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This paper furthers our understanding of customer brand engagement through augmented reality (AR) features on retailers' mobile applications. Due to the ubiquitous smartphone device, augmented reality has emerged as a new technology available to retailers to engage with customers. While AR in consumer markets is in its infancy, some innovative retailers have implemented AR technology within their mobile application. Through a web-based survey of 441 consumers, the research establishes the variables influencing brand engagement through retailers' mobile apps and the consequent outcomes of AR related brand engagement. The research introduces a new set of augmented reality attributes, namely, AR novelty, AR interactivity and AR vividness and establishes their influence on technology acceptance attributes of perceived ease of use, usefulness, enjoyment and subjective norms. Positive perceptions of the AR attributes and technology acceptance attributes positively influence brand engagement through the retailer's AR mobile application. The findings also indicate that AR enabled brand engagement results in increased satisfaction with the app experience and future brand usage intent. The research provides retailers important practical implications on the use of AR technology.

Purpose -This study seeks to focus on front-line service employees and their views of internal branding and the extent to which personal and job-specific factors impact on the success of internal branding in the reinforcement of brand identification and brand loyalty among service employees. Design/methodology/approach -The research, based on a multiple case study representing the hotel industry in Thailand, involved the completion of 30 in-depth qualitative interviews with customer-interface employees followed by a quantitative survey with 680 customer-interface employees located in five major hotels. Findings -Corporate service brands need to coordinate internal branding activity to enhance their employees' identification with, commitment to, and loyalty to, the brand. The relationships between the concepts of identification, commitment and loyalty of employees are determined. Personal variables such as age, education, and length of service as well as situational factors regarding their work environment are found to have moderating effects on the effectiveness of the internal branding process. Practical implications -The paper highlights the importance of internal branding on employees' brand identification, commitment and loyalty. However, management should also be aware that the impact of internal branding would not be constant across all employees within an organisation. Personal variables such as age, educational background, and length of service with the brand should also be taken into account. The impact of internal branding on an employee's attitudes and behaviour are heightened when employees are satisfied with their workplace. As such, internal branding cannot be looked at in isolation and is unlikely to be successful if the work environment is not conducive to the employees and the brand values. Originality/value -Much of the work on internal branding is conceptual and based on small-scale studies undertaken with management or consultants. This paper provides empirical evidence from the front-line service employees' perspective on the relationships between internal branding and brand identification, brand commitment, brand loyalty and brand performance. It also provides an empirical investigation of potential moderators for internal branding.

corporate branding and corporate reputation. All these different corporate-level perspectives and concepts are synthesised under the ' corporate marketing vortex ' . 2 The corporate marketing mix of Balmer as shown in Figure 1 outlines how the aforementioned concepts can possibly be orchestrated.

Purpose: The aim of this paper is to understand the internal branding process from the employees' perspective; it will empirically assess the relationship between internal branding and employees' delivery of the brand promise as well as the relationships among their brand identification, brand commitment, and brand loyalty.Design/methodology/approach: On a census basis, a quantitative survey was carried out with 699 customer-interface employees from five major hotels. Findings:Internal branding is found to have a positive impact on attitudinal and behavioural aspects of employees in their delivery of the brand promise. As employees' brand commitment did not have a statistically significant relationship with employees' brand performance, it was not regarded as a mediator in the link between internal branding and employees' brand performance. Furthermore, the study shows that brand identification is a driver of brand commitment, which precedes brand loyalty of employees.Practical Implications: A number of significant managerial implications are draw from this study, for example using both internal communication and training to influence employees' brand-supporting attitudes and behaviours. Still, it should be noted that the effect of internal branding on the behaviours could be dependent on the extent to which it could effectively influence their brand attitudes. Originality/value:The results provide valuable insights from the key internal audience's perspectives into an internal branding process to ensure the delivery of the brand promise. It has empirically shown the relationship between internal branding and the behavioural outcome as well as the meditational effects of employees' brand identification, commitment, and loyalty.