Exploring the Role of Brand Engagement in Meme Marketing Effectiveness
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37641/jimkes.v13i6.4455Keywords:
Brand Engagement, Brand Personality, Consumer Loyalty, Social Media, Viral Meme MarketingAbstract
Social media development and the phenomenon of meme marketing have become increasingly viral. The shift from traditional advertising to community-based and participatory content, such as memes, has emerged as a trending notion in contemporary marketing. This shift has necessitated companies to become more innovative in capturing attention, engaging consumers, and fostering loyalty. This research aims to examine the relationship between virality meme marketing, brand personality, and consumer loyalty, with brand engagement acting as a mediator. This study employs a quantitative approach, utilizing PLS-SEM through SmartPLS 4.0 software, with a sample of 220 active respondents. The questionnaire was distributed online using Google Forms, and purposive sampling was applied. The findings indicate that virality meme marketing, and brand personality have a significant enhancing effect on brand engagement, which in turn mediates the effect on customer loyalty. However, a surprising finding emerged regarding the direct effect of virality meme marketing on customer loyalty, where virality meme marketing negatively and insignificantly influences customer loyalty.
Downloads
References
Aaker, J. L. (1997). Dimensions of brand personality. Journal of Marketing Research, 34(3), 347–356.
Adhikari, K., & Panda, R. K. (2019). The role of consumer-brand engagement towards driving brand loyalty: Mediating effect of relationship quality. Journal of Modelling in Management, 14(4), 987-1005.
Alfakih, K. A. A., Saraih, U. N., Al-Shammari, S. A., Abdulrab, M., Ur Rehman, A., & Al-Mamary, Y. H. S. (2022). Determinants of the Malaysian cars brand loyalty: Mediating effect of brand satisfaction. Journal of Industrial Integration and Management, 7(4), 555–598.
Algharabat, R., Rana, N. P., Alalwan, A. A., Baabdullah, A., & Gupta, A. (2020). Investigating the antecedents of customer brand engagement and consumer-based brand equity in social media. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 53(1), 1-13.
Alwi, S. F., & Kitchen, P. J. (2014). Projecting corporate brand image and behavioral response in business schools: Cognitive or affective brand attributes? Journal of Business Research, 67(11), 2324–2336.
Anita, T. L., Simanihuruk, M., Kusumawardhani, Y., & Wijaya, L. (2025). Digital marketing strategies and their impact on customer satisfaction and brand loyalty. Jurnal Ilmiah Manajemen Kesatuan, 13(4), 2631–2642.
Balabanis, G., & Karpova, A. (2025). The personality of luxury. A new measure and the effects of brand personality distinctiveness and congruence on consumer responses. Journal of Business Research, 189(1), 115-130.
Berthon, P., Chohan, R., Pehlivan, E., & Rabinovich, T. (2022). Fixing fake news: Understanding and managing the marketer-consumer information echosystem. Business Horizons, 65(6), 729–738.
Brodie, R. J., Soutar, G. N., & McColl-Kennedy, J. R. (2022). Research performance of Australian and New Zealand marketing academics: Achieving rigor and relevance. Australasian Marketing Journal, 30(4), 273-277.
Chairunnisa, A., & Ruswanti, E. (2023). The impact of customer engagement on brand loyalty: The mediation roles of brand attachment and customer trust. Jurnal Multidisiplin Madani, 3(4), 789–801.
Dessart, L., Veloutsou, C., & Morgan-Thomas, A. (2015). Consumer engagement in online brand communities: A social media perspective. Journal of Product and Brand Management, 24(1), 28–42.
Djohan, D., Budiman, I., Nasib, Razaq, M. R., & Fathoni, M. (2025). Fintech, digital branding, and customer engagement to enhance gayo arabica coffee smes’ performance. Jurnal Ilmiah Manajemen Kesatuan, 13(5), 3449–3460.
Dwivedi, Y. K., Ismagilova, E., Hughes, D. L., Carlson, J., Filieri, R., Jacobson, J., Jain, V., Karjaluoto, H., Kefi, H., Krishen, A. S., Kumar, V., Rahman, M. M., Raman, R., Rauschnabel, P. A., Rowley, J., Salo, J., Tran, G. A., & Wang, Y. (2021). Setting the future of digital and social media marketing research: Perspectives and research propositions. International Journal of Information Management, 59(1), 102-118.
Fadilah, F. Y. D., Hapsari, R. D. V., & Yulianti, I. (2025). The influence of time pressure and brand personality on impulsive buying among Generation Z: Local Indonesian skincare brands. Jurnal Ilmiah Manajemen Kesatuan, 13(5), 3409–3420.
Fang, L. B., Cheng, T., Yang, H., & Duan, Y. (2025). Capturing brand loyalty through customer relationship management: exploring the roles of customer brand engagement and psychological contracts from a dual perspective. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 12(1), 1251-1265.
Fitriyana, N. A., Suryadi, N., & Hapsari, R. D. V. (2025). The role of social media and online reviews in building brand loyalty through trust. Jurnal Ilmiah Manajemen Kesatuan, 13(5), 3324–3336.
Garanti, Z., & Kissi, P. S. (2019). The effects of social media brand personality on brand loyalty in the Latvian banking industry: The mediating role of brand equity. International Journal of Bank Marketing, 37(6), 1480–1503.
Hair, J. F., Hult, G.T.M., Ringle, C. M., Sarstedt, M. (2014). A primer on partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). London: Sage Publishing.
Hollebeek, L. D., & Macky, K. (2019). Digital content marketing’s role in fostering consumer engagement, trust, and value: Framework, fundamental propositions, and implications. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 45(2), 27–41.
Iglesias, O., & Ind, N. (2020). Towards a theory of conscientious corporate brand co-creation: the next key challenge in brand management. Journal of Brand Management, 27(6), 710-720.
Juhaidi, A., Al-Ansi, A. M., Fitria, A., Hidayati, N., & Huriyah. (2025). Understanding the role of university commitment, socioeconomic background, and brand trust in shaping brand loyalty in Islamic higher education in Indonesia. Sustainable Futures, 10(1), 1-13.
Jun, Y., & Lee, H. (2024). Measuring brand personality in the digital age: A review, theoretical reconceptualization, and research agenda. Journal of Marketing Communications, 1(2), 45-60.
Keller, K. L., & Swaminathan, V. (2020). Strategic brand management: Building, measuring, and managing brand equity, 5th Edition (5th Edition). New York: Pearson.
Kim, J., & Kim, M. (2024). Viral dynamics on social media: Enhancing brand engagement through meme marketing strategies. Journal of Current Issues and Research in Advertising, 1(2), 1-18.
Lee, J. K., Hansen, S. S., & Lee, S. Y. (2020). The effect of brand personality self-congruity on brand engagement and purchase intention: The moderating role of self-esteem in Facebook. Current Psychology, 39(6), 2116–2128.
Letukytė, N., & Urbonavičius, S. (2022). Impact of the congruence between brand personality and consumer personality on emotional loyalty: what makes Apple and Samsung different?. Market-Tržište., 34(1), 59-77.
Liu, Y., Zhao, Z., Wang, J., & Qiu, Z. (2024). Consumer engagement on social media: an analysis of brand post characteristic combinations. Journal of Marketing Management, 40(9–10), 704–742.
Lu, Y. Q., Ong, D., Huat, C., Zhang, J., & Lu, X. Y. (2024). Influence of Chinese brand personality on brand loyalty dimensions: An insight into China’s tea beverage brands. SSRN, Retrieved in 1 July 2025 from https://www.ssrn.com/
Pham, T. M. L. (2017). The relationship between brand experience, brand personality and customer loyalty. International Journal of business and economics, 16(2), 109-126.
Malodia, S., Dhir, A., Bilgihan, A., Sinha, P., & Tikoo, T. (2022). Meme marketing: How can marketers drive better engagement using viral memes? Psychology and Marketing, 39(9), 1775–1801.
Mi, L. P. T., Tran, C. D., Vy, L. T., Ngan, L. D. T., & Tam, T. H. (2025). Tradition or innovation approaches? The role of meme marketing on brand recall and brand engagement: The evidence in Vietnam. Asian Journal of Business Research, 15(1), 16–41.
Mia M., B., Laloum, D. J. G., & Arribart, G. (2024). Shockingly offensive: The deliberate use of slurs in prosocial advertising. Journal of Advertising Research, 64(4), 95-110.
Molinillo, S., Japutra, A., Nguyen, B., & Chen, C. H. S. (2017). Responsible brands vs active brands? An examination of brand personality on brand awareness, brand trust, and brand loyalty. Marketing Intelligence and Planning, 35(2), 166–179.
Naeem, M., Ozuem, W., Ranfagni, S., & Howell, K. (2025). User generated content and brand engagement: Exploring the role of electronic semiotics and symbolic interactionism on Instagram. Computers in Human Behavior, 168(1), 13-25.
Oliver, R. L. (1999). Whence consumer loyalty? Journal of Marketing, 63(4), 33–44.
Pratama, M. R. A., Puspaningrum, A., & Prabandari, S. P. (2025). Perceived value, emotional bonds, and pop culture: Drivers of brand loyalty. Jurnal Ilmiah Manajemen Kesatuan, 13(5), 3473–3484.
Rai, J. S., Cho, H., Itani, M., & Singh, A. (2024). The impact of social media-related motivation on fantasy sport users’ playing skills, sense of competition and performance expectancy. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, 36(11), 2931–2952.
Rathi, N., & Jain, P. (2024). Impact of meme marketing on consumer purchase intention: Examining the mediating role of consumer engagement. Innovative Marketing, 20(1), 13-25.
Razzaq, A., Shao, W., & Quach, S. (2024). Meme marketing effectiveness: A moderated-mediation model. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 78(1), 37-51.
Rehman, M., Zelin, T., & Hussain, T. (2025). Influence of consumer satisfaction on brand allegiance: An empirical investigation in Pakistan’s safety and luxury automobile sector. Acta Psychologica, 252(1), 67-80.
Sung, Y., & Kim, J. (2010). Effects of brand personality on brand trust and brand affect. Psychology and Marketing, 27(7), 639–661.
Taecharungroj, V., & Nueangjamnong, P. (2015). Humour 2.0: Styles and types of humour and virality of memes on Facebook. Journal of Creative Communications, 10(3), 288–302.
Tellis, G. J., MacInnis, D. J., Tirunillai, S., & Zhang, Y. (2019). What drives virality (sharing) of online digital content? The critical role of information, emotion, and brand prominence. Journal of Marketing, 83(4), 1–20.
Theodorakopoulos, L., Theodoropoulou, A., & Klavdianos, C. (2025). Interactive viral marketing through big data analytics, influencer networks, ai integration, and ethical dimensions. Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research, 20(2), 43-53.
Tsai, P. H., & Hsiao, W. H. (2025). Turning laughs into buys: The influence of meme marketing on consumer purchase intentions in e-commerce using media richness theory. Electronic Commerce Research and Applications, 74(1), 54-65.
Vieira, V. A., Liu, R. L., & Mello, V. G. de. (2023). The mediating role of brand engagement in the self-concept (besc) in explaining consumer response: A meta-analytic review. Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, 31(1), 97–114.
Villagra, N., Monfort, A., & Sánchez Herrera, J. (2021). The mediating role of brand trust in the relationship between brand personality and brand loyalty. Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 20(5), 1153–1163.
Vivek, S. D., Beatty, S. E., & Morgan, R. M. (2012). Customer engagement: Exploring customer relationships beyond purchase. Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, 20(2), 122–146.
Ward, M. R. (2025). Internet meme marketing over the fad cycle. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 2(3), 14-25.
