Abstract

Purpose: This study aims to analyze the impact of Brand Anthropomorphism and Intimacy on Brand Engagement, and at the same time analyze the regulatory effect of Brand Reputation on the relationship between Brand Anthropomorphism and Intimacy and the relationship between Intimacy and Brand Engagement in terms of distribution brand. Results: The findings show that Brand Anthropomorphism, Intimacy, and Brand Reputation are important value factors in customers' minds toward their behavior, and from there, they will contribute to creating positive emotions and interactions between consumers and brands. Research design, data, and methodology: This article used the quantitative technique utilizing PLS-SEM software to test the hypothesis with 1,060 samples. Collected data shows that consumers in Ho Chi Minh City have positive emotions and interactive and social behaviors toward smartphone brands. Conclusion: The study has demonstrated the conclusions and proposed solutions to help smartphone brands build Brand Anthropomorphism while enhancing Brand Reputation thereby achieving Intimacy, which leads to consumer Brand Engagement. In addition, this study complements the concept of Brand Anthropomorphism which is lacking in theoretical background and is the first study in Vietnam to explore the prefixes and suffixes of the concept of Brand Anthropomorphism and the regulatory role of Brand Reputation.