What Drives Engagement with Branded Memes? A Mixed-Methods Investigation of Psychological Mechanisms

This study addresses a critical gap in meme marketing research by examining how branded memes drive consumer engagement beyond their assumed role as viral or trend-based content. While prior studies emphasize meme characteristics and virality, limited attention has been given to the psychological mechanisms underlying consumer responses and the conditions under which memes effectively engage users. Using a mixed-methods approach, this study first analyzes open-ended responses through topic modeling and thematic coding to identify key engagement drivers, and then tests the proposed relationships using structural equation modeling with survey data from 479 U.S. consumers. The findings indicate that branded meme relatedness enhances perceived novelty, spontaneity, and social connectedness, which subsequently influence social media engagement intention. Perceived fun emerges as a central mediating mechanism linking meme relatedness to engagement, while novelty and spontaneity exert both direct and indirect effects. These results suggest that not all memes generate engagement or trends; rather, engagement depends on how consumers psychologically interpret and experience meme content. This study contributes by shifting the focus from meme virality to underlying psychological processes, offering a more nuanced understanding of digital engagement. Managerially, it provides actionable guidance for designing relatable and engaging meme-based content strategies.