This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: A study of more than 800 fast-food customers suggests that loyalty to a brand is shaped not only by satisfaction with the product or service but also by customers' emotional experiences. The study, published in the International Journal of Internet Marketing and Advertising, focused on fast-food consumers in Peru but could have implications for fast-food brands in other emerging markets.
The study was based on responses collected through an online questionnaire and analyzed with a statistical technique known as structural equation modeling, which tests the relationships among multiple variables. The researchers found that perceived service quality was associated with the degree of satisfaction with a brand. Satisfaction, in turn, was linked to customers' happiness and their level of brand love, and thus to brand loyalty.
The research distinguishes between customer satisfaction, which considers whether expectations have been met, and happiness, which reflects a broader positive emotional response to the customer's experience with the brand. The findings add to a relatively small body of work that has examined happiness and brand love together and have implications for this particular emerging market, where cultural factors may influence how customers assess services and develop relationships with brands. For fast-food businesses, the results suggest that improving service alone may be insufficient.
Managers must also focus on experiences that generate positive emotions, potentially strengthening customers' attachment to a brand and their willingness to remain loyal. Gina María Pipoli d et al, The emotional connection between customer happiness and brand love on customer loyalty, International Journal of Internet Marketing and Advertising (2026). DOI: 10.1504/ijima.2026.156050 BA art history, MA material culture.
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