Social Immersion: The Influence of AR/VR-Integrated Social Media Engagement on Brand Equity Development

The integration of Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) technologies into social media platforms represents a paradigm shift in digital brand engagement. This research investigates how immersive social media experiences influence brand equity development through enhanced user engagement and emotional connections. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the study surveyed 420 social media users across multiple platforms and analyzed brand performance metrics from 65 companies utilizing AR/VR social features between 2020-2024. Statistical analyses reveal that AR/VR-integrated social media engagement significantly enhances brand awareness (? = 0.72, p < 0.001), perceived quality (? = 0.68, p < 0.001), and brand loyalty (? = 0.64, p < 0.001). The mediation analysis demonstrates that user immersion and social presence act as critical pathways through which immersive technologies influence brand equity. The findings indicate that brands leveraging AR filters, virtual try-ons, and VR experiences on social platforms achieve 43% higher engagement rates and 31% stronger brand associations compared to traditional digital marketing. This research contributes to understanding how emerging technologies reshape consumer-brand relationships in digital ecosystems and provides strategic insights for marketers navigating the immersive social media landscape.