Driving customer loyalty in digital banking: The mediating role of engagement and the moderating role of switching costs

Purpose: As traditional advertising gives way to customer-centric strategies such as content marketing (CM), this study aims to explore its impact on customer loyalty (CL) in the digital banking sector, focusing on online engagement and switching costs (SCs), while addressing the research gap in emerging markets. Design/methodology/approach: A quantitative, cross-sectional research design was employed, with data collected from 401 participants who interacted with digital banking content. The data were analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). Findings/results: The findings of this study reveal that CM significantly boosts CL by enhancing online engagement. In addition, SCs were found to partially moderate the relationship between CM and engagement. However, SCs did not significantly influence the direct relationship between engagement and loyalty, suggesting that engagement and perceived value may be more impactful than switching barriers. Practical implications: These results provide actionable insights for banks looking to strengthen CL through tailored content and engagement strategies. They emphasise the importance of focusing on customer engagement and perceived value to foster loyalty in the digital banking context. Originality/value: While previous research has focused on CM in various sectors, limited studies have specifically explored its impact on CL within the digital banking sector, particularly in emerging markets. This study fills this gap by examining the role of online engagement and SCs in shaping CL, offering unique insights for digital banking strategies in the evolving landscape of customer-centric marketing.