Authenticity perceptions,brand equity and brand choice intention: The case of ethnic restaurants

This study examines the relationships between consumers’ authenticity perception and four brand equity dimensions (brand awareness, brand association, perceived quality, brand loyalty), as well as how these four dimensions are interrelated with one another. This study also examines the impact of brand equity on consumers’ brand choice intention for ethnic restaurants. Findings clearly indicate that consumers’ authenticity perception is a critical determinant of brand equity and brand equity has a significant impact on consumers’ brand choice intention. Findings of the present study would provide managers with a better understanding of the important role authenticity plays in ethnic restaurants’ brand equity. Managerial implications for better brand equity management are provided.     

Impact of brand recognition and brand reputation on firm performance: U.S.-based multinational restaurant companies’ perspective

Given the importance of a firm's performance, which is of significant interest to many groups of people including management, shareholders and governments, this study aims to examine the impact of brand recognition and brand reputation on firm performance within the U.S. multinational restaurant company context. The study findings suggest that brand reputation, in general, has a positive influence on a firm's value performance but no significant relationship with accounting performance. Brand recognition shows no significant relationship with both value and accounting performance measures controlling for the degree of internationalization of a multinational restaurant company.     

Consumer-based chain restaurant brand equity,brand reputation,and brand trust

This study develops and tests a consumer-based chain restaurant brand equity(CBCRBE) model and investigates the mediating effects of brand reputation on the relationship between CBCRBE and brand trust. Using a structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis, the four dimensions of CBCRBE- food & service quality, brand affect, brand awareness, and brand association- are found to have positive effects on brand reputation. Moreover, it is demonstrated that brand reputation has a positive effect on brand trust. The results of study confirm that brand reputation partially mediates the effects of food & service quality, brand affect, and brand awareness on brand trust. In addition, the effect of brand association on brand trust is fully mediated via brand reputation. The study of CBCRBE offers insights into the efficient strategies that can be used to enhance brand reputation and secure brand trust in the restaurant industry. Finally, based on the result of the relationship between CBCRBE, brand reputation, and brand trust, the study compares the differences among the groups according to the consumer visit purposes in relation to the CBCRBE dimensions. The results of the study contribute to improve understanding of the complex psychological processes involved in consumer selection criteria for a chain restaurant or relevant service industry.     

Reconstruction of the relationship between traditional and emerging restaurant brand and customer WOM

Customer word of mouth (WOM) is the focus of restaurant research. However, until now, few empirical studies with integrated perspectives have explored whether traditional and emerging restaurants have different paths. To fill this research gap, Study 1 examined 546 customers of time-honored restaurants and proved that brand authenticity affects customer WOM through perceived value and brand identification. Furthermore, that process is positively moderated by cultural involvement. Study 2 conducted a survey of 571 customers in an Internet celebrity restaurant and found that brand personality could promote customer WOM through perceived coolness and brand experience. Moreover, food quality enhanced the process of coolness perception and brand experience. These findings highlight that different paths of brand characteristics lead to a high level of customer perception and brand behavior. In other words, brand psychology and brand behavior occupy different core positions in traditional and emerging restaurants.     

Developing green management standards for restaurants: An application of green supply chain management

Hospitality businesses influence the sustainability of their natural environment by consuming significant amounts of natural resources. However, research on applying green supply chain management (GrSCM) with process of food production to construct green management indicators for restaurants is lacking. This study thus establishes a green management standard with GrSCM that green restaurants can implement. This study combines GrSCM and food and beverage management to develop green restaurant standards, and primarily adopts the Delphi Technique to develop green standards of restaurant management. A total of 23 experts from government, industry, and academia were invited to participate. The results show that green restaurant management standards comprise three facets (green foods; green environment and equipment; and green management and social responsibility), nine sub-facets, and 81 indicators: besides five indicators for the new established restaurant, the remaining 76 were standards for existing restaurants in Taiwan. In addition to its practical implications, an important contribution of this study is its application of GrSCM to establish a green management standard for restaurants.     

The effects of customers’ perceptions of brand personality in casual theme restaurants

Although existing studies recommend that restaurant chains develop and communicate salient brand personalities, no research to date provides empirical evidence that perceptions of unique brand personality by consumers lead to positive outcomes in the restaurant business. Therefore, using a sample of 336 adults, this research models the causal relationships between brand personality perceptions, brand preference, attitudinal loyalty, and positive word-of-mouth (W-O-M) behavior for the Olive Garden and Chili's restaurant chains. It was found that for both chains, brand personality perceptions have a positive effect on brand preference and attitudinal loyalty, brand preference has a positive impact on attitudinal loyalty, and attitudinal loyalty has a positive influence on positive word-of-mouth (W-O-M) communication. In addition, for the Olive Garden and Chili's brands, it was also found that there is a direct link between brand preference and word-of-mouth behavior.     

Factors influencing customers’ dine out intention during COVID-19 reopening period: The moderating role of country-of-origin effect

COVID-19 pandemic negatively affected the restaurant industry and reopening provides restaurants an opportunity to survive this crisis. This study examined the interplay of perceived importance of preventive measures, dining involvement, brand trust, and customers’ intention to dine out at American Chinese restaurants during the reopening period. Additionally, the study investigated the moderating role of country-of-origin (COO) effect on these relationships. 296 U.S. restaurant customers recruited via a market research company completed the online survey. Structural equation modeling was used for data analyses. The results indicated that dining involvement had a direct positive effect on customers’ intention to dine out. Moreover, both perceived importance of preventive measures and dining involvement could enhance customers’ intention to dine out indirectly via brand trust. Positive COO effect moderated the relationship between perceived importance of preventive measures and brand trust. The study provided significant implications for restaurant operators in the U.S during the reopening period.     

The financial impact of online customer reviews in the restaurant industry: A moderating effect of brand equity

The salient impact of electronic Word-of-Mouth (eWOM) on firm performance has been widely noticed by scholars and practitioners. While eWOM serves as an important source of information that helps reduce perceived uncertainty risks in service purchases, it is highly likely that other sources of information are simultaneously used with eWOM in the purchase decisions. Thus, this study empirically examined the financial effects of restaurant eWOM (review volume and review rating) and their changes in the presence of brand equity. Three-stage least squares analysis was employed in the empirical investigation. Our findings revealed that review volume and review rating contributed to restaurant profitability. Brand equity was found to moderate the effects of the review attributes on restaurants profitability, which implies that eWOM has a greater influence on the financial performance of weak-branded restaurants than strong-branded ones. Implications for researchers and practitioners are discussed.     

“That's not my job”: Exploring the employee perspective in the development of brand ambassadors

It is well established that the role of employees is essential in effective brand management for hospitality organizations to create a competitive advantage. In seeking to capitalize on this important facet of brand management, this study considers employees understanding of the brand, as an important direct antecedent to realizing brand ambassadors. Specifically, three factors, or psychological states, were conceptualized and examined in relation to how such states inform an employee's commitment to the brand as well as develop employee brand equity, as reflected in their pro-brand behavioral intentions. The results indicate that employees’ pro-brand attitude and behavior are influenced by different brand understanding factors. Relational factors (employee perceived brand importance and brand role relevance) are the key antecedents to employee brand commitment. Employee perceived brand knowledge contributes to their pro-brand behavior directly, but not brand commitment. The results of this empirical study support the importance of examining an employee's psychological states, as manifest in the three brand understanding factors, in an endeavor to achieve coveted brand supporting outcomes. The results suggest that although perceived brand knowledge can contribute to employee brand equity, employees must see the brand as being meaningful and relevant to embrace their role as brand ambassadors.     

The interaction between individual cultural values and the cognitive and social processes of global restaurant brand equity

The aim of this study is to increase understanding of the relationship between brand equity and individual cultural values in the marketing strategies of global restaurant brands. The study developed three research models and investigated global brand equity from the perspective that global brand equity has an impact on individual cultural values. The three models were tested using structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis. The findings indicate that both cognitive process and the social process of brand equity have an effect on cultural values. In particular, social process elements such as brand prestige and brand identification can reduce the risk of consumer uncertainty. This study contributes to the understanding of the relationship between global restaurant brand equity and individual cultural values, and the hierarchy of individual cultural values that has not, to the best of our knowledge, been explored in previous research.     

Creating a model of customer equity for chain restaurant brand formation

The purpose of this research was to create and test a model of customer equity for chain restaurant brand formation. It has long been acknowledged that managing and enhancing customer equity influences a company's shareholder value, which is a reflection of long-term financial performance. A review of the current literature revealed three key determinants of customer equity: (1) value equity, (2) brand equity, and (3) relationship equity. Six hypotheses were derived and, based on data analysis, all six were supported. Value, brand, and relationship management were all confirmed to be important factors in enhancing customer equity in the chain restaurant industry. Further, brand equity has the strongest impact on the development of customer equity in this particular industry. Relationships among value equity, brand equity, and relationship equity were also identified. Managerial implications are discussed.     

Bayesian approach to assess consumers’ brand selection process and identification of brand attributes in a service context

The proliferation of branded products and services within the last decade has made it increasingly difficult for consumers to distinguish and choose amongst various brands. To reduce the complexity when choosing one brand over another, consumers may focus on a small set of a few brands in which they contrast and compare. This study examined the consumer's brand categorization process and brand evaluations using Bayesian statistics. Particular brand attributes within the Evoked Set resulting in a significant influence include the consumers’ confidence in their ability to evaluate speed of service, taste, price, quality and location of the branded restaurants. Consumers placed restaurant brands in their Hold Set due to lack of confidence in evaluating the taste of the products offered, its prices, brand locations and, most likely, not having formed a clear opinion about the brand. For the most part, cognition and confidence predictably predisposed a consumer to place a brand in the Foggy Set. Finally, in the case of Reject Set, lack of confidence in evaluating a brand, dissatisfaction with a brand and a negative intention to eat at a restaurant were significant factors in placing a brand in a consumers’ Reject Set.     

The formation of sub-brand love and corporate brand love in hotel brand portfolios

This study is the first, to our knowledge, to focus on the relationship between sub-brand love and corporate brand love in a hotel brand portfolio. With 425 responses from US travelers, this study finds that sub-brand intimacy and sub-brand passion are driven by ideal-self-sub-brand congruence and that sub-brand passion improves sub-brand intimacy. Both intimacy and passion for the sub-brand improve sub-brand commitment and increase sub-brand love, while sub-brand commitment also strengthens corporate brand love. Additionally, the spillover effects of sub-brand love extend to corporate brand love. This study clarifies Sternberg’s components of interpersonal love as the three love antecedents that form brand love for hotels and demonstrates the importance of aligning hotel sub-brands to fit with targeted consumers’ ideal self.     

The effects of generational work values on employee brand attitude and behavior: A multi-group analysis

The competitive hospitality industry requires effective external and internal brand management. Since service employees bring the brand to life, insight regarding their motivational drivers is important. Given a multigenerational hospitality workforce, individual motivations will likely differ and therefore inform attitudes and behavior differently. Adopting work values as a motivational lens, and drawing on generational theory, this study surveys 303 hospitality employees to understand how generational collective memories (i.e., formative referents) inform individuals’ work values. Further, it examines how generational work values differentially influence employees’ perceived brand fit and brand citizenship behavior. The results suggest that an individual’s collective memories from their formative years influence their work values, with altruistic, social and intrinsic work values having a positive impact on employee brand attitude and behavior, while extrinsic and leisure work values have no significant impact. Generational differences are evident, but not always in a manner that is consistent with previous literature.     

Influence of brand relationship on customer attitude toward integrated resort brands: a cognitive,affective, and conative perspective

ABSTRACT

Despite the significance of understanding customer behavior in the integrated resort setting, only limited research has been conducted on this topic. Thus, this study aims to identify and assess the antecedents of integrated resort brand loyalty from the perspective of Oliver’s cognitive, affective, and conative theory of attitudinal brand loyalty model. . A total of 443 respondents who had experienced integrated resorts participated and completed a survey questionnaire. A positive relationship was observed between two-way communication and brand attitude, emotional exchange and brand attitude, brand partner quality and brand attitude, and brand attitude and behavioral intention toward integrated resort brand. Results revealed the association between cognitive, affective, and conative dimensions and integrated resort brand value. This notion suggests that integrated resort brands carry a high awareness of relationship, and the brand will invoke an emotional value in customers. Therefore, integrated resorts should consider customer–brand relational aspects to achieve long-term success for the integrated resort brand.     

Consumers’ evaluation of brand portfolios

This study explores how consumers evaluate lodging brand portfolios and shows the important role of brand-specific associations and brand portfolio effects in forming brand attitudes toward extended brands. The findings suggest, in general, that both brand-specific associations and brand portfolio affect consumers’ evaluations of extended brands. In addition, brand fit and familiarity are found to be important in consumers’ attitude formation in that they moderate attitude transferability between a brand portfolio and its extended brands. Managerial implications and directions for future research are discussed.     

The relationship between involvement with travelling to Islamic destinations and Islamic brand equity: a case of Muslim tourists in Malaysia

The growing number of Muslim tourists in the world has urged many destinations to embrace the concept of Islamic tourism. Malaysia as an Islamic country has been serious on establishing a halal hub for tourism products, however, activities such as drinking alcohol, wearing scanty clothing, sun bathing naked, and serving pork in restaurants are found in this country. Therefore, it is vital to explore on how Muslims who are involved with travelling to Islamic destinations evaluate the country’s Islamic brand equity. A number of 384 Middle Eastern tourists were surveyed in Malaysia. Using structural equation modelling, the relationships between Muslims’ involvement with travelling to Islamic destinations and dimensions of brand equity (awareness, image, quality, value, and loyalty) were explored. Results showed that involvement positively influences all five dimensions of brand equity. The strongest relationship was found between involvement and awareness followed by involvement-quality, involvement-image, involvement-value, and involvement-loyalty.     

Social servicescape’s impact on customer perceptions of the hospitality brand – The role of branded social cues

This research examines how the social servicescape (i.e., employee-customer, employee-employee and customer-customer) impacts brand-related outcomes via branded social cues. Informed by theories related to cue consistency and conceptual fluency, results from three experimental studies conducted across sectors and scales of hospitality businesses (i.e., luxury hotel, high-end restaurant and limited-service hotel), indicate that branded social servicescape cues have direct, indirect and interactive effects on brand-related outcomes. In luxury contexts, when the brand’s personality is absent in employee-customer social cues, the negative effects were buffered if brand personality is reflected in employee-employee social cues. Conceptual fluency mediated the relationship between branded employee-customer social cues and brand-related outcomes, which was moderated by branded employee-employee social cues. Conceptual fluency also mediated the relationship between branded customer-customer social cues and brand-related outcomes. This research sheds light on how hospitality firms can leverage branded social cues to enhance customer evaluation of the hospitality brand.     

Restaurant chain’s corporate social responsibility messages on social networking sites: The role of social distance

Considering the large influence of social media on the restaurant chain industry, finding effective communication strategies to interact with customers is critically important. The purpose of the study was to investigate how restaurant chain’s CSR messages on social networking sites affect brand value and social distance. Data were collected from 403 social media users with a dining experience at a U.S. restaurant chain. A two-step structural equation model and a two by two between-subject experimental design were conducted for this study. The perception of CSR messages on SNS positively affects customer’s social distance and the restaurant’s brand credibility, and consequently enhance the brand equity. Restaurant chain’s concrete (vs. abstract) CSR messages on SNS has a positive influence on customers’ brand equity when their social distance is close (vs. distant). The study highlights the importance of shortening social distance to enhance brand equity when developing CSR messages on SNS.     

Impact of Restaurant Experience on Brand Image and Customer Loyalty: Moderating Role of Dining Motivation

This study seeks to determine which restaurant experiences influence the image of a restaurant's brand and formation of customers' loyalty. The research examines the connections among restaurant experiences, brand image, satisfaction, and loyalty in the context of full-service restaurants. This study also investigates the moderating effect of customers' dining motivations on the formation of brand image. The results of this study suggest that: (a) A restaurant's environment and food quality positively influences brand image and customers' satisfaction, (b) customers' perceptions of price fairness do not influence brand image but does affect customers' satisfaction, (c) development of customers' positive brand image does not drive satisfaction but does influence loyalty in full-service restaurants, and (d) customers' dining motivations moderate the relationship between restaurant experiences and perceptions of brand image. These results provide a basis for investigating which restaurant experiences are critical in eliciting development of a positive brand image and which have behavioral consequences. This study also offers mangers a perspective for developing marketing strategies to strengthen brand image in full-service restaurants.