The effect of brand experience and E-WOM on brand loyalty with brand love as a mediation variable (A Study of Sri Phala Resort & Villa Customers)

The increasingly competitive hospitality industry has driven changes in the way customers build relationships with brands and has influenced their level of loyalty. This study was conducted on 200 customers of Sri Phala Resort & Villa who had stayed at the resort at least once. The sampling technique employed was probability sampling using the simple random sampling method, and data were collected through an online questionnaire distributed via Google Form. The data were analyzed using path analysis with the assistance of SmartPLS 4.0 software. The results show that brand experience and E-WOM have a positive and significant effect on brand love. In addition, brand experience has a positive and significant effect on brand loyalty, while E-WOM does not have a significant direct effect on brand loyalty.

Furthermore, brand love has a positive and significant effect on brand loyalty and partially mediates the relationship between brand experience and E-WOM on brand loyalty. The findings of this study emphasize that positive brand experiences are able to build strong emotional bonds with customers, thereby encouraging the formation of customer loyalty. Meanwhile, E-WOM plays an important role in building brand love, but does not directly influence brand loyalty. Therefore, the results of this study are expected to serve as a reference for hospitality marketing practitioners in designing marketing strategies that focus on creating memorable brand experiences, strengthening emotional connections with customers, and building long-term customer loyalty.