Debra Ann Grace

Exploring consumer experiences with a service brand

The commercial importance of services has been realised in recent times and the importance of research to understand service brands and their meaning for consumers is a growing priority. This study focuses on consumer based perceptions of brand associations of a service brand, attitudes toward and intention to use the branded service via qualitative and quantitative methods. The results indicate a number of key dimensions that are important for consumers of services such as core service, experience with brand, self‐image congruency, feelings, servicescape and interpersonal service, publicity, advertising, price and brand. However, in this study country of origin and word of mouth were not significant. Largely, the findings indicated that service brand associations influence brand attitude and attitude and associations influence intention to use a service brand.

Examining the effects of service brand communications on brand evaluation

Purpose – This study seeks to examine the effects of three communication avenues, namely controlled communication (e.g. advertising/promotions), uncontrolled communications (word‐of‐mouth (WOM)/publicity), and brand name, on consumer service brand evaluation.Design/methodology/approach – This study employed a quantitative methodology and data were gathered from consumers intercepted in a shopping mall via a self‐completed survey.Findings – The results show that controlled communications and brand name have a significant effect on customer satisfaction, brand attitudes and brand reuse intentions. WOM was shown to have a significant influence only on brand reuse intentions. In addition, comparisons made across different retail service types (e.g. stores and banks) showed differences in relationships between the examined variables.Research limitations/implications – The brand stimuli used in the survey instrument limit the findings to retail stores and banks and, thus, may not be applicable in all service si...

Building and measuring employee‐based brand equity

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present the first known empirically‐tested model of Employee Based Brand Equity (EBBE). In doing so, it seeks to provide insight into how organisations can not only effectively manage the internal brand building‐process but also, more importantly, appreciate the subsequent employee effects and organisational benefits.Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected via an online survey of 371 employees who work in service organisations, sourced from a market research database list.Findings – Strong support was found for nine out of the ten hypothesised relationships, thus providing strong validation for the proposed model.Research limitations/implications – The employment of surveys can present data collection problems stemming from such things as lack of willingness to participate on behalf of the respondent, loss of validity when using structured questionnaires, and inherent challenges of wording questions properly. However, in acknowledging these limitations, ...

An exploratory perspective of service brand associations

Over the past 20 years the commercial importance of services has been realised, highlighting the importance of research to understand service brands and their meaning for consumers. However, to date, the branding models developed lack empirical testing, are derived from the perspective of brand practitioners rather than consumers, and pay little attention to the branding of services. This study seeks consumer‐based information via qualitative and quantitative methods regarding brand dimensions that hold meaning to consumers for branded services. The results indicate a number of key dimensions that are important to consumers for both goods and services, such as core product/service, experience with brand and image of user. Dimensions such as feelings and self‐image congruence were not found to be important, while word‐of‐mouth, servicescape, and employees held importance for branded services. The results also indicate significant relationships for brand dimension importance and brand associations, associations and attitudes, and attitudes and intentions. The results suggest important implications for brand managers, in addition to providing a platform on which future research can be built to further understand service branding.

Brand associations: looking through the eye of the beholder

As the importance of brands is realised, so too is the importance of research in this area. However, to date, a number of branding models have been developed that lack empirical testing, are derived from the perspective of brand practitioners, and pay little attention to the branding of services. This study seeks consumer‐based information via qualitative methods regarding brand dimensions that hold meaning to consumers for both branded products and branded services. The results indicate a number of key dimensions to be such as core product/service, experience with brand, image of user, important to consumers for both goods and services. Dimensions such as feelings, and self‐image congruence, were found to be important only in terms of branded products, while word‐of‐mouth, servicescape, and employees, held importance with respect to branded services. The results provide a platform upon which future research can be built.

Segmenting service “complainers” and “non‐complainers” on the basis of consumer characteristics

Purpose – This study examines service “complainers” and “non‐complainers” on the basis of four personality characteristics (perceived control, Machiavellianism, self‐efficacy, self‐monitoring) and attitude toward complaining.Design/methodology/approach – This study employed a quantitative methodology. Data were gathered via self‐report survey to a sample of 200 university students.Findings – The results indicate that attitude toward complaining, perceived control and self‐monitoring were significant discriminating variables between “complainers” and “non‐complainers”. Other variables tested such as self‐efficacy and Machiavellianism were not significant.Research limitations/implications – The use of a student sample limits the findings beyond this group, however, student samples do tend to be representative of the general buying public. Therefore, it is suggested that the variables studied here should be further examined using a more diverse consumer sample. In addition, the relationship between attitude ...

Exploring the role of employees in the delivery of the brand: a case study approach

Purpose – Employees are now viewed as playing a crucial role in brand management as they facilitate the interface between the organization and the market. This study, therefore, seeks to examine the role of employees in the delivery of the brand and, in doing so, further ones understanding of an area that, to date, has received little empirical attention from an operational management perspective.Design/methodology/approach – This study demonstrated the use of a qualitative methodological approach to inductively and holistically understand the operational management perspective in a context‐specific situation. A case study approach was adopted and data were gathered via semi‐structured interviews with managers of a customer‐focused organization.Findings – Several themes were identified from the interviews, namely, control, foundation, internal marketing (IM), management role, direction, employee satisfaction, enhancers and element of control. As such, these themes provide the foundation for the discussio...

Employee Based Brand Equity: A Third Perspective

Despite academics and practitioners alike promoting the positive outcomes of employees being aware of the organizations brand in the context of their work environment, there appears to be no evidence thus far to understand the impact of such brand building efforts from an employee perspective. This article promotes that there is, in fact, a third perspective of brand equity, that being Employee Based Brand Equity (EBBE). In particular, a framework of EBBE dimensions is developed herein, thus representing a significant contribution to the marketing literature and holding strong relevance for service organizations around the globe. The benefits derived from such a framework and, thereby, delivering value to the organization are manifested in brand citizenship behaviors, employee satisfaction and intention to stay with the organization, as well as positive employee word of mouth. This article sets the scene for future research within this important, but neglected, research domain.

Attributions of service switching: a study of consumers' and providers' perceptions of child-care service delivery

The extent that service providers and service receivers share similar beliefs about a service and its delivery, determines the perceived quality of service and maintenance of service performance relationships. Congruent expectations facilitate maintenance of service relationships, while disparate cognitions of expectations encumber and work toward terminating relationships (switching behavior). An empirical investigation of service switching in a child care setting reveals that highly educated child care consumers place more importance on the service encounter, and are more likely to engage in negative word-of-mouth about the service in the event of failure. Furthermore, core service failure was significantly more influential to the consumer’s decision to switch, than was supplementary service failure. However, in terms of service switching, the perceptions of child care providers are significantly different to those of consumers when attributing causes of switching. Furthermore, the female parent was found to be the most dominant when making decisions about child care. This study provides practical implications for child care providers, and service providers, in general.

Examining the antecedents of positive employee brand‐related attitudes and behaviours

Purpose – This study aims to examine the antecedents of employee brand commitment (BC) and brand citizenship behaviours (BCB). In doing so, it also aims to propose a model which includes organisational socialisation, relationship orientation and employee receptiveness to explain the relationships between these three antecedents and BC and BCB.Design/methodology/approach – A quantitative research methodology was adopted which resulted in the development of a self‐administered online survey instrument. As the population of interest was employees working in a service industry, a purposive sampling technique was adopted. Using a national database of service employees, a random sample of 2,000 e‐mail addresses was generated and respondents were invited to participate in the online survey. This resulted in the completion of 371 online surveys, representing a response rate of 19 per cent.Findings – The findings revealed a significant positive effect between organisational socialisation and BCB, but not with BC. ...