The role of customer experience in building brand loyalty within the service context

Customer experience theory, research, and practice represent an evolving area of study within the marketing discipline. Despite its importance, the customer experience concept remains vague and lacks a thorough theoretical foundation. This study addresses this gap in the literature and examines the antecedents and consequences of customer experience from customer perspectives. The study provides a conceptual framework building from a qualitative study and the existing literature. This article includes a formal test of the framework using a large-scale survey of British customers to examine their experience with resort-hotel brands. The results show price perception, core services, and word-of-mouth have a direct impact on how customers interpret their experiences with resort-hotel brands; perceived service quality plays a mediatory role in the relationship between servicescape, core service, and customer experience. Measuring validation strength of customer experience upon brand loyalty by best fit in combination with cross-sample predictive validity models is a valuable contribution of this study

A structural model to examine the antecedents and consequences of customer with experiential brands

Despite the increasing attention towards customer experience, empirical research to explain this notion, its antecedents and its consequences is still limited. Hence, this research aims to develop a framework of customer experience based on a number of antecedents that influence customer experience in the service sector. This paper presents the first part of the study which includes the review of literature, the application of netnography method to the development of customer experience construct, the development of the research measures and the hypotheses development for the structural model. The second part of the study, which is presented in another paper, provides the results of the empirical study and discusses the findings of the structural model

A netnography study on branded customer experience: Evidence from the red sea

This study addresses the question of what are the underlying dimensions and messages to self and others that constitute the construct of customer experience. The study uses a netnography method to validate or refute and extend a priori concepts that the literature identifies within the context of resort-hotel brands in a Sharm El Sheikh resort in Egypt. The results identify eight dimensions (comfort, educational, hedonic, novelty, recognition, relational, safety and sense of beauty) and unique configurations of these eight dimensions that extend prior research on customer experience

Transfer of brand knowledge in business-to-business markets: A qualitative study

This is the author's accepted manuscript (under the provisional title "Transfer of brand knowlede in business-to-business markets by brand when personified as a human: A qualitative study"). The final published article is available from the link below. This article is (c) Emerald Group Publishing and permission has been granted for this version to appear here (http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/8377). Emerald does not grant permission for this article to be further copied/distributed or hosted elsewhere without the express permission from Emerald Group Publishing Limited.Purpose – This paper presents the approach of a one-to-one relationship for branding in business-to-business markets. With qualitative evidence, the paper seeks to clarify the links between branding, relationship marketing and purchase intention of resellers and to discuss the contribution of brand personified as brand representatives to the brand knowledge of resellers. The aim of this paper is to understand how this transfer of knowledge by brand personified as representatives of the brand is reflected in the selection process of brand for resale by resellers. Design/methodology/approach – The theory is used to develop a testable model. Information from the field was gathered through 12 in-depth interviews of brand managers of international IT brands. These interviews helped to give a deeper insight into the topic and contributed to the categorization of different themes to be developed into constructs. Components that emerged from the interviews were from different disciplines and were useful in making linkages between these disciplines. Findings – Interviewees associated the role of brand personified (as brand representative) as a conduit between brand and resellers. Given the findings, brand when personified as a human can be used to manage reseller relationships in a business-to-business network. The brand personified with its metaphorical properties enables the resellers not only to clearly understand brand-related information but also to make positive evaluations about the brand. Empirical research would be helpful to establish the indicators of brand personification and to enhance the understanding of the concept. Practical implications – The study will be useful for senior managers of brands operating in competitive and complex business-to-business networks. It will enable them to use the categories and components to ensure that their brand is the preferred brand for resellers operating in the network. Originality/value – The approach will be helpful in linking different functions of the organization to measure the contribution made by employees representing the brand to resellers in competitive markets by imparting knowledge about the brand to resellers

A netnography study to uncover the underlying dimensions of customer experience with resort brands

The interest in customer experience has increased at a phenomenal rate. However, research to capture the true meaning of the concept is limited. This study aims to address the question of what are the underlying dimensions that constitute the construct of customer experience. The netnography method is utilized to validate a priori concepts that have been identified in the literature within the context of resort-hotel brands in a Sharm El Sheikh resort in Egypt. The results identified eight dimensions; comfort, educational, hedonic, novelty, recognition, relational, safety and sense of beauty which are consistent with major studies on experience

A relational insight of brand personification in business-to-business markets

Customers find it difficult to differentiate between competing products based on their functional aspects. The shortening life cycle of products due to quick adoption of technological innovations by competitors makes it difficult for them to identify products based on specifications. The contemporary academic literature related to relationship marketing and brand management is passionate about customer and consumer psychology but little attention has been given to the brand selection criteria of resellers as business customers of the brand. This paper combines branding and relationship marketing as two broad functions of marketing. The paper argues upon the role of human representatives of the brand as brand personified in managing these two functions of marketing in business-to-business markets. The proposal of the paper is to use human representatives as a tool for the execution of relationship marketing and branding strategies. The objective behind using human representatives is to maximize the mindshare of resellers towards the brand and create value for them beyond products and service

Linking experience realms and experiential service brand loyalty: Determinants and outcomes for future operationalization

The concept of ‗Customer Experience‘ has evolved as an imperative area of study within the marketing discipline. Despite its importance and the positive attention this concept received during the last few years, the explanation of customer experiences have remained vague and lack a thorough theoretical foundation. This paper aims to address the gap in the literature and to facilitate better understanding of the concept of customer experience and its antecedents and consequences from the consumer perspective. The paper examines the impact of customer experience on brand loyalty via a comprehensive review of existing literature on the concept of customer experience and service brand literatures. Additionally, twelve hypotheses, which describe and explain the antecedents of customer experience and impacts upon brand loyalty within the service sector, are presented. The outcome of this paper adds novel perspective to the growing body of brand literature, particularly service brand and suggests directions for future research

Nation Branding: Issues, Insights and Impacts

We are honoured to present this special issue of Corporate Reputation Review devoted to the increasingly studied field of nation branding. This special issue is intended to contribute to the ongoing production of high-quality academic research in the nation branding domain. It is interesting to note that several emerging issues have been investigated by researchers in this field. The notion of nation brand personality has been examined by three papers published in this issue. Aspects of co-branding, indigenous identity and country image have also emerged as areas of interests by academics around the world. In this special issue, we have also unfolded insights and impacts into areas such as, lead- ership, mega-events, government compe- tences, tourism and media

Corporate logo: history, definition, and components

Both academics and practitioners alike have directed increasing attention to the field of the corporate logo, and yet, a definitive construct of the corporate logo and its measurement does not yet exist. In this article, we marshal the literature relating to the historiography of the corporate logo. Furthermore, we report the findings of a literature based study that sought to clarify the definitions and components of the corporate logo; namely, color, typeface, corporate name, and design. Challenges in developing a corporate logo are discussed. An important recommendation made by this research is about