브랜드 선호에 따라 제휴 로열티 프로그램 가입이 가맹점 브랜드 충성도에 미치는 영향

Effects of Joining Coalition Loyalty Program : How the Brand affects Brand Loyalty Based on Brand Preference

제휴 로열티 프로그램(coalition loyalty program; 이하 CLP라고 한다)이란 하나의 로열티 프로그램 안에 다수의 제휴 기업들이 참여하며, 이들과 독립된 (로열티 프로그램 운영)기업이 관리하는 로열티 프로그램으로 정의된다(Blattberg 등 2008). 본 연구의 목적은 고객의 브랜드에 대한 사전 선호 수준에 따라, CLP가 고객 충성도를 증가시키는 원인과 제휴 네트워크 안의 주체 간 인식의 전이에 차이가 있을 것임을 밝히는 데에 있다. 고객 충성도의 동기는 전환장벽(switching barrier) 관점(Balabanis 등 2006; Colgate와 Lang 2001; Jones 등 2000)에 따라 자발적인 이유(브랜드 매력도)와 비자발적 이유 (브랜드 전환비용)로 설명하였다. CLP안에서 브랜드(비선호)-CLP-브랜드(선호)간 전이효과(spillover effect)는 인지적 일관성(Aaker과 Keller 1990; Hamilton 등 1989)과 정보 통합 이론(Anderson 1981; Simon과 Ruth 1998)을 적용하였다. 연구 결과는 다음 세 가지로 학문적 실무적 의의를 갖는다. 첫째, 브랜드에 대한 사전 태도에 따라 정보처리 경향이 달라진다는 소비자 행동 연구의 견해를 CLP 제휴 상황에서 검증하였다. 고객은 브랜드 선호가 높을수록 자발적 동기를 강화하고, 반대의 경우 비자발적 동기를 강화한다. 둘째, 브랜드에 대한 사전 태도가 해당 브랜드와 연관된 주체 간 인식 전이에 긍정적 조절효과를 함을 검증하였다. 즉 선호 브랜드와 어떤 주체가 연관될 때(비선호 브랜드와 연관된 경우에 비해) 인식의 전이가 더 많이 발생한다. 셋째, 기업이 CLP가입에 대한 전략적 선택을 할 때 마케팅 목적에 따라 고려해야할 사항이 달라진다. 기업의 목적이 충성고객의 유지라면, 로열티 프로그램 자체의 보상 방식과 활용 방식 등이 고려되어야한다. 하지만 목적이 비충성고객의 확보라면, 유명 브랜드의 제휴 여부를 따져야 한다. 또한 기업은 CLP의 효과(브랜드 충성도)에 안주할 것이 아니라 그 원인을 알아야 하는데, 비선호 브랜드처럼 비자발적 동기 강화에 따른 충성도 증가는 장기적으로 바람직하지 못하다는 견해가 있다(Egans 2001).

Introduction: In these days, a loyalty program is one of the most common marketing mechanisms (Lacey & Sneath, 2006; Nues & Dreze, 2006; Uncles et al., 20003). In recent years, Coalition Loyalty Program is more noticeable as one of progressed forms. In the past, loyalty program was operating independently by single product brand or single retail channel brand. Now, companies using Coalition Loyalty Program share their programs as one single service and companies to participate to this program continue to have benefits from their existing program as well as positive spillover effect from the other participating network companies. Instead of consumers to earn or spend points from single retail channel or brand, consumers will have more opportunities to utilize their points and be able to purchase other participating companies products. Issues that are related to form of loyalty programs are essentially connected with consumers' perceived view on convenience of using its program. This can be a problem for distribution companies' strategic marketing plan. Although Coalition Loyalty Program is popular corporate marketing strategy to most companies, only few researches have been published. However, compared to independent loyalty program, coalition loyalty program operated by third parties of partnership has following conditions: Companies cannot autonomously modify structures of program for individual companies' benefits, and there is no guarantee to operate and to participate its program continuously by signing a contract. Thus, it is important to conduct the study on how coalition loyalty program affects companies' success and its process as much as conducting the study on effects of independent program. This study will complement the lack of coalition loyalty program study. The purpose of this study is to find out how consumer loyalty affects affiliated brands, its cause and mechanism. The past study about loyalty program only provided the variation of performance analysis, but this study will specifically focus on causes of results. In order to do these, this study is designed and to verify three primary objects as following; First, based on opinions of Switching Barriers (Fornell, 1992; Ping, 1993; Jones, et at., 2000) about causes of loyalty of coalition brand, 'brand attractiveness' and 'brand switching cost' are antecedents and causes of change in 'brand loyalty' will be investigated. Second, influence of consumers' perception and attitude prior to joining coalition loyalty program, influence of program in retail brands, brand attractiveness and spillover effect of switching cost after joining coalition program will be verified. Finally, the study will apply 'prior brand preference' as a variable and will provide a relationship between effects of coalition loyalty program and prior preference level. Hypothesis Hypothesis 1. After joining coalition loyalty program, more preferred brand (compared to less preferred brand) will increase influence on brand attractiveness to brand loyalty. Hypothesis 2. After joining coalition loyalty program, less preferred brand (compared to more preferred brand) will increase influence on brand switching cost to brand loyalty. Hypothesis 3. (1)Brand attractiveness and (2)brand switching cost of more preferred brand (before joining the coalition loyalty program) will influence more positive effects from (1)program attractiveness and (2)program switching cost of coalition loyalty program (after joining) than less preferred brand. Hypothesis 4. After joining coalition loyalty program, (1)brand attractiveness and (2)brand switching cost of more preferred brand will receive more positive impacts from (1)program attractiveness and (2)program switching cost of coalition loyalty program than less preferred brand. Hypothesis 5. After joining coalition loyalty program, (1)brand attractiveness and (2)brand switching cost of more preferred brand will receive less impacts from (1)brand attractiveness and (2)brand switching cost of different brands (having different preference level), which joined simultaneously, than less preferred brand. Method : In order to validate hypotheses, this study will apply experimental method throughout virtual scenario of coalition loyalty program if consumers have used or available for the actual brands. The experiment is conducted twice to participants. In a first experiment, the study will provide six coalition brands which are already selected based on prior research. The survey asked each brand attractiveness, switching cost, and loyalty after they choose high preference brand and low preference brand. One hour break was provided prior to the second experiment. In a second experiment, virtual coalition loyalty program "SaveBag" was introduced to participants. Participants were informed that "SaveBag" will be new alliance with six coalition brands from the first experiment. Brand attractiveness and switching cost about coalition program were measured and brand attractiveness and switching cost of high preference brand and low preference brand were measured as same method of first experiment. Limitation and future research This study shows limitations of effects of coalition loyalty program by using virtual scenario instead of actual research. Thus, future study should compare and analyze CLP panel data to provide more in-depth information. In addition, this study only proved the effectiveness of coalition loyalty program. However, there are two types of loyalty program, which are Single and Coalition, and success of coalition loyalty program will be dependent on market brand power and prior customer attitude. Therefore, it will be interesting to compare effects of two programs in the future.