STRENGTHENING E-BRAND EQUITY IN MALAYSIA’S THREE-STAR HOTELS: THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING AND E-BRAND EXPERIENCE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35631/AIJBES.829089Keywords:
E-Brand Equity, E-Customer Relationship Management, Social Media MarketingAbstract
This study explores the process of developing Electronic Brand Equity (EBE) through Social Media Marketing (SMM) in the three-star hotel business in Malaysia. Many hotels are struggling to preserve brand trust and loyalty online in an era of digital competition and post-pandemic recovery pains. The study used quantitative methods and obtained 251 valid replies. The study used Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) and discovered that SMM considerably improves brand equity. Importantly, e-brand experience translates digital interaction into meaningful brand value. These findings confirm the applicability of Aaker's Brand Equity Model (1991) in the hotel industry and emphasise the importance of digital interaction methods in building brand equity. The findings give practical implications for hoteliers to strategically engage the digital ecosystem to enhance brand equity and competitiveness.
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