Exploring Brand Consumer Engagement in the Age of Algorithms: A Qualitative Approach

Abstract

Consumer engagement and digital communications with brands are highly mediated by technologies in the algorithm-driven era. Drawing insights from the Indian consumers, this research explores how consumers interact with and benefit from interactive and assistive technological tools in this era. A qualitative research design that incorporates Voyant Tools (VT) and the Grounded Theory Approach (GTA) to explore the complexities of engagement with technology was used. The researchers conducted 21 interviews across a diverse demographic of tech-savvy users in India to understand their challenges while navigating digital technological tools. The research identifies Trust equity, a Smart AI ecosystem, Accelerated Operational Dynamics, and Mindful Personalization as enabler dimensions that enhance business-consumer relationships. It highlights the inhibitor dimensions of Privacy Anxieties, Unintuitive Anthropos, Expectation Misalignment, and Tech Parameters, which signify consumer expectations of brands. The study augments the theoretical understanding of how technology influences consumer engagement with brands in the age of algorithms. Brand and marketers can utilize the enabler dimensions of the research to develop empathic tech interfaces that enhance consumer convenience and satisfaction by minimizing the inhibiting dimensions. The research is unique in its application of thematic analysis using VT and GTA to examine the dual aspects of tech-driven engagement across diverse demographics and geographical locations in an emerging economy like India. As India continues to strengthen its position as an emerging economy, this research brings a significant angle into how digitally mediated environments influence emotional, cognitive, and behavioural facets of brand–consumer engagement in the context of emerging economies' consumers.