An analysis of the determinants of the relationship between brand loyalty and customer satisfaction

• Main Author: Krautkramer-Merkt, Nicole
• Published: University of Sunderland 2007
• Subjects: 658.8343
• Online Access: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.437688

The positive influence of emotional and rational types of customer satisfaction on brand loyalty and repurchases is often taken for granted. This study attempted to prove whether this relationship really exists in the Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) sector and if there are differences in this relationship for individual brands. In doing so, the development of a research procedure was required. Firstly, based on literature assessment, a theoretical model on the determinants of the relationship between brand loyalty and customer satisfaction was developed to analyse the connection between brand loyalty and customer satisfaction. An artificial differentiation between more rational cognitive coined types of satisfaction and emotional coloured types of satisfaction was made. Conative satisfaction was identified to be just an amalgam between intentional and behavioural loyalty. After that, this theoretical model and further theoretical findings were integrated into a research procedure for analysing the influence of customer satisfaction on intentional and behavioural brand loyalty. The research procedure developed consists of qualitative and quantitative steps and it combines established research methods, such as Critical Incident method with newly developed methods, such as a new Emotional Card Game and testmarket simulation methods modified for this research. In order to test the research procedure, the connection between rational and emotional types of customer satisfaction and brand loyalty was examined by carrying out focus group interviews with buyers of selected FMCG brands and by surveying 530 Swiss brand buyers in face-to-face interviews. The qualitative results and the quantitative data indicate, that emotional types of customer satisfaction, rational types of customer satisfaction, overall satisfaction, category-specific determinants, socio-demographic aspects, retailer-specific determinants and former behaviour can have an effect on actual behavioural brand loyalty. Following the data, it is necessary to analyse the individual connections for each brand separately and to distinguish between the different concepts of customer satisfaction and brand loyalty. Repurchase behaviour should be represented by repurchase probabilities gained from testmarket simulation data.