The Influence of Digital Marketing, Customer Experience, and Brand Image on McDonald's Customer Loyalty: The Mediating Role of Customer Engagement (A Study of McDonald's Customers in Surabaya)

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the influence of digital marketing, customer experience, and brand image on customer loyalty through customer engagement among McDonald's customers in Surabaya. A quantitative research approach was employed using descriptive and verificative methods to examine the relationships among the variables. The study involved 190 respondents. Data were collected through questionnaires and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS 4. The results indicate that digital marketing, customer experience, and brand image have positive and significant effects on customer engagement. Furthermore, digital marketing, customer experience, brand image, and customer engagement significantly affect customer loyalty. Customer engagement was also found to significantly mediate the relationships between digital marketing, customer experience, and brand image and customer loyalty. Among the independent variables, digital marketing demonstrated the strongest effect on customer loyalty, with a path coefficient of 0.363. In conclusion, enhancing digital marketing activities, customer experience, and brand image can strengthen customer engagement and ultimately increase customer loyalty. The study highlights the important role of customer engagement as a mediating variable in building long-term customer loyalty in the fast-food industry, particularly at McDonald's Surabaya.