Digital Marketing and Consumer Engagement: An Empirical Analysis in the Contemporary Business Environment
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26867/se.2026.15.2.350Keywords:
Digital marketing, consumer engagement, artificial intelligence, consumer behavior, value co-creationAbstract
The purpose of this study is to assess the perceived relationship between digital marketing strategies and
customer engagement in the present-day business environment. The aim of the project was to study the
influence of the confluence of advanced technologies and social mediations upon value co-creation and
loyalty on digital platforms. An approach with quantitative descriptive research methods. Through a
non-experimental and cross-sectional research design. A detailed questionnaire was filled out by way of non-probability sampling of 100 consumers verified to have had prior interaction in digital environments. All experts approve the correctness of the instrument, and the value of the Cronbach's alpha is 0.89, which indicates that the instrument is reliable. Results were collected using Google Forms from August 2025 until Jan 2026. According to the results, 62.0% of respondents believe that AI and ML create predictive personalization; 86% of Alberto David Li Falla, moreover, claim that the credibility of virtual influencers significantly affects their purchase intention. In addition, 58.0% of answers considered the inquiry stage of the 5A model as the most relevant moment for loyalty. According to the findings, digital marketing is associated with higher consumer engagement and a better purchase experience. However, the descriptive nature of the design means that these findings do not lend themselves to causal claims; therefore, results should not be interpreted as cause-and-effect evidence
and future research should utilize inferential statistical models.
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