The Relationship between Digital Marketing Strategies and Customer Engagement: The Mediating Effect of Brand Promotion

HRMARS - This study examines the relationship between digital marketing strategies and customer engagement in Baghdad's luxury hotel sector, acknowledging the hospitality industry as a crucial element in Iraq's economic diversification and a significant alternative to oil-based income. Given its status as the second-largest potential investment area following oil, the hospitality sector in Baghdad is a key driver for attracting foreign currency, fostering local business activity, and mitigating national unemployment. However, many premier institutions continue to face a strategy-execution gap that hinders the transition from passive advertising to authentic guest commitment. Utilizing a quantitative approach, primary data were collected from 200 managers and supervisors at premier four- and five-star establishments. The demographic analysis indicates a highly educated managerial class, with the majority of participants possessing university degrees and considerable professional experience. Structural equation modeling reveals a strong direct relationship between digital marketing strategies and customer engagement. Consequently, the findings support that brand promotion serves as the critical partial mediating factor in translating digital marketing strategies into enduring customer engagement within Baghdad's competitive hospitality industry. This underscores the basis for a prestige-focused luxury management model in Iraq; wherein digital instruments are utilized to cultivate e-trust and secure a lasting competitive edge.