Trust, commitment and satisfaction in the relationship between brand loyalty and satisfaction in the mobile phone industry

Abstract

Brands are accepted as one of the most valuable assets that a firm needs to build. To maintain a competitive advantage, the strategy of the creation and maintenance of brand loyalty plays a vital role. The main aim of this study is to examine the theoretical and empirical evidence on the causal relationships among different factors i.e., brand personality, image, experience, satisfaction, trust and commitment that have direct and indirect effects in the creation of brand loyalty. This study also aims to investigate the relationship between brand personality and brand image constructs that influence brand loyalty independently. Based on the objectives of the study, sixteen hypotheses were developed to test the relationships among brand loyalty determinants. The study was conducted using survey questionnaire and the data were collected from 490 mobile phone users in Malaysia. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) using Partial Least Squares (PLS) method was applied to test the relationships in this study. The findings indicate that brand personality, brand image and brand experience are key sources of brand satisfaction. In addition, all the factors i.e., image, experience, satisfaction, trust and commitment have a direct and indirect impact on brand loyalty. However, the role of brand personality on brand loyalty is recognized through brand satisfaction. The contribution of this study has been to confirm the distinction between brand personality and brand image. Overall, these results indicate that the personality of brand is an essential driver for brand satisfaction. However, contrary to the hypothesis, brand personality does not have any significant effect on brand loyalty directly. These findings enhance our understanding that brand image and brand personality must not be used interchangeably, specifically when technological brands are involved. Furthermore, the results also support the mediating effects of the relational constructs i.e., commitment and trust in association between satisfaction and loyalty. This study provides significant theoretical and managerial implications. Limitations and suggestions for future investigation are also discussed.