• Journal of Distribution Science
• /
• v.11 no.2
• /
• pp.23-33
• /
• 2013

Purpose - Numerous studies have tried to assess the role of a warranty as an explanatory instrument for product quality. While one study argued that manufacturers signal their superior quality to consumers by extending the duration of a warranty, quality is not necessarily related to warranty and a warranty for a short duration is a sign of high product quality. However, there are limitations to measuring product quality in terms of a single variable such as a warranty. Some other studies have evaluated the influence of brand power or value and price on the supposed quality of a product while the influence of warranty was found to be insignificant. Research design, data, methodology - The study analyzes the influence of brand power and the country of origin effect on consumers' perception of product quality in line with warranty and establishes a priority strategy. Especially, consumer experience has a significant influence on state of the art technology products like applied home electronics as these goods are generally quite expensive and consumers expend significant energy in purchasing them, so the associated warranty and brand can have a critical role in the decision making process. The price of the product was excluded in this discussion as it continually varies with the market share of the product. Results - The results of the analysis are as follows: First, each of the factors such as the standard of the warranty, brand power, and country of origin effect influences the degree of satisfaction of an individual. Second, the factors brand power and quality of the warranty interact both complementarily and synergistically at a time, depending on the brand power. As brand power is more significant, the degree of satisfaction is greater in case of products with low quality warranty compared to those with high quality warranty. Third, the brand power and country of origin effect present a complementary interaction. Fourth, the country of origin effect and quality of a warranty interact synergistically. Conclusions - Thus, the higher the quality of warranty, greater is the increment in the degree of satisfaction. The comprehensive study on the effect of the country of origin on the purchase decision process and the degree of satisfaction compared to the other elements shows that in case of Japanese and Korean markets the brand power of a company is desirable in sustaining the quality of warranty to the industrial average. Also, there is no significant improvement in the perceived quality of the product when the quality of the warranty is lowered. Therefore, the warranty effect diminishes when the value of the brand is known, while it perishes when both the brand power and the country of origin effect are strong enough.

• Journal of Distribution Science
• /
• v.16 no.1
• /
• pp.17-27
• /
• 2018

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to practically analyze the effect of the brand equity of Korean food companies in Vietnam on the brand attitude and purchase intention of Vietnamese consumers. Research design, data, and methodology - In total, 240 subjects were examined in this study. The collected data were analyzed using statistical programs SPSS 21 and AMOS 21. The credibility of the variables was examined using the exploratory factor analysis, and confirmatory factor analysis. The hypothesis was examined through the structural equation model analysis. Results - It is proven that brand image and perceived quality are accepted, and the brand awareness is rejected from the hypothesis that "the brand equity has a positive effect on the brand attitude". However, the brand image and brand awareness are accepted, and the perceived quality is rejected from the hypothesis that "the brand equity has a positive effect on the purchase intention". Conclusions - The following are the conclusions of the study. First, among the components of brand equity, the brand image is confirmed to positively affect both brand attitude and purchase intention. Second, high brand awareness does not necessarily lead to positive brand attitudes of the consumers. Third, The brand image appears to positively affect the brand attitude and purchase intention. However, the awareness of consumers of a brand does not directly lead to positive consumer attitudes.

• Asia pacific journal of information systems
• /
• v.33 no.3
• /
• pp.677-701
• /
• 2023

With the rapid advancement of social media analytics and artificial intelligence, many studies have used online customer reviews as an important source to measure service quality in many industries, including the hotel industry. However, these studies have failed to identify the relative importance of different dimensions of service quality and their role in customer satisfaction. To fill this research gap, this study aims to identify the effects of service quality on hotel customer satisfaction from the multidimensional perspectives using sentiment analysis with self-training on online reviews. Additionally, the moderating role of the brand of origin for each service quality dimension is also investigated. Drawing on the SERVQUAL model and brand of origin concept, this study develops 12 hypotheses and empirically tests them using 30,070 online customer hotel reviews collected from TripAdvisor.com. The results indicated that overall service quality and each dimension of SERVQUAL significantly influenced customer satisfaction of hotels. The results also confirmed the moderating effects of brand of origin on overall service quality. However, the moderating effects of brand of origin for the tangible, reliability, and empathy dimensions of service quality were significant, whereas the effects for responsiveness and assurance were not. This study sheds new light on service quality measurement by analyzing the multidimensional features of service quality and the role of brand of origin in the hotel service context.

• Journal of Korean Society for Quality Management
• /
• v.45 no.1
• /
• pp.39-54
• /
• 2017

Purpose: This study evaluated the effect of customer relationship management (CRM) on customer's brand loyalty in the holistic perspective of relational benefits, relationship quality and relation value. This paper attempted to find out the psychological process that links the relational benefits and brand loyalty. Methods: The data was collected by using the structured questionnaires to VIP customers and general customers of major domestic banks. The proposed research model is empirically tested using 324 valid questionnaires using SPSS 23 and AMOS 23. Results: This research indicated the partially positive relationship between the relational benefits and relation values, and between relational benefits and relationship quality. The relation value and relationship quality positively affects the relation commitment and the relation commitment also positively affects brand loyalty. This study also shows that the relation value affects the brand loyalty through the mediation of relation commitment, but also the relationship quality affects the brand loyalty through the media of relation commitment. Conclusions: This study investigates the role of perceptional factors(relational value and relationship quality) and affective factors(relation commitment) to find the relationship between relational benefits and brand loyalty. It also suggest the relative influence of relational benefits on relation value.

• Journal of Distribution Science
• /
• v.21 no.7
• /
• pp.11-20
• /
• 2023

Purpose: The development of e-commerce in the marketplace is becoming a big trend, but there is a handful of research about the unique characteristics of e-commerce. Online distribution has several differences from offline, such as consumer approach, payment, and product assortment. In addition to the relationship between quality factors and e-commerce satisfaction, this study research how brand awareness affects consumer satisfaction and which quality factor affects brand awareness. Research design, data, and methodology: This study conducted a survey on 457 customers using top online shopping malls. As for the analysis method, multiple regression analysis to verify the mediating effect. Results: All quality factors and brand awareness affect consumer satisfaction. Among the quality factors, only price, payment, and delivery had an effect among the four factors. As a result of verifying the mediating effect of brand awareness in the relationship between online shopping mall quality factors and consumer satisfaction, price, payment, and delivery showed mediating effects. Conclusion: Online shopping mall satisfaction affects the satisfaction of brand awareness consumers perceive aside from consumers' direct experience. The result showed that price, payment, and delivery were significant in the relationship of quality factor and brand awareness of an online shopping malls.

• Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science
• /
• v.20 no.1
• /
• pp.98-109
• /
• 2010

Research on the construction, measurement, and management of brand equity has been extensive since David A. Aaker(1991) and Kevin Lane Keller(1993) first advanced the concept. Recently, much attention has been devoted to the components of brand equity: brand awareness, perceived quality, brand image, and brand loyalty. This study explores the relationships among these components, focusing particularly on the moderating role of product type (utilitarian vs. hedonic) in their causal relationships. A model to study the relationship among components of brand equity, particularly the moderating role of product type, is featured in Figure 1. The hypotheses of the study are proposed as follows: that consumers' brand awareness has a positive influence on brand loyalty and brand image; that consumers' perceived quality has a positive influence on brand loyalty and brand image; that consumers' brand image influences brand loyalty positively; and that relationships among components of brand equity will be moderated by product type. That is, in the case of utilitarian products, the impact of perceived quality on brand loyalty will be relatively stronger, whereas with hedonic products the impact of brand image on brand loyalty will be relatively stronger. To determine the products for the study, a pre-test of 58 college students in the Seoul metropolitan area was conducted based on the product type scale. As a result, computers were selected as the utilitarian product and blue jeans became the hedonic product. For each product type, two brands were selected: Samsung and HP for computers, and Levis and Nix for blue jeans. In the main study, 237 college students in the metropolitan area were surveyed to measure their brand awareness, perceived quality, brand image, and brand loyalty toward the selected two brands of each product type. The subjects were divided into two groups: one group (121 subjects) for computers, the other (116 subjects) for blue jeans. The survey questionnaires for the study included four parts: five questions on brand awareness and four questions each on perceived quality, brand image, and brand loyalty. All questions were to be answered using 7-point Likert scales. The data collected by the survey were processed to assess reliability and validity, and the causal relationships were analyzed to verify the hypotheses using the AMOS 7 program, a tool for analyzing structural equation modeling. A confirmatory factor analysis assessed the appropriateness of the measurement model, and the fit indices denoted that the model was satisfactory. The relationships among the components of brand equity were also analyzed using AMOS 7. The fit indices of the structural model denoted that it was also satisfactory. The paths in the structural model as will be seen in Figure 2 show that perceived quality affects brand image positively, but that brand awareness does not affect brand image. Moreover, it shows that brand awareness, perceived quality, and brand image are positively related with brand loyalty, and that this relationship is moderated by product type. In the case of utilitarian products, perceived quality has relatively more influence on brand loyalty. Conversely, in the case of hedonic products, brand image has relatively more influence on brand loyalty. The results of this empirical study contribute toward the advancement of our understanding of the relationships among the components of brand equity and expand the theoretical underpinnings for brand equity measurement. It also helps further our understanding of the effect of product type on customer-based brand equity. In a marketing management practice perspective, these results may provide managerial implications for building and maintaining brand equity effectively.

• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
• /
• v.18 no.2
• /
• pp.523-534
• /
• 2009

The purposes of this study were to identify brand equity factors influencing on brand preference and to investigate the effects of preference, price acceptability, distribution proximity, and appropriateness on brand performance of domestic and imported cosmetics brands. A total of 300 women aged between 20 and 49 years were surveyed on two domestic brands and two imported brands that were well-known to consumers during the month of September, 2006, in Seoul, Daejeon, Gyeonggi-do, and Chungcheong-do. The data were analyzed with factorial analysis, multiple regression analysis, ANOVA, Cronbach's ${\alpha}$, etc., using the SPSS 12.0. The result of the study included: 1) Four factors of brand equity were identified: brand image, social reputation, quality, and brand awareness. 2) Brand image, quality, appropriateness, and brand performance of the domestic brands were higher than those of the imported brands. But brand awareness of the imported brands was higher than that of the domestic brands. 3) Brand preference of the domestic brands was affected by social reputation, quality, brand image, and brand awareness in order of significance. And brand performance of the domestic brands was affected by brand preference, appropriateness, price acceptability and distribution proximity in order of significance. 4) Brand preference of the imported brands was affected by brand image, social reputation, brand awareness, and quality in order of significance. And brand performance of the imported brands was affected by appropriateness, price acceptability, brand preference, and distribution proximity in order of significance.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
• /
• v.34 no.2
• /
• pp.242-251
• /
• 2010

Experiential marketing focuses on the experience of customers to connect a company and a brand with the lifestyle of customers that influences buying behavior. This study investigates how the persons who experienced brand ambassadors for public relations as experiential marketing recognized brand equity, how personal satisfaction accomplished as a brand ambassador influenced brand equity, and how the effects are different based upon demographic information. The research methodology was a questionnaire distributed to individuals who experienced work as a public relations brand ambassador. A total of 104 returned questionnaires were analyzed by internal validity, t-test, and regression analysis with SPSS 12.0. The results of this study are as follows: Experiential marketing through a public relations brand ambassador positively influenced brand equity. The satisfaction at the company while working as brand ambassador positively influenced brand equity. Experiential marketing influenced more men than women regarding perceived quality and brand loyalty among brand equity. There is no significant differences regarding career (bank or apparel) among brand awareness, brand image, perceived quality, and brand loyalty.

• Journal of Distribution Science
• /
• v.17 no.10
• /
• pp.27-39
• /
• 2019

Purpose - This study explores the relationships between e-Marketing and perceived service quality with brand trust and loyalty towards the brand of mobile telephone operators in Kosovo. Research design, data, and methodology - The conceptual model of four constructs was developed, while each construct consisted of the set of variables measured by using five-point Likert scale. The primary data was collected via an online survey through SurveyMonkey, distributed via Facebook and email. The collected data were cleaned, validated and tested for its consistency through Cronbach's Alpha; ensured that five assumptions of multiple linear regression are met. To assess the relationships between outcome variable and dependent variables of the model, performed the bivariate correlation, simple, multiple linear and hierarchical regression. Results - Perceived service quality has a positive significant effect on brand trust and loyalty. e-Marketing presents moderating direct effect on brand loyalty, and slightly higher effect through brand trust of the mobile telephone operators in Kosovo. Conclusions - The perceived service quality and brand trust are key determinants in achieving brand loyalty in telecommunication industry, followed by e-Marketing as means to creating expectations, delivering on promise to meet customers' perceptions for service quality with a purpose of building trust, that leads to loyalty towards the brands of mobile operators in Kosovo.

• Journal of the Korean Operations Research and Management Science Society
• /
• v.36 no.3
• /
• pp.107-120
• /
• 2011

The increased availability of store brand suppliers now provides retailers with opportunities to create their own lines of vertically differentiated multiple store brands within a product category. As the number of store brands increase, the retailer's shelf space becomes more crowded, which may force the retailer to consider dropping some national brands from its assortment. Despite these trends, the problem of product line design in a vertically differentiated product category has been analyzed mainly from a manufacturer's perspective in the marketing literature and it is not known to what extent the findings of the existing product line design literature provide applicable strategic guidelines for the new problem faced by retailers. In this study, we address this deficiency in the literature and conduct an in-depth study of the retailer's strategic design of a line of store brands and its assortment decision within the context of retail category management. We analyze the retailer's decision about not only how to design a line of store brands but also which national brand to drop from its assortment. The results of our analysis are as follows. First, if the retailer has to drop one of national brands from its assortment, it is the best for the retailer to drop the low-quality national brand rather than the high-quality national brand. Second, the retailer has to position the high-quality store brand relatively close to the high-quality national brand, remained on its shelf, in terms of quality so as to maximize the size of retail margin from the national brand. On the other hand, the retailer should set the quality of the low-quality store brand at a lower level than that of the low-quality national brand to increase the total category demand by attracting more price sensitive consumers. By doing so, the retailer can also minimize cannibalization between two store brands. Lastly, our analysis shows that the introduction of a line of store brands improves consumer welfare by increasing real values of all products on the shelf.