In today’s rapidly evolving world, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies has become paramount, offering unparalleled value propositions and unparalleled consumer experiences. This study delves into the transformative impact of five AI activities on brand experience and consumer-based brand equity within the retail banking landscape of Lebanon. Employing a quantitative deductive approach and a sample of 211 respondents, the research employs structural equation modeling to analyze the data. The findings underscore the significant influence of four AI marketing activities on brand experience, revealing that factors such as information, accessibility, and customization play pivotal roles, while interaction has a less pronounced effect. Importantly, the study unveils that brand experience acts as a partial mediator between AI marketing activities and consumer-based brand equity. These revelations not only illuminate pathways for retail banks in Lebanon to refine their AI strategies but also underscore the importance of leveraging AI-driven marketing initiatives to bolster customer equity, acquisition, and retention efforts in an increasingly competitive market age.

1. Akar, B. (2022). Surviving the Crises: Lebanon’s Higher Education in the Balance. Available online: https://www.lcps-lebanon.org/articles/details/4751/surviving-the-crises-lebanon%E2%80%99s-higher-education-in-the-balance (accessed on 6 March 2023).
2. Akar, B. (2023). Higher Education in Lebanon: Struggling to Survive in Times of Crises. Available online: https://www.lcps-lebanon.org/articles/details/4784/higher-education-in-lebanon-struggling-to-survive-in-times-of-crises (accessed on 6 March 2023).
3. Algharabat, R. S. (2017). Linking social media marketing activities with brand love. Kybernetes, 46(10), 1801–1819. https://doi.org/10.1108/k-04-2017-0130
4. Altaf, M., Iqbal, N., Mohd. Mokhtar, S. S., et al. (2017). Managing consumer-based brand equity through brand experience in Islamic banking. Journal of Islamic Marketing, 8(2), 218–242. https://doi.org/10.1108/jima-07-2015-0048
5. Appiah, D., Ozuem, W., Howell, K. E., et al. (2019). Brand switching and consumer identification with brands in the smartphones industry. Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 18(6), 463–473. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1002/cb.1785
6. Atallah, N. M. (2023). Computer classes without computers at Lebanon’s once-great public university. Available online: https://www.thenationalnews.com/weekend/2023/03/03/higher-education-at-risk-as-lebanons-only-public-university-on-the-brink-of-collapse/ (accessed on 6 March 2023).
7. Beig, F. A., & Khan, M. F. (2018). Impact of Social Media Marketing on Brand Experience: A Study of Select Apparel Brands on Facebook. Vision: The Journal of Business Perspective, 22(3), 264–275. https://doi.org/10.1177/0972262918785962
8. Bernarto, I., Berlianto, M. P., Meilani, Y., & Masman, R. R. (2020). The Influence of Brand Awareness, Brand Image, and Brand Trust on Brand Loyalty. Jurnal Manajemen, 412-246.
9. Bock, D. E., Wolter, J. S., & Ferrell, O. C. (2020). Artificial intelligence: disrupting what we know about services. Journal of Services Marketing, 34(3), 317–334. https://doi.org/10.1108/jsm-01-2019-0047
10. Capgemini, & Efma. (2022). World Retail Banking Report 2022. Available online: https://www.capgemini.com/insights/research-library/world-retail-banking-report/ (accessed on 6 March 2023).
11. Castillo, D., Canhoto, A. I., & Said, E. (2021). The dark side of AI-powered service interactions: exploring the process of co-destruction from the customer perspective. The Service Industries Journal, 41(13–14), 900–925. https://doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2020.1787993
12. Chen, H., Chan-Olmsted, S., Kim, J., et al. (2022). Consumers’ perception on artificial intelligence applications in marketing communication. Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal, 25(1), 125–142. https://doi.org/10.1108/qmr-03-2021-0040
13. Chen, S. C., & Lin, C. P. (2019). Understanding the effect of social media marketing activities: The mediation of social identification, perceived value, and satisfaction. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 140, 22–32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2018.11.025
14. Cheng, Y., & Jiang, H. (2021). Customer-brand relationship in the era of artificial intelligence: understanding the role of chatbot marketing efforts. Journal of Product & Brand Management, 31(2), 252–264. https://doi.org/10.1108/jpbm-05-2020-2907
15. Chung, M., Ko, E., Joung, H., et al. (2020). Chatbot e-service and customer satisfaction regarding luxury brands. Journal of Business Research, 117, 587–595. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2018.10.004
16. Diallo, M. F., & Siqueira Jr, J. R. (2017). How previous positive experiences with store brands affect purchase intention in emerging countries. International Marketing Review, 34(4), 536–558. https://doi.org/10.1108/imr-07-2014-0224
17. Doumat, G., Daher, D., Ghanem, N.-N., et al. (2022). Knowledge and attitudes of medical students in Lebanon toward artificial intelligence: A national survey study. Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence, 5. https://doi.org/10.3389/frai.2022.1015418
18. Dwivedi, A. (2015). A higher-order model of consumer brand engagement and its impact on loyalty intentions. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 24, 100–109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2015.02.007
19. Faul, F., Erdfelder, E., Lang, A. G., et al. (2007). G*Power 3: A flexible statistical power analysis program for the social, behavioral, and biomedical sciences. Behavior Research Methods, 39(2), 175–191. https://doi.org/10.3758/bf03193146
20. Gaul, J. (2022). Digital Accessibility: Equity, Inclusion, and the Bank’s Bottom Line. ABA Banking Journal, 114(2), 37-38.
21. Hair, J. F., Risher, J. J., Sarstedt, M., et al. (2019). When to use and how to report the results of PLS-SEM. European Business Review, 31(1), 2–24. https://doi.org/10.1108/ebr-11-2018-0203
22. Han, S. L., & Kim, K. (2020). Role of consumption values in the luxury brand experience: Moderating effects of category and the generation gap. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 57, 102249. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2020.102249
23. Handayani, W., Suyoto, Y. T., & Prasetio, T. (2022). The effect of social media marketing on brand trust, brand equity and brand loyalty. International Journal of Data and Network Science, 6(1), 961-972.
24. Hariguna, T., & Ruangkanjanases, A. (2023). Assessing the impact of social media interaction in s-commerce strategies mediated by relationship quality. Journal of Infrastructure, Policy and Development, 8(2). https://doi.org/10.24294/jipd.v8i2.2807
25. Huang, C. C. (2017). The impacts of brand experiences on brand loyalty: mediators of brand love and trust. Management Decision, 55(5), 915–934. https://doi.org/10.1108/md-10-2015-0465
26. Huwang, J., Choe, J. Y., Kim, H. M., & Kim, J. J. (2021). Human baristas and robot baristas: How does brand experience affect brand satisfaction, brand attitude, brand attachment, and brand loyalty? International Journal of Hospitality Management, 99, 103050. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2021.103050
27. Ibrahim, B., Aljarah, A., & Sawaftah, D. (2021). Linking Social Media Marketing Activities to Revisit Intention through Brand Trust and Brand Loyalty on the Coffee Shop Facebook Pages: Exploring Sequential Mediation Mechanism. Sustainability, 13(4), 2277. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13042277
28. Ismail, A. R. (2017). The influence of perceived social media marketing activities on brand loyalty. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, 29(1), 129–144. https://doi.org/10.1108/apjml-10-2015-0154
29. Jack, P. (2023). Higher education ‘in free fall’ in crisis-hit Lebanon. Available online: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/higher-education-free-fall-crisis-hit-lebanon (accessed on 6 March 2023).
30. Kamboj, S., Yadav, M., & Rahman, Z. (2018). Impact of social media and customer-centric technology on performance outcomes: the mediating role of social CRM capabilities. International Journal of Electronic Marketing and Retailing, 9(2), 109. https://doi.org/10.1504/ijemr.2018.090888
31. Khan, I. (2022). Do brands’ social media marketing activities matter? A moderation analysis. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 64, 102794. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2021.102794
32. Kim, J., & Lee, K. H. (2019). Influence of integration on interactivity in social media luxury brand communities. Journal of Business Research, 99, 422–429. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2017.10.001
33. Klochko, A., Kurylo, M., Rohovenko, O., et al. (2023). The legal regulation of artificial intelligence security in Ukrainian banking. Journal of Infrastructure, Policy and Development, 8(2). https://doi.org/10.24294/jipd.v8i2.2582
34. Koay, K. Y., Ong, D. L. T., Khoo, K. L., et al. (2020). Perceived social media marketing activities and consumer-based brand equity. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, 33(1), 53–72. https://doi.org/10.1108/apjml-07-2019-0453
35. Kock, N. (2015). Common Method Bias in PLS-SEM. International Journal of E-Collaboration, 11(4), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.4018/ijec.2015100101
36. Kulkarni, K. K., Kalro, A. D., & Sharma, D. (2020). The interaction effect of ad appeal and need for cognition on consumers’ intentions to share viral advertisements. Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 19(4), 327–338. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1002/cb.1809
37. Kumar, V., Rajan, B., Venkatesan, R., et al. (2019). Understanding the Role of Artificial Intelligence in Personalized Engagement Marketing. California Management Review, 61(4), 135–155. https://doi.org/10.1177/0008125619859317
38. Libai, B., Bart, Y., Gensler, S., et al. (2020). Brave New World? On AI and the Management of Customer Relationships. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 51, 44–56. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intmar.2020.04.002
39. Luo, B., Sun, Y., Shen, J., et al. (2020). How does green advertising skepticism on social media affect consumer intention to purchase green products? Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 19(4), 371–381. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1002/cb.1818
40. Moreira, A. C., Fortes, N., & Santiago, R. (2017). Influence of sensory stimuli on brand experience, brand equity and purchase intention. Journal of Business Economics and Management, 18(1), 68–83. https://doi.org/10.3846/16111699.2016.1252793
41. Ostmann, F., & Dorobantu, C. (2021). AI in Financial Services. Alan Turing Institute.
42. PWC. (2019). Virtual Banking: Customers Take Charge—Are You Ready? Available online: https://www.pwchk.com/en/financial-services/publications/2019-digital-banki ng-customer-survey.pdf (accessed on 6 March 2023).
43. Roberts-Lombard, M., & Petzer, D. J. (2021). Relationship marketing: an S–O–R perspective emphasising the importance of trust in retail banking. International Journal of Bank Marketing, 39(5), 725–750. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijbm-08-2020-0417
44. Sahin, A., Zehir, C., & Kitapçı, H. (2011). The Effects of Brand Experiences, Trust and Satisfaction on Building Brand Loyalty; An Empirical Research on Global Brands. Procedia—Social and Behavioral Sciences, 24, 1288–1301. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2011.09.143
45. Sanny, L., Arina, A. N., Maulidya, R. T., et al. (2020). Purchase intention on Indonesia male’s skin care by social media marketing effect towards brand image and brand trust. Management Science Letters, 2139–2146. https://doi.org/10.5267/j.msl.2020.3.023
46. Shan Ho, S., & Choi Chow, M. Y. (2023). The role of artificial intelligence in consumers’ brand preference for retail banks in Hong Kong. Journal of Financial Services Marketing. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41264-022-00207-3
47. Sikandar, M. I., & Mohammed, Q. (2019). Impact of Social Media Marketing on Brand Love: Promoting Loyalty in the Restaurant Landscape of Pakistan. Online Journal of Communication and Media Technologies, 9(4). https://doi.org/10.29333/ojcmt/5953
48. Trivedi, J. (2019). Examining the Customer Experience of Using Banking Chatbots and Its Impact on Brand Love: The Moderating Role of Perceived Risk. Journal of Internet Commerce, 18(1), 91–111. https://doi.org/10.1080/15332861.2019.1567188
49. Vlačić, B., Corbo, L., Costa e Silva, S., et al. (2021). The evolving role of artificial intelligence in marketing: A review and research agenda. Journal of Business Research, 128, 187–203. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.01.055
50. Wang, W., Chen, R. R., Ou, C. X., et al. (2019). Media or message, which is the king in social commerce? An empirical study of participants’ intention to repost marketing messages on social media. Computers in Human Behavior, 93, 176–191. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2018.12.007
51. Xie, L., Poon, P., & Zhang, W. (2017). Brand experience and customer citizenship behavior: the role of brand relationship quality. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 34(3), 268–280. https://doi.org/10.1108/jcm-02-2016-1726
52. Yadav, M., & Rahman, Z. (2017). Measuring consumer perception of social media marketing activities in e-commerce industry: Scale development & validation. Telematics and Informatics, 34(7), 1294–1307. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tele.2017.06.001
53. Yu, X., & Yuan, C. (2019). How consumers’ brand experience in social media can improve brand perception and customer equity. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, 31(5), 1233–1251. https://doi.org/10.1108/apjml-01-2018-0034
54. Zollo, L., Filieri, R., Rialti, R., et al. (2020). Unpacking the relationship between social media marketing and brand equity: The mediating role of consumers’ benefits and experience. Journal of Business Research, 117, 256–267. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.05.001