Brand experience and brand loyalty: is it a matter of emotions? Rania B. Mostafa Business Administration, Damanhour University, Damanhour, Egypt, and Tamara Kasamani Business Adminstration, Beirut Arab University, Beirut, Lebanon Abstract Purpose – Based on the stimulus–organism–response (SOR) model, the aim of this study is to explore the impact of brand experience (BE) on brand loyalty, with the mediation effect of emotional brand attachment (EBA) dimensions, specifically brand passion, self-brand connection and brand affection. Design/methodology/approach – The study utilized a sample of 278 smartphone users in Lebanon. A questionnaire was used for data collection and a mediation analysis was employed to test the hypothesized relationships. Findings – The findings revealed that experiential brands promote long-lasting brand loyalty through building brand passion, self-brand connection and brand affection. Practical implications – To achieve a long-standing brand–consumer relationship, marketing managers should enhance and augment experiential marketing practices as this triggers deep emotional links and builds strong emotional ties with customers. Originality/value – In contrast to previous studies on BE and loyalty, this research contributes to the literature by deepening the impact of emotions from the EBA perspective, specifically brand passion, brand affection and self-brand connection and posits the latter as mediators to the link between the BE and brand loyalty in the smartphone industry. Keywords Brand experience, Self-brand connection, Brand passion, Brand affection, Brand loyalty Paper type Research paper Introduction Nowadays, consumers are more fascinated by gathering memories rather than objects. According to eMarketer (2020), 65% of consumers are influenced by positive experiences throughout their purchase journey. Thus, numerous brands are fashioned to generate memorable experiences to customers, such as Apple’s brand (Huang, 2017). For example, as the customer steps inside the Apple store, he/she will directly encounter an outstanding customer service (Tailored Marketing, 2018). However, Apple’s experience is not limited to the store itself, every phase in the buyer’s journey is consistent with the brand aesthetics. Even while unboxing a new Apple product, customers are excited while unwrapping the white clean lid to present the new phone that is fitting perfectly in the package. Therefore, when the customers buy Apple, they are buying a total experience (Tailored Marketing, 2018). Brands traditionally give a minimal focus on administering the brand–customer touchpoints and emotional attributes (Iglesias et al., 2011). However, differentiating brands from rivals depends largely on their ability to develop experiential customer touchpoints, such as being visually warm, fun, appealing to different senses and inspiring (Brakus et al., 2009; Iglesias et al., 2011). Furthermore, consumers are no longer seeking only tangible and functional values while purchasing a product but also intangible and symbolic tenets such as a distinctive experience. This distinctive experience arises from the brand’s environment, communication, identity, servicescape, elements, etc. (Ong et al., 2018; Brakus, et al., 2009). Brand experience and brand loyalty Tamara Kasamani would like to acknowledge the National Council for Scientific Research of Lebanon (CNRS-L) for granting a doctoral fellowship. The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at: https://www.emerald.com/insight/1355-5855.htm Received 22 November 2019 Revised 12 March 2020 10 June 2020 12 August 2020 Accepted 16 August 2020 Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics © Emerald Publishing Limited 1355-5855 DOI 10.1108/APJML-11-2019-0669