A STUDY ON IMPACT OF DIGITAL MARKETING ON BRAND AWARENESS AND BRAND LOYALTY

ABSTRACT: Brands are using digital marketing techniques more frequently in today's digital-first industry in an effort to increase their visibility and cultivate enduring customer relationships. This study uses an explanatory and descriptive research methodology to examine how digital marketing affects brand recognition and loyalty. Through the use of secondary sources (from academic and business literature) and primary data (gathered through a structured survey of 40 digitally active respondents), the study investigates how exposure to digital advertisements affects brand recognition and emotional attachment. The results show that digital marketing and brand awareness are strongly positively correlated, with social media engagement, influencer marketing, and search engine exposure being the main drivers of this relationship. Additionally, a moderate relationship between digital marketing and brand loyalty was found, indicating that although digital exposure promotes experimentation and engagement, loyalty is more reliant on elements like trust, personalization, and reliable value delivery. The study also finds that brand awareness plays a crucial role in transforming visibility into long-term customer preference, acting as a partial mediator between digital marketing and brand loyalty. By confirming traditional branding models—like Keller's CBBE and the AIDA model in the internet context the study advances academic theory. Additionally, it provides marketers with practical information, highlighting the necessity of integrated digital strategies that prioritize relationship-building overreach. The study establishes the foundation for future investigations into platform-specific efficacy, behavioral measures, and enduring loyalty patterns, despite its modest sample size. Keywords: Digital Marketing, Brand Awareness, Brand Loyalty, Consumer Engagement, Online Branding, Marketing Strategy