A Study on the Impact of Experiential Marketing in Sports Brand Stores on Brand Love : Focusing on the Moderating Effect of Engagement

The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between experiential elements in sports brand stores and brand love, with involvement serving as a moderating effect. This research seeks to enable sports product manufacturers and retailers to better understand consumers and establish a foundation for experiential marketing strategies. The survey was conducted over a 15-day period from January 10, 2024, to January 25, 2024. A total of 720 questionnaires were distributed online, and after excluding insincere responses, 697 questionnaires were used as the final data for analysis. The collected survey data were analyzed using SPSS 26.0 and AMOS 28.0, employing frequency analysis, factor analysis, reliability analysis, correlation analysis, and structural equation modeling. The results of the analysis are as follows: First, in the study of sports brand store experiences, targeting consumers who have experienced sports brand experiential marketing in Shanghai, China, it was found that sensory, emotional, cognitive, behavioral, and relational elements have a significant positive impact on brand love. Second, involvement was found to have a significant moderating effect on the relationship between experiential elements (sensory, emotional, cognitive, behavioral, and relational) and brand love. Therefore, it is important to develop experiential marketing strategies that enhance consumer experiences, leveraging the fact that the experiential elements (sensory, emotional, cognitive, behavioral, and relational) at sports brand stores positively impact brand love. In particular, since the relationship between experiential elements and brand love is strengthened when consumer involvement is high, it is necessary to plan customized experiential marketing activities to increase involvement. Such an approach will contribute to strengthening the relationship with consumers and enhancing brand loyalty.