This study examines the mediating role of electronic customer relationship management (e-CRM) in the relationships between digital marketing strategies and electronic loyalty (e-loyalty). Using partial least squares structural equation modeling with data from 274 Saudi Arabian consumers collected via cross-sectional survey, we tested direct and indirect effects of digital marketing, electronic digital services, and social media marketing on e-loyalty through e-CRM mediation. Results reveal that all three digital marketing strategies significantly predict both e-CRM and e-loyalty. E-CRM, in turn, significantly predicts e-loyalty (β = 0.168, p = 0.005). Mediation analysis demonstrates that e-CRM partially mediates the relationships between digital marketing strategies and e-loyalty, with significant indirect effects for digital marketing (β = 0.060, p = 0.023) and electronic digital services (β = 0.056, p = 0.011). The model demonstrates substantial explanatory power (R2 = 0.782 for e-CRM; R2 = 0.838 for e-loyalty) and strong predictive relevance (Q2 = 0.777 and 0.827, respectively). Findings suggest that digital marketing strategies are associated with enhanced e-loyalty both directly and indirectly through improved customer relationship management capabilities. Organizations may benefit from considering integrated digital marketing approaches while leveraging e-CRM systems to enhance customer loyalty outcomes. The study contributes theoretical insights into digital marketing effectiveness and provides practical considerations for sustainable digital customer engagement strategies in emerging markets.
Alhamdi et al. (Sun,) studied this question.