Activating the commercial power of ritual experiences: exploring their impact on consumer well-being and brand loyalty

Purpose Ritualized experiences exist in many aspects of life and influence consumer attitudes and behaviors. This paper aims to develop a comprehensive research model to explore how ritualized experience affects consumer well-being and brand loyalty and how subjective vitality moderates the relationship between ritualized experience and consumer well-being. Design/methodology/approach A questionnaire survey of 244 Chinese consumers was administered to users of Xiaohongshu (a Chinese social media platform) and hypothesized relationships were tested using structural equation modeling. Findings The findings indicate that in ritualized experiences, product symbolism, scripted processes and self-brand connection positively affect consumer well-being, and then they have an impact on brand loyalty. Consumer well-being positively mediates the relationships between ritualized experience dimensions and brand loyalty. The relationship between ritualized experience and consumer well-being is affected differently by subjective vitality. Originality/value This study advances the theoretical understanding of ritual experience by exploring its dimensions and showing how short-term ritualized experience can translate into long-term brand loyalty through consumer well-being. Practically, it offers marketers guidance on designing meaningful ritualized experiences that enhance consumers’ well-being and foster brand loyalty.