At present, customers tend to increase their preference for brand image. Following this, the business environment of coffee market manages to make a rapid change, but also customers' demands have been so varied that competition for the brand image is ...
At present, customers tend to increase their preference for brand image. Following this, the business environment of coffee market manages to make a rapid change, but also customers' demands have been so varied that competition for the brand image is getting deeper and deeper. This study, through the research on the influence of brand image on the purchase intention and loyalty of customers, aims to set up more systematic and effective marketing strategy necessary for the survival in the excessively widen coffee market.
More specific objects of this study are as follows:
First, conducting survey on customers having experience of using coffee shop, a basis for research analysis will be made by way of theoretical examination of brand image. Based on the theoretical reflection on the literature, research models and hypotheses will be established.
Second, verification will be made if the customer satisfaction is influenced by the brand image of coffee shop.
Third, verification will be made on what kinds of influences the satisfaction of customers having visited coffee shop makes on the loyalty to brand such as will to repurchase or intention to recommend.
Finally, based on the above results of analysis, theoretical consideration and practical suggestion will be made on the evaluation of coffee shop.
In order to meet the above research objects, this research sets up research models and hypotheses based on the precedent researches. A survey on 330 customers who had used coffee shops located in Daegu City was conducted from July 20, 2009 to Aug. 23, 2009. Among 315 answer sheets, 12 sheets with inexact or double answers were eliminated, and only 303 sheets were taken for the practical analysis of this research. Practical analysis was made in order of measure validation process, establishment of reliability and validity of measurement tools, and verification of hypotheses. Using SPSS 12.0 and AMOS 5.0, collected materials were disposed by statistical tools. Statistical techniques are frequency analysis, technique analysis, inquiry analysis, reliability analysis, confirming factor analysis, and covariance structure analysis.
The results of this practical research are as follows:
In regard to the most important attribute for coffee shop, the taste of coffee was taken as the most important one followed by the location of coffee shop and its accessibility, and the atmosphere of selling area such as interior, but the prices of coffee were not so much taken as important.
The coffee shop visiting customers' companions are revealed mostly as friends or lovers. The primary purpose of using coffee shop is to meet friends or lovers. Thus, the visiting rate with friends is highest for the coffee shops in Daegu, which are used as the meeting place for friends and lovers. As a result of factor analysis for the estimation of brand image, brand legitimacy, sales persons' image, facilities and accessibility, and menu and price are listed.
As a result of the verification of the suggested hypotheses, it was revealed that the brand image of coffee shop has a significant influence on the satisfaction of customers, and loyalty to brand. In regard to the satisfaction of customers, the image of brand is revealed by in order of the legitimacy of brand, facilities and accessibility, and menu and prices, but the image of sales persons does not show any significant influence on the satisfaction of customers.
The limits of this research and the future research direction are as follows:
First, this research focus on the influence of brand image on the satisfaction of customers, and loyalty to brand in Daegu area. Thus, it is necessary to have different researches on the brand loyalty with a variety of marketing factors besides the above factors.
Second, this study has extract the attributes of brand image of coffee shop from an expert panel discussion based on precedent research. Then, further and broader studies searching for more attributes of brand image and being applicable to practical business are to be made.
Third, having analyzed only 303 customers who had visited coffee shops in Daegu, this research has limitation in generalizing the research results. Thus it is necessary for future researches to be done with sampling group on the level of nation.
Fourth, the hitherto estimation of customer satisfaction and brand loyalty is a general estimation about the degrees of satisfaction and loyalty. Therefore, it could not figure out various levels of attributes and relations composing customer satisfaction and loyalty.