Abstract
The main objective of this study is the effect of customized advertising on social media on the formation of brand loyalty and perceived brand quality, mediated by emotional attachment to the brand and customer interaction with the brand among Instagram users. The research is applicable in terms of its purpose, and descriptive-analytical in terms of its method, using a survey method with a causal approach. The statistical population of the study is active users on Instagram. Due to the unlimited number of users, the statistical sample is 384 people, which was selected using the Cochran formula and a simple random method. The primary data collection tool is a standard questionnaire, the validity of which was confirmed by factor analysis with the KMO index, and its reliability by reporting the Cronbach's alpha coefficient. SPSS version 24 and LISREL 8.8 software were used in data analysis. The results of the study showed that customized advertising on social media has a significant effect on customer interaction with the brand and emotional attachment to the brand; and customer interaction with the brand has a significant effect on perceived brand quality and brand loyalty. In this regard, emotional attachment to the brand has a significant effect on perceived brand quality and brand loyalty; and finally, perceived brand quality has a significant effect on brand loyalty.
Introduction
The emergence of social media facilitates a wide range of new tools for communicating, interacting, and engaging customers, and this brings the value of creating collaboration (Kaur & Dhir, 2022). Today, consumers can create online brand communities that may affect perceived quality and perceived value related to the brand. Using social media sites, consumers can actively communicate with each other in online brand communities and can share stories about the brand (Meyer et al., 2022). Online communities on social media sites gradually provide a platform for consumers to interact and collaborate in the process of creating collaboration. In other words, in the digital age, social media has become a powerful platform for brands to interact with customers. One of the most important marketing tools in this space is personalized advertising, which uses behavioral data and user preferences to deliver messages tailored to each individual’s needs and interests. This type of advertising can enhance the user experience and increase the sense of value in the audience, because the consumer feels that the brand knows them as an individual and cares about them. Customizing advertising through social media is a unique opportunity (Nielsen, 2022). Emotional attachment, as an effective psychological factor, plays a vital role in the customer decision-making process and paves the way for loyalty formation (Johnson et al., 2022). Loyal customers typically prefer a brand over competitors, even when the brand faces certain problems and crises (Tyler, 2019). Also, customer interaction with the brand in terms of communication is another important issue. That is, in today's competitive world, social media should try to encourage their customers to communicate online verbally about their favorite brand, because this leads to customers dealing with the products and services of the online seller with a greater sense of trust (Vazifehdoost et al., 2023). In summary, it can be said that customized advertising on social media helps improve the perceived quality of the brand and the formation of customer loyalty by strengthening emotional attachment and increasing interaction with the brand (Doroudi & Mohammadi, 2024). These mediating relationships show that successful marketing in the digital age is no longer focused solely on sales, but is based on making human, meaningful and continuous relationships with customers (Davis & Lee, 2021). The main issue in this research is to answer the question: how does customized advertising on social media affect the formation of brand loyalty and perceived quality of the brand by mediating emotional attachment to the brand and customer interaction with the brand among Instagram users?
Theoretical framework
Customization of advertising: means designing and presenting advertising messages tailored to the specific characteristics, needs and interests of each audience or target group, which is done with the aim of increasing effectiveness and attracting more attention. This approach allows brands to tailor their messages based on data collected from users’ behaviors, preferences, and interactions: thus establishing a more personal and meaningful connection with customers (Efendioglu & Durmaz, 2022).
Brand Loyalty Formation: Brand loyalty is the process by which consumers develop a desire and motivation to repeatedly and continuously purchase from a particular brand and choose it over competing options. This loyalty is not only based on previous satisfaction and positive experience with the product or service, but is also influenced by the deeper connections and cognitions of consumer towards the brand (Kumar et al., 2024).
Perceived brand quality: Perceived quality plays an important role in purchasing decisions, customer satisfaction, and ultimately brand loyalty; because the higher the perceived quality, the greater the likelihood of the customer re-selecting and recommending the brand (Talha, Tahir, & Mehroush, 2024).
Emotional brand attachment: Emotional brand attachment is the connection between an individual’s personality and the brand. This connection includes thoughts and feelings about the brand and its relationship to the individual’s personality (Zhou & Wang, 2022). Emotional brand attachment represents the deep and emotional connections of customers with the brand, and goes beyond the rational and logical aspects of the purchase (Syaputra & Azhar, 2024).
Customer brand interaction: Customer brand interaction is a dynamic and mutual process in which customers communicate with the brand through various channels such as social media, after-sales service, and shopping experiences. This interaction can include active participation, giving feedback, sharing content, and responding to advertisements; all of which create a sense of belonging and customer participation in the brand life cycle (Kumar et al., 2024).
Research methodology
This research is applicable in terms of purpose, and descriptive-analytical in terms of method, using a survey method with a causal approach. The statistical population of the present study includes all Instagram users, with a statistical sample of 384 people selected using the Cochran formula and a simple random method. The primary data collection tool is a standard questionnaire.
Research findings
For data analysis, SPSS21 software was used in the descriptive section, and LISREL8.8 software was used in the inferential section, as well as hypothesis testing using the structural equation model. The findings showed that customized advertising on social media has a significant effect on customer interaction with the brand and emotional attachment to the brand, and customer interaction with the brand has a significant effect on perceived brand quality and brand loyalty. In this regard, emotional attachment to the brand has a significant effect on perceived brand quality and brand loyalty; and finally, perceived brand quality has a significant effect on brand loyalty.
Conclusion
In today's fast-paced and competitive world, social media, especially Instagram, has become an effective platform for interaction between brands and consumers. Personalized advertising in this space, if implemented intelligently, can play an effective role in making brand loyalty and improving its perceived quality. This effectiveness becomes meaningful when brands can form a sense of belonging and emotional attachment in the minds and hearts of users through meaningful and responsive interactions. In fact, emotional connection and positive brand experience are a bridge between targeted advertising and sustainable consumer loyalty. Therefore, in order to maintain their position in the Iranian digital market, reputable brands must achieve a deep understanding of the behavior, needs, and emotions of Instagram users and base their marketing strategies on real interaction, value creation, and mutual trust. Only in this case will personalized advertising not only lead to short-term sales, but also ensure emotional and mental loyalty to the brand in the long term; which is known as one of the most valuable assets of brands today. Numerous studies, including those by Syaputra and Azhar (2024), Kumar et al. (2024), and Talha et al. (2024) have confirmed the positive and significant effect of perceived quality on brand loyalty. Accordingly, it is suggested that brands increase perceived quality by focusing on improving the quality of products and services, enhancing customer experience and maintaining brand standards in order to attract real and continuous customer loyalty, and strengthen their position in the competitive market. Also, social media management on Instagram can identify the needs of their users and provide appropriate advertisements in accordance with the conditions and demands of users on social networks (Instagram). In this way, users feel that they can order products that are suitable for them and meet their conditions (for example, for customers who are price-conscious, introduce products that have a reasonable price and the necessary quality for the price offered, with the price lower than similar items). It is also suggested that marketing managers and social media experts increase brand loyalty by customizing advertisements for users when they visit reputable brand sites to view advertisements and new products by sending a short message thanking users for visiting or sending an email containing all the benefits of the products offered by the site. It is also suggested that, in order to establish a closer link and customer interaction with the brand, marketing managers and social media experts can act on the commitments they have made about their products, and provide up-to-date products with high efficiency and functionality. Finally, it is suggested that marketing managers and social media experts provide conditions for users to actively participate in the brand's commercial activities and provide their experiences and suggestions to others.