the part of the organization or business that is benefiting from their loyalty. In addition, the study also reveals that loyalty behaviors go beyond just the number of transactions but procreate a sense of belongingness to a community and identity among the loyal customers. So, the conclusions strengthen the theoretical assumption on the key role of emotional appeal in branding. A few exceptional Ayurvedic skincare brands that focus on the formation of appealing and meaningful linkages with consumers can enhance their consumer bonds and lay down long-term, positively appealing bonds with them and, thus, achieve sustainable competitive advantages. The stated strategies help not only retain the customers but also build brand image and customer loyalty in the long run. In an industry where competition is high and products are symbolic, emotional branding stands unique as a way for the brands to appeal to the consumer. By combining Emotional Brand Attachment, Brand Love, and Customer Loyalty into a unified framework specially designed for the understudied Ayurvedic skincare industry, this study significantly advances the field of emotional branding. It offers empirical evidence and valuable recommendations to marketers to distill culturally appropriate and emotionally appealing marketing strategies that would appeal to the younger generation. This paper adds to the branding literature by highlighting how branding strategies can resonate with, and thereby gain the support of, this group through appeal to their specific values, goals, and Culture. The work has useful implications for industry practitioners as it underscores the importance of performing analysis and matching the product and communication offers with the culture and emotion range consumers respond to. This therefore shows that Ayurvedic skincare brands must consider emotional branding a factor they can employ to effectively create a wedge between them and other competitors as they seek to create long term relationships with the consumers. Also, the findings provide a research agenda for future research, with directions to understand how the emotional branding strategies can build on the higher levels of brand loyalty in similar markets and consumers segments. This work calls for a comprehensive study of various complexities of the emotional branding approaches that firms could employ to foster helpful brand consumer relationships in various global cultures.