Issues in defining and placing consumer brand engagement

The paper aims to identify the current positioning of consumer brand engagement (CBE) in marketing literature, thus filling a gap and contributing to a richer overview of the concept. Numerous research topics currently overlap in the marketing literature as brand theory has not been systemised precisely, especially with regard to consumer feeling towards brands and consumers’ active role in creating brand equity. The methodology adopted for this empirical research is qualitative, and the research question is the following: what is the current positioning of CBE in marketing theory? To find the answer, three empirical studies were performed. The first, Study 1, involved eight scholars—the key informants—specialising in the topic. In Study 2, 64 academic articles focusing on CBE were analysed. By comparing the two, it was possible to identify some counterintuitive problems and pitfalls impeding the definitive affirmation of CBE in marketing literature. Lastly, in Study 3, six Italian CBE practitioners (marketing managers and digital marketing consultants) were questioned to gather further information and shed light on some grey areas highlighted by the academic community regarding management issues. The principal expected outcome was to ascertain whether CBE has specific and well-defined conceptual dimensions that may be applied to other similar topics in marketing literature. The study’s originality lies in a rationalisation of the theory underpinning the topic and proposing a possible systematisation.