THE EVOLVING LANDSCAPE OF BRAND LOVE RESEARCH: THEORETICAL, BEHAVIORAL, AND DIGITAL DIMENSIONS

Abstract Brand love has become a central emotional driver behind consumer decision-making in today’s highly competitive markets. This study offers a comprehensive examination of the brand love literature, tracing its intellectual development, identifying key contributors, and revealing the conceptual foundations that shape the field. Employing the rigorous SPAR-4-SLR protocol, we systematically examined 314 scholarly publications from the Web of Science, covering an extensive 18-year period from 2006 to 2024. The analysis highlights the steady expansion of brand love research, showing how it has progressed from early, foundational inquiries to more advanced investigations that integrate marketing, consumer psychology, and behavioral science perspectives. Across studies, brand love consistently emerges as a decisive force that fuels customer loyalty and fosters enduring positive attitudes toward brands. One of its most valuable outcomes is authentic word-of-mouth communication: when consumers truly love a brand, they naturally advocate for it, share their enthusiasm with others, and look forward to future interactions. This organic promotion becomes a powerful, cost-effective marketing advantage. Ultimately, the review underscores that cultivating strong emotional bonds—particularly through digital platforms and interactive brand experiences—is essential for achieving meaningful consumer engagement and long-term organizational success.