Consumer Loyalty and Brand Reputation

Chapter 1

1.0 Introduction

The increasing trend of globalization and the need for international organizations to attract worldwide customers has triggered efforts by managers to develop strategies of attracting and retaining customers through product branding and promotion (Yeung, et al., 2013). This study targets to investigate issues of branding and its relations with customer satisfaction, loyalty and behavior. The entire dissertation will be organized as follows: chapter one will give a background for the study to set a stage and dissect the problem under investigation. Also, the background section will highlight what is already known about the influence of branding on customer satisfaction as well as the existing research gaps. The next section will be the research methods, which will highlight the various methods, techniques, tools and strategies used to achieve the research objectives. Here, the report will identify, explain and justify the various research approaches used in collecting and analyzing data. The next chapter will highlight the results of the study. while chapter five will present a discussion and conclusion bits of the study. Consumer satisfaction and loyalty are two emerging issues that businesses operating within a competitive environment are highly concerned with. Consequently, the businesses hold with high regard the process of developing a reputable brand image that would help in attracting customers (Khan, 2012). Khan (2012) further argues that apart from attracting customers, organizations aspire to retain customers for the long-term. However, to retain customers, companies need to deliver a higher level of customer satisfaction towards their products and services by delivering higher value (Mihelis, et al., 2001). This is because customers are only likely to be loyal to the company, promote its products and services through word of mouth and pay premium prices if the products and services are trustworthy and of great quality. Through a reputable brand image and consumer loyalty, companies can acquire a higher market share (Mihelis, et al., 2001).

1.1 Brand Image

Various academicians and authorities in the field of marketing define brand image differently depending on the context of definition. According to (Chi & Gursoy, 2009), a brand is a symbol, a term, a name or design that distinguishes a company’s product or services from others. Alternatively, according to (Sondoh, et al., 2007), brand image is a set of ideas, beliefs and impressions held by a person regarding a product or service. (Geetika & Nandan, 2010) added that brand image is useful in enhancing consumer loyalty, purchasing habits, brand performance and brand equity. Mosahab, et al. (2010) argue that in the current business environment with many products or the same category but lacks a significant differentiation, brand image is what can cause a such distinction a cause a preference among consumers. The difference is so important that today, many companies view brans image as a significant tool for gaining competitive advantage (Wang & Shieh, 2006). Furthermore, according to Mosahab, et al. (2010), perceived difference sin brand image can deliver various benefits to companies including gaining a higher market share, resisting new market entrants and gaining consistent sales income. Another concept that is related to brand image is brand performance. According to (Meenaghan, 1995), brand performance refers to brand’s level of success in the market. For example, it has been speculated that a products’ market share is an effective measure of brand performance as a brand is said to have a significant achievement depending on its market share (Yee, et al., 2008). Therefore, successful brands such as IBM, Coca-Cola, Sony and Samsung that have a significant leadership in global market share. Therefore, market share is significantly used as a metrics for brand image success (Mandal & Bhattacharya, 2013).

Companies encounter a series of challenges and obstacles within the business environment as they attempt to build a strong brand image. According to (Park & Lee, 2005), brands experience stiff competition from strong retailers and this causes the pressure to reduce prices. Furthermore, the more competitors in the market the harder it is to acquire and maintain a larger market share (Malik, 2012). Another challenge experienced in the process is the struggle to access different media outlets and communication channels, which makes it difficult to coordinate messages (Dominici & Guzzo, 2010). Therefore, a brand is more likely to miss out on many opportunities if they ignore such changes within the current market. However, despite being a difficult task, building strong brands is doable as evidenced by some of the world’s top brands such as Coca Cola and IBM. However, based on existing research evidence, a key element of building a strong brand image is developing the brands’ identity in the market. Consequently, Aaker (1996) the process of developing a strong brand identity can be understood in four different perspectives of brand as an organization, brand as a person, brand as a product and brand as symbol.

1.2 Consumer Satisfaction

Consumer satisfaction refers to their response to fulfilment (Prasanna, et al., 2009). It is their judgment of how the product or service features are providing a certain level of fulfilment, which may manifest in under-fulfilment or over-fulfilment (Yeung, et al., 2013). Similarly, earlier studies on consumer satisfaction focused majorly on how the products or service met consumer expectations in terms of performance, as well as how the consumer disconfirmed their expectations of the products or service performance (Delp, et al., 2010). As defined by Prasanna, et al (2009), consumer expectations refer to consumers’ beliefs regarding the product based on their comparison with the standards with which the product’s presentation is judged. Scholars (e.g. Yüksel & Yüksel, 2001; Cassidy-Smith, et al., 2007) argue that based on the paradigm of expectancy disconfirmation, consumers are satisfied when a product or service quality exceeds their expectations and dissatisfied when the product fails to meet their expectations. Other potential predictors of consumer satisfaction include the design of service hospitality, retail store image, customer relationship benefits and perceived product or service value (Hwang & Zhao, 2010). On the same note, Yeung, et al., (2013) assert that consumers can derive satisfaction from a product performance level, certain transactional characteristics, after sale services, delivery of product, pre-purchase and post-purchase relationships and complaint handling.

1.3 The impact of brand image on consumer satisfaction

Evidence from existing marketing research highlight the general view that a strong brand image can have a positive impact customer satisfaction. Mihelis, et al (2001) posit that organizational performance and corporate image has a positive impact on consumer loyalty. They further argued that consumers are more willing to recommend the products and services of an organization if they are satisfied with those products or services; are less likely to switch to other brands, or purchase from other companies. Existing literature has also highlighted that the impact of brans image on consumer satisfaction is more robust in the banking, supermarket, and mobile phone industry. For instance, according to Mihelis, et al (2001), a supermarket’s sales activities, convenience, sales activities and infrastructure are for major components of the store’s brand image that directly impact on consumer satisfaction. Similarly, Geetika & Nandan (2010) observed that in the hospitality industry, brand image plays a significant role in predicting customer satisfaction. Moreover, according to Chi & Gursoy (2009), consumers’ satisfaction and preference for a brand is enhanced by the congruence between the brand image and consumer’s self-image. Extant research also highlights the strategic importance of consumer satisfaction. In a competitive business environment such as service industry where companies compete for customers, consumer satisfaction emerges as an important differentiator and a significant element of business strategy (Geetika & Nandan, 2010). Therefore, the management of consumer satisfaction is essential. Research by Mosahab, et al (2010) found that brand image has a direct and indirect influence on consumer loyalty. Mosahab, et al., (2010) further observe that in the service industry brand image can be used to predict consumer loyalty; because while positive brand image enhances brand loyalty, brand loyalty significantly contributes to the building of a positive brand image. With the help of brand image, companies can gain long-term consumer loyalty and consequently develop operational efficiency (Mosahab, et al., 2010).

1.4 Statement of the problem

Globalization has contributed an increase in competition across the international business environment where companies face different levels of competition as they struggle to successfully run their businesses (Ngo and Nguyen, 2016). Therefore, organizational leaders must focus on developing effective branding strategies that give them a competitive edge within the market. The branding strategies must not only help them acquire customers but also retain those customers for long-term benefits. However, there are certain issues related to organizational management that affects companies’ ability to acquire and maintain a string customer base including poor communication, lack of effective internal and external business environment coordination, failure to understand consumer needs and preferences, and failure to respond to consumer cultural diversities (Iglesias, Markovic and Rialp, 2019). These issues not only contribute to organization’s failure to acquire and maintain customers but also influence their purchase decisions and behavior. Consequently, organizations fail to maintain a competitive advantage both at national and international level. It is therefore necessary for organizations to improve their branding strategies as a means of influencing consumer purchase behavior and decisions. Take a deeper dive into Craftsmanship of Hassan II Mosque with our additional resources.

1.5 Research aim

To investigate the relationship between branding and consumer satisfaction

1.6 Research objectives

To identify how brand image impact on consumer satisfaction

To understand how brand image influence consumer behaviour

To identify strategies for improving brand image and consumer satisfaction

1.7 Background of the study

1.7.1 Consumer Behavior

Mooij & Hofstede (2011) defined consumer behavior as how customers select, purchase, use and dispose products and services to meet their wants and needs. Therefore, consumers’ personal, social and cultural characteristics have a significant influence on their buying behavior, even though the cultural domain bears greatest influence (Mooij & Hofstede, 2011). In their consumer behavior research, Kotler & Keller (2016) developed a consumer behavior model to help understand consumer purchase journey. In the model, the authors illustrate the social, cultural, and personal factors influence their decision to buy a product or service as follows:

1.7.2 Social factors influencing consumer behavior

According to Kotler & Keller (2016), social factors such as consumers’ social roles, family, reference groups, and social status affect their decision to consume a brand. Their neighbors, friends and religious affiliations influence their behaviors and attitudes both directly and indirectly by exposing them to new lifestyles, and behaviors that create pressure for others to conform (Kotler & Keller, 2016). Kotler & Keller (2016) posit that family members have the greatest influence on individuals’ purchase behavior because people are more inclined to conform to their families’ religious orientation, understanding of love and self-worth. Furthermore, social status and roles define and closely relate to an individual’s specific behavior. For instance, the activities one is expected to perform within a family will influence them to choose a product that communicates that role and status to the society.

1.7.3 Cultural factors

People’s behaviors and wants are anchored on certain cultural norms. Individuals identify themselves in different ways through cultures, social classes and subcultures and are exposed to certain beliefs and values that differ depending on situations (Nevo, 2011). Therefore, companies must address consumers’ cultural values by understanding the best markets for their products and brands.

1.7.4 Personal factors

Apart from social and cultural factors, personal factors such as economic circumstances, occupation, personality and age affects their buying decisions. Consumers consume certain brands of products and services depending on their personal needs and stage of their life cycle. For example, adults choose different brands from teenagers because they undergo certain transformations as they grow up (Kotler & Keller, 2016). People’s economic and occupational status also influence their consumption behavior through their attitudes, savings and income levels. Personality traits such as confidence, adaptability and dominance dictate how individuals respond to their environment and consequently influence the products and services they purchase to match those environments (Kotler & Keller, 2016). This dissertation will explore existing literature to evaluate how these factors relate to consumer satisfaction.

1.7.5 Theoretical framework

At any given time, consumers have many needs that influence their purchase motives. Therefore, only purchase a product or service when they feel enough level of motivation (Abideen & Saleem, 2011). This relates to Abraham Maslow’s theory of human motivation, which argue that human needs are organized in a hierarchy from the most to least needed. Therefore, people will first purchase what satisfies their most important need before they move to the next need (Baumeister, 2002). The other them that has widely been used to understand consumer purchase behavior is Freud’s theory of motivation. The theory postulates that consumer behavior is influenced by various psychological forces that makes it difficult for the consumer to understand their purchase actions (Goel, et al., 2010). Believers in Freud’s theory argue that human behavior is influenced by impulses, memories, and desires that are exist in an unconscious state (Laros & Steenkamp, 2005). Freud’s theory also explains the ‘id’ as an impulsive a primitive driver that influence certain human desires such as thirst and hunger. The seconds system is called the ‘superego’, which ensures that humans satisfy their needs in a socially acceptable and ethical manner. Lastly, the ‘ego’ refers to humans’ conscious control that helps them to balance both the ‘id’ and superego (Boztepe, 2012).

1.7.6 The process of customer buying decision

Extant research has confirmed that consumers undergo a process when deciding what to purchase, the quantity to purchase and at what price. According to Andrea & Soderberg (2011), this process usually involves five stages including problem recognition, product information search, evaluation of product alternatives, purchase decision and post purchase decision. Under problem recognition, according to Kaufmann, et al (2012), the consumer identifies a need or problem. The needs and problems are often stimulated by both internal and external stimuli. According to Jung & Kau (2004), the internal stimuli involves needs that come from within the person and drive them towards the purchase decision after reaching a certain level of threshold. On the other hand, external stimuli emanate from outside factors such as marketing information, family and friends (Kaufmann, et al., 2012). The second step, information search, is a crucial process in the buying decision. According to Kahle & Close (2011), the information search process may occur in two levels of engagement including heightened attention level and information search level. The former involves the buyer being more aware of information regarding the product while the latter involves active information search (Mihart, 2012). At the information search level, the consumer looks for specific information about the product or service by directly visiting stores, calling friends to ask about the product and reading print materials for more information (Jung & Kau, 2004). Furthermore, according to Andrea & Soderberg (2011), consumers at the information search level rely on public, commercial, experiential and personal sources of information. Each source serves a different purpose to influence the buying process. While the commercials give the highest amount of information because they are directly from the brand, experiential and personal sources are often preferred by consumers due to their independence (Kahle & Close, 2011). After information search, consumers evaluate alternatives and substitutes existing in the market. At this stage, they focus more on product attributes that will deliver the highest post purchase benefits (Andrea & Soderberg, 2011). According to Belch, et al., (2012), they also evaluate the products or services by combining the beliefs and attitudes towards the brand. During the evaluation stage, the consumer identifies products or services that fit their preference among the brand alternatives, at a stage called the purchase intention (MacInnis, et al., 2014). However, there are two factors that may intervene between the final purchase decision and purchase intention. For instance, the consumers’ attitude has a strong influence on buying decision; and therefore, their final decision may influence their attitude towards the preferred brand (MacInnis, et al., 2014).

The post-purchase decision stage occurs when the consumer considers to or not to consume the product again depending in how it met their expectation. A brand should have the attributes that help the consumer to have a positive feeling about their choice. When the brand meets and exceeds consumer expectations, they will be satisfied and motivated to buy the brand again (Belch, et al., 2012). Furthermore, according to Andrea & Soderberg (2011), satisfied consumers have more positive experiences with the brand and are more likely to recommend it. This study seeks to understand how consumer satisfaction influence their purchase decision.

1.7.7 Consumer expectations

While customer satisfaction is a key ingredient for the success of a brand, consumers have specific expectations of a product or services from various sources such as advertisement, past experiences, consumer personal needs and word of mouth (Belch, et al., 2012). Therefore, expectations lay the foundation for consumer satisfaction, which, consequently, influences consumer loyalty. If the (Neal, 2008) customer receives a service that fails to meet their expectation, there become dissatisfied (Andrea & Soderberg, 2011). This difference contributes to the gap between the perceived service and the expected service. Extant research has also identified certain brand behaviors that can cause consumers to switch brands in case they are dissatisfied. For example, according to Belch, et al., (2012), dissatisfied consumers are likely to switch brands when they experience inconvenience, unexpected pricing, competition, ethical problems and service failures. On the other hand, successful brands satisfy consumers not only through quality products and services but also through exceeding their expectations to build a long-term relationship. The current study will review existing literature evidence on the relationship between consumer expectation and consumer satisfaction.

1.7.8 Consumer experience

Research has also associated consumer satisfaction with customer experience. Wheeler (2013 p. 18) defined consumer experience as the experience a brand curates and creates that defines it in the minds of a consumer. Therefore, consumer experience entails all the direct and indirect associations a consumer has with a brand before, during and after consuming the product or service. Therefore, both negative and positive experiences a customer has with a brand can influence the brand performance in both ways (Tsai, 2005). This implies that every consumer’s interaction with a brand is an opportunity for customer attraction and extension of existing consumer loyalty. Today’s business environment is flooded with brand choices and therefore companies must create a positive experience with their brands to promote differentiation and enhance consumer engagement (Christianson, et al., 2004). Extant research identifies five types of consumer experiences. The first category of consumer experience is developed through the consumers’ five senses namely, smell, touch, sight, sound and taste (James, et al., 2011). Therefore, brands should stimulate and respond to these experiences to make the brand memorable to consumers. Secondly, Miyazaki & Fernandez (2001) observes that customers’ emotions play a significant role in producing experiences. Thus, marketers try to affect consumers’ positive emotions to create brand connections and memorable experiences (Miyazaki & Fernandez, 2001). The third type of consumer experience is direct engagement and involvement with the brand while the fourth source of consumer experience is when they can identify how the brand is trying to transform their live and make them live a better life (Laros & Steenkamp, 2005). Finally, the ability of a brand to satisfy consumers’ self-expressive needs and meet their self-image. Nonetheless, the process of building a strong brand experience for consumers involves an adherence to various principles including sentient, semantic, social, ubiquitous, and human aspects. The ubiquitous aspect entails the everyday availability of the brand while social aspect involves the ability of the brand to help consumers build a social connection with others (Singh, 2010). On the other hand, semantic aspect entails the type of information the brand avails to consumers while the sentinel aspect entails the brand’s ability to create connections with the real world (Nayeem, 2012). Lastly, the human aspect entails the brand’s ability to naturally interact with consumers in a seamless sand non-complex manner (Hooda & Aggarwal, 2012). The current study will explore these aspects of consumer experience and evaluate how they influence consumer satisfaction. This study will review existing literature evidence on the relationship between consumer experience and consumer satisfaction

1.8 Chapter summary

This part has summarized the topic and explained the objective of the systematic review. As part of the background of the study, this chapter has identified existing research gaps, explained the meaning of specific concepts and stated the main aim of the review. In the next chapter, there will be a detailed identification and justification of the research methods and approaches used to achieve the objectives.

Chapter 2

2.0 Research Methodology

2.1 Research methods

This systematic literature review has used mixed research synthesis protocols to review both qualitative and quantitative studies on the relationship between branding and consumer satisfaction. Several online databases were searched to ensure that a similar systematic review study had not been registered. There were no identified studies of the same topic in the databases.

2.2 Research design

A systematic review of existing evidence on the influence of brand image on consumer satisfaction was considered the best way of identifying and analyzing peer reviewed articles on this topic area and develop a cohesive research that is strongly rooted on existing knowledge (Randolph, 2009). This systematic review included quantitative evidence to ensure that the interpretation of data include peoples’ views and experiences as well as statistically proven relationship between the variables. Furthermore, the use of both qualitative and quantitative research evidence was aimed generating conclusions that are relevant, appropriate and meaningful to influence marketing practice and contribute to research agenda on effective corporate marketing strategies. The review included methods of qualitative and quantitative synthesis the integrate, combine and interpret any relevant evidence from the included peer reviewed journal articles as stipulated within the study eligibility criteria, data synthesis and analysis sections. Nonetheless, the study went beyond data aggregation to provide insights on further interpretation on the relationship between branding and consumer satisfaction

2.3 Study Eligibility Criteria

The study included empirical studies published in peer reviewed journal articles – as the selected eligibility criteria. The criteria were developed based on the Sample, Phenomenon of interest, evaluation and research type (SPIDER) tool, which is typically used when conducting systematic reviews on non-clinical qualitative and quantitative studies (Torraco, 2005). The review comprised of quantitative, mixed methods and qualitative studies and therefore the eligibility criteria included all the three research designs. The first item of eligibility was population, whereby studies were eligible when participants are adults of sound mind to make purchase decision on their behalf or on behalf of family members. Next, the study only included peer-reviewed journal articles and excluded all non-peer review articles. The eligibility criteria also favored the language of publication, whereby only the studies published in English language were reviewed to enable an easier and more accurate comprehension of study results. The rapidly increasing globalization and technological advancement has impacted on the way consumers select and purchase products (Ressing, et al., 2009). Therefore, only the studies published in 2010 onwards were included on the review to ensure that up-to-date data was gathered. Finally, the review only included studies in full text to ensure a full review of evidence.

2.4 Information Sources

The systematic search process relied on online databases and search engines such as EBSCO, ProQuest, Embase and Google scholar as source of peer-reviewed journal articles. Another search strategy adopted to identify qualitative studies was the use of backward and forward tracing of journal articles meeting the eligibility criteria through Web of Science. However, due to lack of contact details, major authors of key journals and experts in the field of marketing were not contacted and this increased the likelihood of overlooking the sources. Nevertheless, for effective data management, the whole search process was recorded on EndNote PC software. The software assists in eliminating duplicates and allows for easier data sharing when the search process needs to be reviewed by two separate reviewers (Khan, et al., 2003). The process involved three independent reviewers who independently screened the articles’ abstracts based on the eligibility criteria. The main role of the third reviewer was to independently adjudicate the differences emerging from first two reviewers. In such a case, a discussion was held on the differences to build a consensus with the help of the third reviewer. The full texts that were found to meet the eligibility criteria were retained.

2.5 Quality Appraisal

All retrieved journal articles were subjected to a quality assessment. The quality assessment was carried out by two reviewers using the Mixed Method Appraisal Tool (MMAT) developed by (Pluye et al, 2011) (appendix 1). All the disagreements between the two reviewers were resolved by the third reviewer through consensus building. The MMAT tool is specifically developed for systematic reviews and evaluates the quality of empirical studies through a checklist focusing on the identification of studies’ main research questions, and whether the data collected effectively addressed those questions.

2.6 The Study Selection Process

All the duplicate publications were removed while the abstracts and titles of the remaining articles were assessed against the eligibility criteria. Those not meeting the eligibility criteria were eliminated. At this stage, all the identified abstracts and titles were subjected to another process of screening by the second independent reviewer and the disparities were resolved through a consensus building supervised by the third reviewer. The full texts of remaining articles were retained for further review. The entire selection process including the reasons for exclusion and inclusion were recoded and documented in a PRISMA chart below:

2.7 Data Extraction

A data extraction was specifically developed for this study by the researcher to assist with extracting data from the reviewed journal articles. The template, as illustrated in appendix 1, include the study title, methodology, research aim, sample size, and main findings. The reviewer extracted data regarding these items from each reviewed article. However, the inferential and descriptive outcome data were extracted for the measurement of relationship between brand image and consumer satisfaction. All measurement instruments details were also recorded. On the other hand, data extraction from qualitative studies included the analysis and recording interpretations and analysis by the study authors on elements such a theory, themes categories of data and models. Therefore, the extraction entailed all the data identified by the authors as findings, discussions and conclusions regarding the relationship between branding and consumer satisfaction.

2.8 Prioritization of Outcomes

The outcomes of interest were any aspect of brand image and relationship with consumer satisfaction. Furthermore, the analysis prioritized any aspect of consumer preferences, behavior and satisfaction.

2.9 Risk of bias

The study conducted an independent critical appraisal of methodological quality and risk of bias using the MMAT. For qualitative studies, the reviewer assessed the quality and appropriateness of analytical processes and data sources based on the study’s setting or context and the researcher’s influence on the outcomes. For quantitative studies, the reviewer assessed the extent to which the study minimized selection bias, the appropriateness of outcome measurement instruments, the completeness of outcome data and the use of comparable sample groups. Finally, with regards to exploratory quantitative studies, the reviewer assessed the study sampling strategies, the appropriateness of outcome measurement instruments, sample representativeness and the response rate acceptability.

2.10 Data analysis

The study used a narrative approach i.e. thematic analysis to analyze the data. The analysis consisted of three main stages. The first stage involved the synthesis of consumer experience, perspectives and satisfaction data extracted from the selected quantitative studies. The study used the definition of consumer experience as defined earlier in this report. Meanwhile, the search strategy involved a broad range of words relating to the consumer experience phenomenon. The reviewer anticipated a significant level of heterogeneity of outcomes and therefore the data was not quantitatively analyzed. The second stage of analysis involved thematic analysis of consumer satisfaction and how it is influenced by brand image while the third phase involved an aggregation of stage one and stage two of the analysis.

2.11 Thematic Synthesis

Thematic synthesis is often adapted for the purpose of analyzing secondary data through the process of thematic analysis (Khan, et al., 2003). It is an established technique of data analysis that is used in the development and themes from primary research data (Randolph, 2009). There are several theoretical reasons why thematic synthesis was adapted as the data analysis technique for this study. For instance, it was the best option for the study’s objective of collecting existing evidence on the relationship between branding and consumer satisfaction and identifying patterns of data pertaining to this objective. Secondly while commonly used for the analysis of qualitative data, thematic synthesis can also be used to analyze quantitative data, especially when the data displays an heterogeneity of outcomes measurements or variables (Krishnan & Kathpalia, 2002). The thematic synthesis occurred in three major steps applied to all the qualitative and quantitative studies selected for review. The first step involved the coding of data pertaining to consumer experiences and satisfaction. The coding process was based on a coding framework made up of codes derived from the data. Also, the coding was conducted by the first reviewer and verified by a second reviewer. All the disputes emerging from the coding process were resolved under the mediation of the third reviewer. The second stage involved an identification of similarities between codes. The codes were categorized into ‘descriptive themes’ that described and captured patterns of data across all the reviewed studies. Memos were also used in the analysis process and included a summary any aspect of clarity that may be required for effective data interpretation. The table was mainly developed to help with illustrating the themes by identifying the differences and similarities among the codes i.e. to illustrate the theme generation process as well as the different findings of each theme. The third step of thematic synthesis entailed the development of analytic themes. This involved going beyond the reported data to evaluate the findings and interpret their meanings in comparison with all the other included studies. This comprised of the narrative section of the analysis that provided the narrative discussion of the study findings. After conducting a thematic analysis of all the selected studies, the final step involved a comparison of both results; and the relationship between branding and consumer satisfaction was at the center of the review. This step aggregated the results of all the reviewed studies and provided an overall account of the relationship between branding and consumer satisfaction.

2.12 Validity and Reliability of Cumulative Evidence

The Evidence from Reviews of Qualitative research (CERQual) was used to assess the confidence in discrete literature review findings (Lewin et al 2015). The confidence assessment process involved an evaluation of how the findings are applicable to real life situations and their likeliness to represent real situations i.e. genuine consumer behavior. The assessment was typically based on relevance of the reviewed studies to the objective of the systematic review, the extent to which the methodological limitations of the reviewed studies contribute to the study finding, and the ability of data to support evidence. These evaluations required the reviewer’s subjective judgment and therefore were carried out with the two reviewers.

2.13 Chapter summary

Perhaps the most crucial chapter of the report, this chapter has logically explained each technique and strategy used in identifying and selecting relevant literature materials to complete the study and achieve its objectives. Some of the most important items addressed in this study include the study selection, data analysis, data extraction, identification of journal articles, inclusion and exclusion criteria. The next chapter presents the results of the study.

Chapter 3

3.0 Results

3.1 An overview of reviewed journal articles

While some of the earliest academic papers on brand image and its impact on consumer satisfaction were published as earlier as 2012 (e.g. Malik et al 2012), most of them were also published between 2013 and 2020. Nonetheless, the reviewed papers covered a vast area of marketing practice including motor, fashion (Ahuja 2015, Tu & Chih 2013), manufacturing (Shabbir 2020), retail supermarket (Sarwar et al 2014, Nazir et al 2016), technology (Sundra 2018, Hendra 2017), education (Malik et al 2012), online marketing (Sajjad et al 2015), international corporations (Eman et al 2013 & Rani & Suradi 2017), healthcare Khodadad & Behboudi (2017), and banking (Bylon et al 2018). The studies were based in Pakistan (Sajjad et al 2015, Bylon et al 2018, Sarwar et al 2014, Nazir et al 2016, and Malik et al 2012), Egypt (Eman et al 2013), Iran (Khodadad & Behboudi 2017), Malaysia (16), UK (Neupane 2015), Ghana (Bylon et al 2018), India (Ahuja 2015, Sundra 2018), China (Tu & Chih 2013) and Indonesia (Pratama & Suprapto, 2017) All the reviewed studies were exploratory quantitative studies. With regards to risk of bias, all the reviewed studies clearly stated their respective research question except Eman et al (2013) that did not state provide and clear and concise statement of research objective despite having a clearly stated research topic. Nevertheless, all the reviewed studies developed appropriate data collection strategies for achieving their respective research objectives. The qualitative study used survey questionnaires to gather data from consumers and relied on thematic synthesis to conduct data analysis. Furthermore, the study was conducted in a consumer context, whereby consumers received questions on how various aspects of brand image influenced their satisfaction and buying behavior. However, there was little information on the level of researcher influence on the study outcome, a phenomenon that could have contributed to researcher bias. There was evidence of considerable efforts by all the studies to use appropriate measurement instruments, minimize selection bias, and make effective use of comparable groups. With regards to measurement instruments, 11 studies (i.e. Sarwar et al 2014, Tu & Chih 2013, Sundra 2018, Malik et al 2012, Pratama & Suprapto, 2017, Shabbir 2020, Sajjad et al 2015, Eman et al 2013, Khodadad & Behboudi 2017, Bylon et al 2018, Rani & Suradi 2017) used five-point Likert scale to measure various aspects of brand image and consumer satisfaction as will be illustrated further in subsequent sections of this report. On the other hand, one study (Nazir et al 2016) used Sobel test to measure variables while another (Shabbir 2020) used SERVQUAL to measure variables. Meanwhile, most of the studies (i.e. Sarwar et al 2014, Tu & Chih 2013, Sundra 2018, Malik et al 2012, Pratama & Suprapto, 2017, Ahuja 2015, Sajjad et al 2015, Eman et al(2013, Bylon et al 2018, Rani & Suradi 2017) used simple regression analysis technique to measure the relationship between variables. Each study selected a sampling strategy that fit its aims and objectives. All the studies drew their sample from a population of active consumers from various product markets. All the reviewed studies adopted convenient sampling strategy as the method of selecting participants. While convenient sampling is an appropriate strategy for survey studies because it saves time and eases the research process (Torraco, 2005), it does not provide a good representativeness of the population. Therefore, all the studies did not acquire more than 300 participants. The use of convenient sampling by most of the studies also explains why Shabbir (2020) had poor response rate. Shabbir (2020) had the lowest response rate (52%) while Rani & Suradi (2017) had the highest response rate of 100%. (1, Ahuja 2015, Tu & Chih 2013, Sundra 2018, and Pratama & Suprapto, 2017) did not disclose their response rate but clearly stated their sample size (i.e. 120, 100, 206, and 260 respectively). Sajjad et al (2015), Eman et al (2013), Khodadad & Behboudi 2017, and Bylon et al 2018 had a response rate of 86.6%, 81.25%, 77%, 99.5% respectively. Ahuja (2015), Sarwar et al (2014), and Malik et al (2012) had a sample size 250, 78, and 165 respectively. The rest of the studies did not reveal their response rates. Failure of some studies to reveal their response rate affected the applicability and validity of their findings (Torraco, 2005). Furthermore, a response rate of 52% experienced by Shabbir (2020) is unacceptable.

In most of the reviewed papers, the relationship between branding and consumer satisfaction was not the main topic of focus and the phrase ‘relationship between branding and consumer satisfaction’ was not mentioned in the keywords, abstract or tittle. However, relationship between branding and consumer satisfaction is typically discussed as one of several topics of relevance within all the studies. For instance, Shabbir (2020) studied “the impact of service quality and brand image on brand loyalty” with customer satisfaction considered as a mediating variable, while Nazir et al (2016) studied the impact of brand image on customers retention, with customer satisfaction playing a mediating role. Nonetheless, all the nine studies had original contributions to the relevance of brand image and its relationship with consumer satisfaction.

3.2 Brand Image and consumer satisfaction

All the included studies were of significant relevance to the other objectives of the study including to find out some of the strategies that can be used to increase consumer satisfaction and loyalty. For instance, Shabbir (2020), based in Pakistan, investigated the impact of service quality and brand image on brand loyalty, with consumer satisfaction considered as a mediating variable. The study followed three procedures in testing the role of consumer satisfaction as a mediating variable in the relationship between brand image, service quality and consumer loyalty; one of which involved the evaluation of whether brand image related to customer satisfaction. Shabbir (2020) found that brand image had a positive effect on consumer satisfaction with a significance level of (β= 0.590, p0.000), and that service quality has a positive effect on consumer loyalty ((β= 0.469, p0.000). Furthermore, Shabbir (2020) found that customer satisfaction plays a mediating role between brand image and consumer loyalty. Ultimately, these results showed a positive correlation between brand image and customer satisfaction; and a positive relationship between service quality and consumer satisfaction. Similar results of a positive relations between brand image and consumer satisfaction was found by Neupane (2015), whose main aim was to investigate the effects of brand image on consumer satisfaction and loyalty in the UK’s supermarket industry. The study investigated how functional, symbolic, social, and experiential variables of brand image influenced same variables of consumer satisfaction and loyalty. Results by Neupane (2015) indicated an existing intercorrelation between brand image variables and consumer satisfaction variables with a correlation coefficient of 0.779 between functional benefits and overall customer satisfaction, 0.804 between symbolic benefits and overall consumer satisfaction, 0.782 between social benefits and overall consumer satisfaction, and 0.817 between experiential benefits and consumer satisfaction. All these correlation coefficients were all positive and highly significant at the level of 0.01. Furthermore, Neupane (2015) conducted a regression analysis to establish the effect of brand image and consumer satisfaction, whereby brand image was considered an independent variable and consumer satisfaction considered a dependent variable. The results showed that brand image has a significant effect on consumer satisfaction; at a significance level of (P = 0.000 and β = 0.880). Nazir et al (2016) was interested in investigating how brand image impacts on customer retention, with consumer satisfaction playing the role of a mediating variable. The results of a SOBEL test indicated a SOBEL value of 0.855375 and a p value 0.3923>0.05, which confirmed consumer satisfaction as mediating variable between the positive relation between brand image and consumer retention. A similar finding was made by Tu & Chih (2013) who intended to investigate the impact of corporate brand image, consumer perceived value of product, and consumer satisfaction. The study found that brand image has a direct impact on consumer satisfaction and perceived value of product or service. On the same note, Malik et al (2012) conducted a linear regression analysis to evaluate the relationship between brand image, price, and service quality on consumer satisfaction and found that brand image has a positive impact on consumer satisfaction. Furthermore, the nature of correlation (i.e. as evaluated through Durbin-Watson test of autocorrelation) show that any 100% change in brand image will contribute to a 34% change in consumer satisfaction. Eman et al (2013) had an almost similar objective: to explore how corporate brand reputation and image on customer satisfaction, consumer loyalty and service quality of international Egyptian corporates. 650 out consumers out of the 800 who received questionnaires gave their responses, which were later analyzed through multiple linear regression, Pearson correlation, and chi-square to evaluate the relationship between the variables. Evidence from the study showed a significant positive relationship between corporate brand image and customer satisfaction and overall service quality (r=0.210, P<0.1).

Eman et al (2013) also found a positive relationship between corporate brand image and consumer satisfaction (r=0.774, P0.1), as a well as a positive correlation between corporate brand image and consumer loyalty (r=0.175, P0.1). An interpretation of these findings shows that there is a strong correlation between brand image and reputation of an international corporation and the value received by consumers, which has an influence on consumer value judgments and consequently on their satisfaction and loyalty levels. The study results on a significant positive correlation between service quality and consumer satisfaction (r=0.200, P0.1), as well as a positive relationship between consumer satisfaction and consumer loyalty implies that when international corporations offer quality services, consumers tend to be satisfied and they will maintain their dealings with the company or even attract other customers to join them. Sajjad et al (2015) intended to explore the role played by customer trust and customer satisfaction as mediating variables to building consumer brand loyalty towards online products (e-loyalty) in Pakistan. Using quantitative exploratory research approaches (i.e. multiple mediation regression analysis), questionnaire responses from a sample of 150 participants were analyzed to obtain the results of survey data. Ultimately, Sajjad et al (2015) found a positive correlation between brand image and consumer satisfaction (.521**, p<.01) as well as a positive correlation between brand loyalty and brand image (.415**, p<.01). These findings revealed that brand image has a direct and an indirect effect on consumer satisfaction; consumer loyalty playing a mediating role in the second instance. Furthermore, based on the results, Sajjad et al (2015) concluded that consumers are mostly satisfied when there is a congruent point between consumers’ expectations of the brand and the benefits they receive from the brand. More importantly, results by Sajjad et al, (2015) indicate that customers receive satisfaction from brand promotion at the time when they receive the expected benefits with a lower price. Any slight change in price contributes to consumer satisfaction, which further contributes trust and customer loyalty.

3.3 Branding, service quality, and consumer satisfaction

Bylon et al’s (2018), main aim was to investigate how corporate rebranding affected customer satisfaction and loyalty within the Ghanaian banking industry. Focusing on six recently rebranded Ghanaian banks, Bylon et al (2018) received questionnaire responses from 627 purposively selected respondents. The questionnaires were further analyzed to test the existence of any statistically significant relationship between the variables. The results revealed interesting insights regarding the moderating effect of branding in the relationship between quality of service and consumer satisfaction. For instance, while the study found that a 100% change in service quality would lead to a 78% (i.e. .78 coefficient level) change in consumer satisfaction levels, the coefficient levels reduced to .775 with an introduction of corporate rebranding as a mediating variable between service quality and consumer satisfaction. This implies that all other factors held equal, the relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction changes to negative as customers get more excited about rebranding. This could be because corporate rebranding increases consumer expectations even though the actual service quality does not meet these expectations (Bylon et al, 2018). This empirical evidence therefore does not show any moderating effect of branding on the relationship between consumer perceived service quality and consumer satisfaction. Results by Bylon et al (2018) also conflicted with the results of other reviewed studies on the moderating role of branding on the relationship customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. For example, while the study found that 100% change in consumer satisfaction would contribute to 91.7% increase in customer loyalty (i.e. coefficient value of .917), this effect on customer loyalty would remain positive with the introduction of rebranding as a moderating variable (coefficient value of .918) but have a statistically insignificant effect on the relationship between customer loyalty and customer satisfaction. Therefore, according to Bylon et al (2018), a change in brand image does not play any moderating variable role in the relationship between consumer satisfaction and customer loyalty. Nevertheless, Bylon et al (2018) was also interested in proving whether rebranding had a direct effect on consumer satisfaction and quality within the banking industry. On this account, the study found that the consumers’ excitement towards corporate rebranding had no statistically significant effect on consumers’ satisfaction, even though one of the motives for consumer rebranding is to create a refreshing perception of the brand as one of value and help consumers identify with that brand. In the modern practice of medicine and healthcare, practitioners have shown a tendency of increased branding and other marketing activities with an aim of attracting and satisfying their customers. One study Khodadad & Behboudi (2017), explored the impact of brand image and trust on consumer satisfaction within the healthcare sector and found interesting results worth reviewing. Using both inductive and deductive research approaches, the study analyzed questionnaires from 204 respondents from hospital or business management related fields. The results showed a significant effect of brand image on customer satisfaction, which was also found to have a significant effect on customer service use. Thus, Khodadad & Behboudi (2017) identified brand image as one of the factors that have a significant influence on customer satisfaction in the healthcare sector.

3.4 Branding, consumer satisfaction and consumer behavior

To investigate the impact of brand image on consumer behavior and how it relates to consumer satisfaction, Sarwar et al (2014) found a significant quantitative evidence that brand knowledge, which consist of brand awareness and brand image, can influence consumer buying behavior and attitude. The study findings indicate that the more a consumer acquires brand knowledge through brand image, the more responsive they are towards buying the product again. Thus, according to Sarwar et al (2014), brand knowledge and brand are two elements of a brand that significantly influence consumer buying behavior and their perception of whether it will satisfy their needs. The more a consumer is aware of a brand, the more concerned they will be with the brand’s reliability. If the consumer considers the brand to be reliable and satisfactory, they are highly likely to purchase it until the reach a point where their need shave changed; after which they will switch to another brand that meets their needs. Ahuja (2015) also studied the influence of branding and brand image on consumer behavior albeit in India’s fashion industry. The study identified work status, household income, price of brand, marketing activities and brand loyalty as some of the factors that influence consumer behavior towards a brand. First, the study found that age affects brand consciousness and loyalty, whereby people’s consciousness towards a brand diminishes as they age. Similarly, Ahuja (2015) found that people’s work status influence buying behavior, whereby students prefer to wear casual clothing while working class prefer to purchase formal wear. Nonetheless, the study found that consumers give most attention to, the brand’s ability to satisfy their needs, and price when purchasing clothes. Similar results were obtained by Sundra (2018) who investigated the influence of brand image on consumer behavior and commitment in the technology industry. Upon administering survey questionnaires to individuals who had purchased laptops from four major brands, the study findings revealed that laptop buyers base their purchase decisions on the brand image, ability of the brand to satisfy their expectations and brand awareness; even though brand trust does not influence those decisions.

3.5 Chapter Summary

This section has presented a summary of the study findings in terms of the search results and the different characteristics of reviewed journal articles. Furthermore, this section has given a commentary on the methodological quality of reviewed studies as well as other details useful in judging the validity and reliability of the reviewed evidence. Finally, this chapter has given a summary of findings made by each reviewed study. The next chapter presents a discussion of the findings.

Chapter 4

4.0 Discussion

The findings of this review indicate that brand image affects customer satisfaction in a positive way. It could be argued that when there is an increase of awareness about a product among consumers, the start to develop different perceptions about the product. The finding that brand image has a significant impact on consumer satisfaction corroborate with the findings of other studies such as Saleem & Raja (2014), who found that brand image positively impacts consumer satisfaction. Alongside brand image, this literature review has found that service quality, especially in technology industries also impact consumer satisfaction in a positive way because when the product or service exceeds customer expectations, they become more satisfied. On the other hand, failure of a product to meet or exceed consumer expectations contributes to consumer dissatisfaction. This demonstrates a direct relationship between service quality and consumer satisfaction. Similar findings have been made by Chao (2015) who showed a positive relationship between brand image, service quality and consumer satisfaction. While these findings were based on the Pakistani context, it is possible to argue that companies that are seeking to enhance their sales through customer satisfaction should consider developing a stronger brand image and higher product/service quality. The reviewed studies have also revealed that satisfied customers are more likely to become loyal to a brand than dissatisfied customers. Thus, this review did not only consider the impact of brand image on consumer satisfaction but also the benefits of customer satisfaction. On this note, the reviewed literature has indicated that brand image contributes to customer satisfaction while customer satisfaction contributes to consumer loyalty. Consequently, as evident from most of the reviewed studies, consumer satisfaction plays a significant mediating role in the relationship between brand image and consumer loyalty. However, despite this mediating role, the reviewed studies have also proven a direct relationship between brand image and consumer satisfaction. Meanwhile, the important role of consumer satisfaction plays in enhancing brand loyalty cannot be overemphasized; and has also been noted by other studies such as Kasper (1995). Brand loyalty promotes customer’s preference towards a specific brand and gives it a competitive edge in the market. When consumers are satisfied with a product or service, they are more willing to recommend it to others or repurchase the same product. This implies that companies seeking to gain a competitive edge in the market should consider brand image as a strategic tool that can be used to enhance consumer loyalty through consumer satisfaction. From a different perspective, this review has also found that brand image benefits can positively impact on consumer satisfaction through product and differentiation. This finding corroborates with the findings by Hess and Story (2006) who observed that a reputable brand image contributes to customer satisfaction by enabling consumers to differentiate their needs and identify the brands that satisfy those needs. Consequently, according to Hess & Story (2006), this enhances the consumers’ perspective of the brand and their purchase behavior towards the brand. Also, this finding is consistent with the findings by Dick & Basu (1994) that a good brand image enhances consumer awareness about the brand’s dignity, which promotes their satisfaction and consequently promotes profitability through increased sales.

This review has also found that branding promotes consumer behavior towards the brand through consumer loyalty and purchase intentions. Similar results were found by several other empirical studies such as Koo (2003) who concluded that a favorable brand image positively influences consumer loyalty and purchase behavior. Similarly, Hess (2004) and Koo (2003) found that brand image can be useful in driving customer purchasing habits, brand equity, brand performance and brand loyalty – which are consistent with the findings by Cretu & Brodie (2007). Particularly, Cretu & Brodie (2007) found that brand image has specific impact on customers’ perception on value and customer loyalty. On the same note, Cretu & Brodie (2007) observed that the reputation associated with the name of a company can act as an umbrella brand for the variety of products or services offered by the company while the brand image is associated with a specific product or service. People are likely to switch from unfavorable brand image to favorable brand image in order to showcase their power, wealth and status in the society. Furthermore, this study has found that brand commitment decreases with age and therefore people are more likely to switch brands in their old age compared to youthful years. Based on the reviewed studies, brand name appears to a symbol of quality to consumers and plays an important role in consumer’s mind. There is evidence that apart from competing in the physical product area, brands also compete in consumers’ minds. Thus, when a customer identifies with a certain brand, it becomes indelible in their minds. Branding is therefore an effective marketing tool that can be used by product or service owners to develop competitive advantage in the market. Contrariwise, mismanaged brand images can be detrimental to the business and may cause an indelible image might be costly to correct.

The relationship between brand image and consumer and customer satisfaction can also be used to enhance customer retention. One of the reviewed studies (i.e. Nazir et al 2016) investigated the impact of brand image on consumer retention in Pakistani fashion industry, with customer satisfaction playing the role of a mediating variable. Based on the empirical evidence, consumers seem to be very conscious of brand images especially under the modern dynamic business environment. The reviewed evidence shows that brand image, through consumer satisfaction, influence various aspects of consumer behavior such as awareness, loyalty and experience. Moreover, consumer brand awareness, loyalty and experience play a significant role in the customer buying process and selection of brand. From the reviewed empirical evidence, brand image can influence consumer satisfaction and development of a brand conservatory attitude. Consumers develop a positive attitude towards a favorable brand image and tend to consider repeat purchases of the brand. Nevertheless, the findings of this study regarding the impact of brand image on consumer satisfaction and brand loyalty corroborate with the findings of Jing et al (2014) who investigated the impact of brand image on consumer satisfaction and loyalty of Oppo smartphones, whereby favorable brand image contributed to consumer satisfaction, repeat purchases and loyalty. Similar results were obtained in the study by Ramiz et al (2014) on consumer satisfaction and loyalty of Samsung smartphones. From the findings of reviewed studies (e.g. Hendra 2017), it is also possible to conclude that there is an insignificant impact of price on consumer satisfaction and loyalty because generally, consumers tend to consider other aspects of the brand such as brand image, brand awareness, trust and satisfaction before buying products such as mobile smartphones. However, this is inconsistent with the findings by Dhurup et al (2014) on brand image, consumer satisfaction and brand loyalty within the paint industry. Specifically, Dhurup et al (2014) found a positive influence of price on consumer satisfaction and brand image. The researchers observed that when consumers are more aware of the price of a product, they will measure the product quality against the purchase price. Therefore, consumers are willing to pay premium prices when they perceive the product quality to be high, and this will influence their satisfaction and loyalty to the brand (Dhurup et al, 2014). The reviewed literature has also shown brand awareness’ impacts on consumer satisfaction and brand image. In most cases, consumes buy products that belong to brands they are familiar with, and therefore higher brand awareness can lead to higher brand loyalty and satisfaction. This finding is consistent with the findings by Akhtar et al (2016), who found that brand image, through brand awareness has a positive impact on consumer satisfaction and brand image. Similar results were also found by Dhurup et al (2014) who concluded that a favorable brand image contributes to brand awareness, which has a positive influence on consumer satisfaction and loyalty. When consumers are not aware of the product’s quality, they will buy products from brands that they trust and are familiar to them. This implies that a company’s marketing and advertising efforts should focus on informing target customers about the product quality and benefits; thereby creating brand awareness. Meanwhile, a better brand image contributes to a better product quality and value thereby increasing customer satisfaction. This finding corroborates with the findings by Akhtar et al (2016) who concluded that favorable brand image contributes to better product value and quality; consequently, influencing consumer satisfaction. Similarly, Malik et al (2012) and Sondoh et al (2007) found that a consumer can pay a higher price for the product due to past experiences and the brand’s good reputation.

This study has not only explored the relationship between branding and consumer satisfaction of physical products but also online products. One of the reviewed studies (Sajjad et al, 2015) has shown an insignificant relationship between branding and customers satisfaction with online products, with further affect their e-loyalty. This implies that instead of buying products from online shops and have them delivered, consumers tend to use the web in browsing information about the product and then buy them physically at the shops. If the information in the web is consistent with the attributes of the products, they are likely to trust and get satisfied. This implies that online branding is a useful source of information to consumers. Furthermore, the consistency between the online attributes of the brand and its physical attributes should be considered an essential element of online product marketing. Reviewed literature has also revealed interesting insights regarding the relationship between branding and consumer satisfaction within the global corporate context. Empirical evidence from one reviewed study (Eman et al, 2013), has revealed that international companies can deliver consumer satisfaction and acquire consumer loyalty through corporate branding activities. These findings can be placed in the context of other findings by Gummesson (1993) that consumer perceived quality of service and satisfaction is a function of the actual quality of the product and consumers’ understanding or interpretation of that quality based on how the consumer has developed their knowledge and understanding of the organization. Therefore, corporate brand reputation and image an issue of consumers’ beliefs, feeling and attitudes towards the organization’s brand image. A few of the reviewed studies have also explored the casual relationship between customer satisfaction, service quality, consumer behavior and customer loyalty. This review reveals empirical evidence indicating that consumers’ perceived quality influenced their satisfaction with the brand, thereby improving their perception of brand image and loyalty to it. Thus, whether brand image improvement is treated as an antecedent or as consequence, the four variables share a close relationship. This finding has a significant implication to managers and marketers. For instance, brand promotion can be used as a powerful tool for increasing consumer satisfaction and loyalty and still cause a positive effect on the brand i.e. causing a cyclic beneficial effect. Moreover, the findings on the relationship between corporate branding, service quality and consumer satisfaction corroborate with the findings by Akbar and Parvez (2009) and Turk and Avcilar (2009) that customer loyalty can more be explained by the interaction between service quality and consumer satisfaction than by the direct influence of consumer satisfaction or service quality alone. With the same objective, Woodside et al (1989) examined brand quality perceptions, behavioral intentions and customer satisfaction and found a positive relationship between them. Zeithaml et al., (1996) also found that customer satisfaction played a mediating role in the relationship between consumers’ brand quality perceptions and buying behavior. For example, consumers can pay premium prices, increase the volume of their purchases, and recommend friends as an indication of satisfaction. Similar results were evident in another study by Taylor and Baker (1994) who intended to evaluate the impact of consumer perceived quality of service on consumer satisfaction and found that consumers in the recreation, travel and communication industries were more likely to judge themselves as satisfied with brands associated with quality products and services. Furthermore, in an earlier study by Peyrot et al. (1993), the researchers evaluated the factors related to consumer satisfaction and their willingness to recommend brands; the study found that quality brand image, consumer satisfaction and willingness to recommend the brands were related, and that consumer satisfaction mediated the relationship between the two variables and consumers’ willingness to recommend. Therefore, quality service will lead to consumer perceived quality brand image, which will later contribute consumers’ willingness to recommend the brand. This implies that organizations should have an accurate understanding and outstanding knowledge about consumer needs and expectations because whatever the customer receives from the organization is accepted and reciprocated with important benefits such as customer recommendations. If the organization matches consumer expectations and needs, consumers develop closer relationships with their brands. This study reviewed literature covering a wide variety of industries including the healthcare industry. Results on the impact of brand image on consumer satisfaction within the healthcare industry indicate that customers in that industry are more likely to choose hospitals that they perceive as likely to deliver fast and quality healthcare, and that before spending money and time to attend a hospital, they seek more information about the hospitals. Furthermore, from the literature review, it is evident that patient choice is influenced by many factors including physical layout and setting of the hospital, the hospital’s treatment procedure, and perceived quality of services given by the staff. Thus, the patients’ sensitivity while choosing hospitals bestows heavy commitments and duties on hospital staff to offer fastest and best quality of services. This implies that hospital managers must improve and develop hospital brands to secure their survival by ensuring customer satisfaction through quality services. These findings are a significant contribution to the practice of public healthcare management as it highlights the significance of brand image on customer satisfaction within the healthcare industry. It adds to existing findings of other researchers such as Chih-Chung et al. (2012) and Pop et al. (2010), who found that brand image impacts on consumer satisfaction in healthcare. More importantly, the findings of this review reveal that medical service use is significantly affected by customer satisfaction, and this corroborate with the findings by Sardana (2003), Puri et al. (2012), Camilleri and Callaghan (1998) and Chahal and Sharma (2004).

From the review, together with several other studies (e.g. Na et al 1999) it is possible to conclude that brand image cannot only be determined by the brand attributes but also by consumers’ perception towards the brand’s value as well as its benefits to the consumers. This shows the critical role of managers in assessing the brand image’s influence on consumer satisfaction through various elements such as the brand’s experiential, symbolic and functional benefits. Similar remarks were made by Reylords & Beatty, who argued that the functional and social benefits of a brand mediated the relationship between brand image and the satisfaction of banking customers. Similarly, Carpenter & Fairhurst (2005) found that hedonic and utilitarian benefits of a brand have a positive effect on consumer satisfaction. These benefits occur when a company brands or rebrands; because the main aim of branding is to deliver value to the customers. However, other reviewed empirical evidence in this study reveal conflicting data, showing the conflicting nature of research evidence on the relationship between branding and consumers satisfaction and pointing to the need for further research on the topic area. While most of the reviewed pieces of literature indicate an existing positive relationship between branding and consumer satisfaction, one of the studies (Bylon et al, 2018), found evidence to the contrary. For instance, Bylon et al (2018) found that corporate rebranding by financial service providers does not have any impact on consumer satisfaction. Several other studies have had similar conflicting results, including Yeboah & Addaney (2016) who concluded that unresolved issues such as malfunctioning service machines, insufficient number of staff and poor quality or service area contribute to the insignificant effect of branding on consumer satisfaction. Similarly, a recent study by Bonsu (2016) found that corporate rebranding service approaches in the financial service sector had a negative impact on consumer satisfaction, while organizational rebranding in the same sector also had no significant effect on consumer satisfaction. One of the factors identified by Bonsu (2016) causing the negative effects of corporate service rebranding on consumer satisfaction included poor communication. Other studies in the advertising industry such as Caniago et al (2014), Huang (2010) and spizain (2016) also found insignificant effects of rebranding o consumer satisfactions. This review has also encountered interesting empirical evidence on how branding influence consumer behavior and attitude. First, the evidence show that branding has an influence consumer consumers loyalty, even though most of the studies reviewed herein evidenced that consumer satisfaction mediates that relationship. Several other studies covering a variety of industries have also had similar conflicting results. For example, Ampadu et al (2015) found that corporate rebranding has a significant effect on consumer loyalty by influencing consumers’ perception that products and services of rebranded organizations are likely satisfy better. Similarly, Makasi et al (2014) found that rebranding influences consumer perception towards products and services and increases their likelihood to remain loyal to those products of services. However, just like one of the reviewed journal articles in this study, several other empirical studies have found that some branding activities may have no or negative impact on consumer behavior. For instance, Ha et al (2011) examined the impact of rebranding on consumer behavior and found that it might have a negative impact on consumer loyalty especially when the rebranding activities have a significant alteration on the brand’s core values initially known to consumers. However, this effect is nullified if the changes in the new brand are not so obvious. Similarly, Pimentel & Heckler (2003) advised that customers are more likely to accept the new brand if its visual identities are not so different from the initial brand due to the familiarity effect. This corroborates with the findings by Mittal (2010) who observed that a disparity between the new and old brand can have a negative effect on consumers’ commitment towards the old brand.

On the other hand, while studying brand image and its effect on consumer satisfaction within the Icelandic banking industry, Olafsson (2010) found that corporate rebranding of banks with previous financial issues has insignificant effect on consumer perception because the public has generally lost confidence in them. Therefore, rebranding may have no effect on customer perception of the banks’ ability to satisfy their needs. In the fashion industry, Khan et al (2016) found that branding activities have no significant effect on consumes brand loyalty and emotional attachment to luxurious products. Similar results were al so found in the advertising industry by Caniago et al., (2014); and Aspizain (2016). `

4.1 Chapter summary

This chapter has discussed the study findings by comparing and triangulating findings with the findings of other studies not selected for review. It identifies and acknowledges both concurring and conflicting evidence on the relationship between branding and consumer satisfaction for purposes of informing critical use of empirical evidence.

Chapter 5

5.0 Conclusions

Despite ta few conflicting evidences, this study has established that brand image can be used as an important tool for creating customer satisfaction. Similarly, brand image plays a significant role in creating a positive relationship with consumers by building trust and influencing purchase intentions. Based on the review results, consumer purchase intentions significantly rely on brand image and reputation, which influences consumers’ perception of the product’s ability to satisfy their needs and expectations. After purchasing, consumers will develop a loyalty, trust towards the products that meet or exceed their expectations.

5.1 Study Strengths and Limitations

Krishnana & Kathpalia (2002) argue that researchers need to identify and acknowledge the strengths and weaknesses of their studies to enable an informed use of the study results. Against this backdrop, the current study has a variety of strengths and weaknesses that are worth mentioning. With regards to strengths, this study emerges as a good informant to both managers and marketing practitioners as it draws evidence from a wide variety of studies conducted in different parts of the world to inform their marketing and promotion initiatives. Through the findings of this study, managers and marketers can make sound informed decisions that are based on a wide range but consolidated empirical research evidence. This study also makes managers and practitioners familiar with some of the best available evidence for a focused marketing research question. The presented summary of journal articles presents the reader with the opportunity to take account of a wide range of relevant findings from research on the impacts of brand image on consumer satisfaction. However, there are several limitations to this study that affect the applicability of its findings. For instance, the results of this study are only as reliable as the methods used in testing reliability of the reviewed studies. For instance, some of the reviewed studies did not provide enough information as to enable an accurate judgment of their validity and reliability. Thus, the reliability of this study entirely depends on the reliability and validity of the reviewed primary studies. Also, because most of the reviewed studies did not report on conducting an empirical assessment of their publication bias, the general frequency of this kind of bias is unknown (Krishnan & Kathpalia, 2002). There was also a controversy among the tow reviewers on the interpretation of the summarized results. The other limitation of this study is that it reviewed primary studies with diverse research methodologic quality and research designs. According to Torraco (2005), combining studies with diverse methodologic quality may lead to an inaccurate estimate of the underlying truths and false sense of the subject under investigation.

Bibliography

Ahuja, N., 2015. Effect of Branding On Consumer Buying Behaviour: A Study in Relation to Fashion Industry. International Journal of Research in Humanities & Social Sciences, 3(2), pp.32-38.

Akbar, M. M, and Parvez, N. (2009), "Impact of service quality, trust, and customer satisfaction on customer loyalty", ABAC Journal, Vol. 29 No. 1, (January-April), pp. 24-38.

Baumeister, R. F., 2002. Yielding to Temptation: Self-Control Failure, Impulsive Purchasing, and Consumer Behavior. Journal of Consumer Research, , 28(4), pp. 670-676.

Bylon, A.B., Courage Simon, K.D. & Osei-Wusu, C. 2018, "The effects of corporate rebranding on customer satisfaction and loyalty: Empirical evidence from the Ghanaian banking industry", Cogent Business & Management, vol. 5, no. 1.

Boztepe, A., 2012. Green Marketing and Its Impact on Consumer Buying Behavior. European Journal of Economic and Political Studies, , 5(1), pp. 5-21.

Chi, C. G.-Q. & Gursoy, D., 2009. Employee satisfaction, customer satisfaction, and financial performance: An empirical examination. International Journal of Hospitality Management, , 28(2), pp. 245-253.

Chao, R. F., 2015. The influence of service quality, brand image, and customer satisfaction on customer loyalty for private Karaoke rooms in Taiwan. The Journal of Global Business Management, 11, pp. 59-67.

Chih-Chung, C., Chang, C., Wei-Chun, L. and Yau-Nang, L. (2012), “The effect of advertisement frequency on the advertisement attitude the controlled effects of brand image and spokesperson’s credibility”, Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, Vol. 57, pp. 352-359.

Chao, R. F., 2015. The influence of service quality, brand image, and customer satisfaction on customer loyalty for private Karaoke rooms in Taiwan. The Journal of Global Business Management, 11, pp. 59-67.

Camilleri, D. andCallaghan, O.C. (1998), “Comparing public andprivate hospital careservice equality”, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 11 No. 4, pp. 127-133.

Chih-Chung, C., Chang, C., Wei-Chun, L. and Yau-Nang, L. (2012), “The effect of advertisement frequency on the advertisement attitude the controlled effects of brand image and spokesperson’s credibility”, Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, Vol. 57, pp. 352-359.

Delp, L., Wallace, S. P., Geiger-Brown, J. & Muntaner, C., 2010. Job Stress and Job Satisfaction: Home Care Workers in a Consumer‐Directed Model of Care. Health Services Research, , 45(4), pp. 922-940.

Dhurup, M., Mafini, C., & Dumasi, T. (2014). The impact of packaging, price and brand awareness on brand loyalty: evidence from the paint retailing industry: original research. Acta Commercii, 14(1), 1-9.

Dick AS and Basu K (1994) Customer loyalty: Towards an integrated conceptual framework. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science 22(2): 99–113.

Gummesson, E. (1993), Quality Management in Service Organizations: An Interpretation of the Service Quality Phenomenon and a Synthesis of International Research, International Service Quality Association.

Hendra Pratama, 2017. "The Effect of Brand Image, Price, and Brand Awareness on Brand Loyalty, The Rule of Customer Satisfaction as a Mediating Variable," GATR Journals gjbssr469, Global Academy of Training and Research (GATR) Enterprise.

Hwang, J. & Zhao, J., 2010. Factors Influencing Customer Satisfaction or Dissatisfaction in the Restaurant Business Using AnswerTree Methodology. Journal of Quality Assurance in Hospitality & Tourism, , 11(2), pp. 93-110.

Jung, K. & Kau, A. K., 2004. CultureS Influence on Consumer Behaviors: Differences Among Ethnic Groups in a Multiracial Asian Country. ACR North American Advances, , (), p. .

Kahle, L. R. & Close, A. G., 2011. Consumer Behavior Knowledge for Effective Sports and Event Marketing. ed. (): Routledge.

Kaufmann, H. R., Panni, M. F. A. K. & Orphanidou, Y., 2012. Factors Affecting Consumers’ Green Purchasing Behavior: An Integrated Conceptual Framework. The AMFITEATRU ECONOMIC journal, , 14(31), pp. 50-69.

Kotler and Keller (2007) A Framework for Marketing Management (3rd ed.). New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc.

Khan, K. S., Kunz, R., Kleijnen, J. & Antes, G., 2003. Five Steps to Conducting a Systematic Review. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, , 96(3), pp. 118-121.

Lewin S, Glenton C, Munthe-Kaas H, Carlsen B, Colvin CJ, Gülmezoglu M, Noyes J, Booth A, Garside R, Rashidian A. Using qualitative evidence in decision making for health and social interventions: an approach to assess confidence in findings from qualitative evidence syntheses (GRADE-CERQual). PLoS Med. 2015;12(10):e1001895.

Mandal, P. C. & Bhattacharya, S., 2013. Customer Satisfaction in Indian Retail Banking: A Grounded Theory Approach. The Qualitative Report, , 18(28), pp. 1-21.

Meenaghan, T., 1995. The role of advertising in brand image development. Journal of Product & Brand Management, , 4(4), pp. 23-34.

Mihart, C., 2012. Impact of Integrated Marketing Communication on Consumer Behaviour: Effects on Consumer Decision - Making Process. International Journal of Marketing Studies, , 4(2), p. 121.

Malik, M.E., Ghafoor, M.M. and Hafiz, K.I., 2012. Impact of Brand Image, Service Quality and price on customer satisfaction in Pakistan Telecommunication sector. International journal of business and social science, 3(23).

Miyazaki, A. D. & Fernandez, A., 2001. Consumer Perceptions of Privacy and Security Risks for Online Shopping. Journal of Consumer Affairs, , 35(1), pp. 27-44.

Nayeem, T., 2012. Cultural influences on consumer behaviour. International Journal of Biometrics, , 7(21), pp. 78-91.

Nazir, B., Ali, M. and Jamil, M., 2016. The impact of brand image on the customer retention: a mediating role of customer satisfaction in Pakistan. International Journal of Business and Management Invention, 5(3), pp.56-61.

Park, S.-Y. & Lee, E. M., 2005. Congruence Between Brand Personality and Self-Image, and the Mediating Roles of Satisfaction and Consumer-Brand Relationship on Brand Loyalty. ACR Asia-Pacific Advances, , (), p. .

Prasanna, K. S., Bashith, M. & Sucharitha, S., 2009. Consumer Satisfaction about Hospital Services: A Study from the Outpatient Department of a Private Medical College Hospital at Mangalore.. Indian Journal of Community Medicine, , 34(2), pp. 156-159.

Park, S.-Y. & Lee, E. M., 2005. Congruence Between Brand Personality and Self-Image, and the Mediating Roles of Satisfaction and Consumer-Brand Relationship on Brand Loyalty. ACR Asia-Pacific Advances, , (), p. .

Pop, N.A., Văduva, S.A., Dabija, D.C. and Fotea, I.S. (2010), “Consumers perception of corporate social responsibility: empirical study in Romanian retail”, International Journal of Social Ecology and Sustainable Development, Vol. 1 No. 4, pp. 1-9.

Prasanna, K. S., Bashith, M. & Sucharitha, S., 2009. Consumer Satisfaction about Hospital Services: A Study from the Outpatient Department of a Private Medical College Hospital at Mangalore.. Indian Journal of Community Medicine, , 34(2), pp. 156-159.

Pratama, H. and Suprapto, B., 2017. The Effect of Brand Image, Price, and Brand Awareness on Brand Loyalty: The Rule of Customer Satisfaction as a Mediating Variable. Global Journal of Business & Social Science Review, 5(2), pp.52-57

Ressing, M., Blettner, M. & Klug, S. J., 2009. Systematic literature reviews and meta-analyses: part 6 of a series on evaluation of scientific publications.. Deutsches Arzteblatt International, , 106(27), pp. 456-463.

Rani, N.S.A. and Suradi, Z., 2017. International brand vs. local brand: An evaluation of brand trust, brand reputation, customer satisfaction and purchase intention of Malaysian customers. Journal of Business and Retail Management Research, 11(3).

Saleem, H., and Raja, N. S., 2014. The impact of service quality on customer satisfaction, customer loyalty and brand image: Evidence from hotel industry of Pakistan. MiddleEast Journal of Scientific Research, 19(5), pp. 706-711.

Sarwar, Fatima & Aftab, & Iqbal, Muhammad & Iqbal,. (2014). The Impact of Branding on Consumer Buying Behavior. IJTNR. 2.

Saleem, H., and Raja, N. S., 2014. The impact of service quality on customer satisfaction, customer loyalty and brand image: Evidence from hotel industry of Pakistan. MiddleEast Journal of Scientific Research, 19(5), pp. 706-711.

Hess J and Story J (2006) Trust-based commitment: multidimensional consumer- brand relationships. Journal of Consumer Marketing 21(5): 321-345.

Subaebasni, S., Risnawaty, H. & AR, A.W. 2019, "Effect of Brand Image, the Quality and Price on Customer Satisfaction and Implications for Customer Loyalty PT Strait Liner Express in Jakarta", International Review of Management and Marketing, vol. 9, no. 1, pp. 90-97.

Tsai, S.-p., 2005. Integrated marketing as management of holistic consumer experience. Business Horizons, , 48(5), pp. 431-441.

Turk, Z and Avcilar, M.Y. (2009), "The effects of perceived service quality of audit firms on satisfaction and behavioural intentions: A Research on the Istanbul stock exchange listed companies", Research Journal of Business Management, Vol. 2 No. 1, pp.36-46.

Tubagus, A.K., Hidayat Syah & Dongoran, P. 2018, "Product Quality, Brand Image and Pricing to Improve Satisfaction Impact on Customer Loyalty", International Review of Management and Marketing, vol. 8, no. 3, pp. 51-58.

Tu, Y.T. and Chih, H.C., 2013. An empirical study of corporate brand image, customer perceived value and satisfaction on loyalty in shoe industry. Journal of Economics and Behavioral Studies, 5(7), pp.469-483.

Taylor, S. A. and Baker, T. L. (1994), "An assessment of the relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction in the formation of consumer's purchase intentions", Journal of Retailing, Vol. 70 No. 2, pp.163-178.

Wang, I.-M. & Shieh, C.-J., 2006. The relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction: the example of CJCU library. Journal of Information and Optimization Sciences, , 27(1), pp. 193-209.

Yee, R. W., Yeung, A. C. & Cheng, T. E., 2008. The impact of employee satisfaction on quality and profitability in high-contact service industries. Journal of Operations Management, , 26(5), pp. 651-668.

Yeung, M. C. H., Ramasamy, B., Chen, J. & Paliwoda, S., 2013. Customer satisfaction and consumer expenditure in selected European countries. International Journal of Research in Marketing, , 30(4), pp. 406-416.