EXPERIENTIAL MARKETING SEBAGAI DETERMINAN DALAM MENINGKATKAN KETERLIBATAN PELANGGAN DENGAN LOYALITAS MEREK (Studi Kasus pada Baso Aci Sambel Garut Tasikmalaya)

The rapid development of the business world in this modern era demands companies to continuously innovate in enhancing customer engagement with their brands. One increasingly popular approach is experiential marketing, which emphasizes direct customer experiences with the brand to create emotional connections. This study aims to analyze the influence of experiential marketing on increasing customer engagement at a restaurant in the city of Tasikmalaya. In this research, experiential marketing is understood as marketing activities that involve customers’ sensory, emotional, cognitive, and social experiences with a brand. The research method used is a quantitative approach with a survey design. Data was collected through the distribution of questionnaires to 100 restaurant customers who had visited more than once. The data analysis technique used is path analysis utilizing the SmartPLS application program, to determine the influence between experiential marketing and customer engagement through brand loyalty. This study also considers factors that affect customer experience in the restaurant, such as service, ambiance, and the quality of the products offered. The results of this study are expected to provide insights for restaurant management to understand the importance of experiential marketing in building stronger customer relationships, as well as to contribute to marketing theory regarding the impact of customer experience on customer engagement with a brand. The expected output of this research is a set of marketing strategy recommendations that are more effective in increasing customer engagement and brand loyalty through deeper and more comprehensive experiences.