From brand experience to happiness: exploring the impacts on brand loyalty and price premium

Dr Karam Al Mandil, Lecturer in Marketing at the University of Cumbria, will be attending the Linnaeus University School of Business and Economics in Kalmar, Sweden which will play host to the 12th Global Brand Conference of the Academy of Marketing’s SIG (special interest group) in Brand, Identity and Corporate Reputation from April 26 2017. From a broadband provider offering to “do you right” to another supplier offering an “epic” feeling, marketing’s move to offer greater contentment is now much in evidence. “My paper argues that since the advent of the 21st Century, the overemphasis on the utilitarian aspects of products has shifted the interest to the hedonic facets of consumption,” Dr Al Mandil said. “Experience marketing presents a new approach to address this shift and to achieve long and lasting competitive advantages. More recently, happiness has received attention from marketers and studies examining happiness in consumer research have also begun to appear. Therefore, this research is investigating how brands contribute to consumers’ happiness through experiences.

From brand experience to happiness: exploring the impacts on brand loyalty and price premium

Since the advent of the 21st century, the overemphasis on the utilitarian aspects of products has shifted the interest to the hedonic facets of consumption (Pine & Gilmore, 2011). Experience marketing presents a new approach to address this shift and to achieve long and lasting competitive advantages (Gentile, Spiller & Noci, 2007) and loyalty (Smilansky, 2009). Despite the increasing number and quality of articles addressing brand experience, this research area remains underdeveloped and not as well-established as other marketing constructs, such as consumer attitudes, consumer satisfaction and brand equity (Schmitt & Zarantonello, 2013). More recently, happiness has received attention from marketers, and studies examining happiness in consumer research have also begun to appear (Schmitt, Brakus & Zarantonello, 2015; Bhattacharjee & Mogilner, 2014; Schmitt, 2012; Bettingen & Luedicke, 2009). Further, in a world where social concerns are garnering more insistence, it is argued that brands should contribute to consumers’ happiness through experiences (Schmitt, Brakus & Zarantonello, 2014). The main aim of this study is to model the relationship between brand experience dimensions (sensory, emotional, relational and cognitive) on the one hand and happiness on the other hand through the three orientations to happiness (pleasure, meaning, and engagement) (Peterson, Park & Seligman, 2005), and to examine the influence of happiness on brand loyalty and price premium. Therefore, the current research represents a meeting point between brand experience and happiness—two unique areas in marketing and psychology that are being afforded more importance nowadays (Brakus, Schmitt & Zarantonello, 2012; Carter & Gilovich, 2010; Brakus, Schmitt & Zarantonello, 2009; Peterson, Park & Seligman, 2005). Figure 1 displays the conceptual framework and the suggested hypotheses of the study

Modelling the relationship between brand experience dimensions and the antecedents of happiness within the context of dining services

This thesis was submitted for the award of Doctor of Philosophy and was awarded by Brunel University LondonExisting studies on happiness in consumer research argued that brands should contribute to consumers’ happiness through experiences, yet they have failed to discuss how individual brand experience dimensions could contribute to consumer happiness, leading to increased brand loyalty and price premium. Bridging brand experience and consumers’ orientation to happiness literature together, this thesis theoretically argues and empirically proves that brand experience could influence brand loyalty and price premium through the mediating effect of consumer happiness. Survey data collected from 1086 participants based on their restaurant dining experiences in the UK show that each brand experience dimension affects consumer behaviour outcomes differently. Relational brand experience contributes the most to happiness, brand loyalty and price premium, followed by emotional brand experience. The findings support the mediating role of happiness and its orientations between brand experience dimensions and consumer behaviour outcomes. Further, the result validates the three different orientations to happiness in a consumption context, and demonstrates that pleasure is the dominant route to happiness, compared to meaning and engagement. The thesis aids new light to existing understanding on brand experience and happiness. Marketers are recommended to focus their effort on delivering certain brand experience dimensions more effectively. For restaurant brand managers, relational and emotional brand experience dimensions are considered most important to acquire customers brand loyalty and price premium

Exploring the influence of lean manufacturing and total quality management practices on environmental sustainability: the moderating role of quality culture

Purpose: Organizations have released the importance of lean manufacturing practices (LMPs) and total quality management (TQM) in enhancing competitiveness. However, the implementation of LMPs and TQM becomes more complex when discerning the environmental sustainability position. The complexity stems from the fact that LMPs and TQM are more intricate because of cultural differences. Thus, this study aims to tackle the aforementioned phenomenon by investigating the impact of LMPs and TQM on environmental sustainability moderated by quality culture. Design/methodology/approach: A survey was distributed among small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Jordan; thus, 315 valid responses were received. Partial least square structural equation modelling was used to analyze the data and test hypotheses. Findings: The findings showed that environmental sustainability was significantly impacted by all the LMP practices except Kanban and all the TQM practices except statistical process control. Moreover, quality culture significantly and negatively moderated the relationship between TQM and environmental sustainability. However, the influence of LMPs on environmental sustainability was not significantly moderated by quality culture. Practical implications: This study has implications for policymakers in SMEs, supply chain managers and academics regarding the importance of LMPs and TQM systems for implementing environmental sustainability and the role of quality culture. Social implications: This study provides guidelines for decision-makers on the pathways that enable them to sustain the environment to safeguard the natural ecosystem and natural resources for upcoming generations. Originality/value: The originality of this study stems from the alignment of LMPs and TQM in enhancing environmental sustainability, taking into consideration the role of quality culture in SMEs, where previous studies failed short to investigate this phenomenon