Augmented Reality as an Interactive Marketing Communication Touchpoint: Effects on Brand Love and Brand Loyalty in Hospitality

This study examines the impact of Augmented Reality (AR) on the development of Brand Love and Brand Loyalty in the hospitality sector, positioning AR not merely as a technological tool but as an interactive marketing communication interface and a digital customer experience touchpoint capable of strengthening consumer–brand relationships. The research analyses how perceived usefulness, ease of use, satisfaction and perceived risk influence consumer responses towards hotel brands that implement AR. A quantitative research design was employed using an online questionnaire administered to 115 participants, with data analysed through descriptive statistics, Mann–Whitney U tests, linear and multiple regression analyses, and K-means cluster analysis to explore the relationships between AR experience factors and branding outcomes and to identify distinct user profiles. The results indicate that perceived usefulness and satisfaction with AR have a significant positive effect on both Brand Love and Brand Loyalty, while ease of use emerges as a key driver of favourable responses and revisit intentions. Perceived risk, in contrast, shows a limited influence in this context. The cluster analysis reveals four distinct user segments, reflecting differences in emotional engagement and attitudes towards AR-based hotel experiences. The study is limited by its sample size and demographic concentration, which may constrain the generalisability of the findings, suggesting that future research should test the proposed model across broader hospitality settings and further explore privacy-related concerns as AR becomes increasingly embedded in customer journeys. The originality of this research lies in linking AR-enabled customer experiences with relational branding outcomes, framing AR as a strategic communication and experience design tool for brand management and offering practical insights for marketing decision-making related to digital investment, interactive communication and customer segmentation.DOI: https://doi.org/10.54663/2182-9306.2026.SpecialIssueCMTH.197-229