Examining the mediating role of virtual brand experience between metaverse marketing strategies and consumer-based brand equity in the fashion industry

Yasmina Eid Zaki and Meng-Shan Sharon Wu

Journal of Business and Socio-economic Development, 2026, vol. 6, issue 3, 233-252

Abstract: PurposeThe study aims to investigate the impact of metaverse marketing strategies, specifically branded non-fungible tokens, extended reality (XR) gamification and immersive shopping experiences on consumer-based brand equity (CBBE) in the fashion industry. Additionally, this study examines the mediating role of virtual brand experience (VBE) in the context of fashion marketing in the United Kingdom.Design/methodology/approachGrounded in online flow theory, mental transportation theory and Aaker's Consumer-based brand equity (CBBE) framework, the study adopts a quantitative approach. Data were obtained from an online survey of 626 UK-based metaverse users who participated in virtual fashion activities. The hypothesized relationships were tested using structural equation modeling (AMOS) and bootstrapped mediation analysis.FindingsThe results show that VBE plays an important role in driving CBBE for consumers of metaverse fashion. VBE has a strong positive effect on CBBE and partially/fully mediates the relationship between metaverse marketing strategies and CBBE outcomes. While BNFTs and XR gamification marketing strategies both have significant direct effects on brand awareness/association and perceived quality, there was no support for their relationship with brand loyalty. XR-based immersive shopping shows no significant direct effects on any CBBE dimension but exerts a significant indirect effect through VBE, indicating full mediation. Overall, the results suggest that metaverse strategies enhance brand equity only when they generate meaningful sensory, affective, behavioral, intellectual and social brand experiences.Practical implicationsThe results offer actionable insights for fashion marketers to design immersive and interactive metaverse experiences that increase perceived brand equity and brand experience.Originality/valueThis study is a pioneering study to empirically confirm the mediating role of the VBE in linking metaverse marketing strategies with CBBE in the fashion industry. It addresses gaps in brand management theory and highlights experiential processes driving brand value in the metaverse.

Keywords: Virtual brand experience (VBE); Metaverse marketing; Consumer-based brand equity (CBBE); Fashion marketing; United Kingdom; Branded non-fungible tokens (BNFT) (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eme:jbsedp:jbsed-10-2025-0471

DOI: 10.1108/JBSED-10-2025-0471

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