The role of consumer happiness in brand loyalty: a model of the satisfaction and brand image in fashion

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/CG-03-2021-0099
• Published date: 26 July 2021
• Date: 26 July 2021
• Pages: 458-473
• Subject Matter: Strategy,Corporate governance
• Author: Pedro Cuesta-Valiño,Pablo Gutiérrez-Rodríguez,Estela Núnez-Barriopedro

The role of consumer happiness in brand

loyalty: a model of the satisfaction

and brand image in fashion

Pedro Cuesta-Valiño, Pablo Gutiérrez-Rodríguez and Estela N

unez-Barriopedro

Abstract

Purpose –The study of the antecedents to loyalty is of great interest to both academics and

professionalsin the context of fashion consumption. The purpose of this paperis to define a SEM model,

in which brand image and itsdimensions, as well as consumer satisfaction and consumerhappiness as

mediators,are explained as antecedents to loyalty.

Design/methodology/approach –A transversal descriptive study based on primary data were,

therefore, carried out using a survey with a sample of 2,515 consumers representing the Spanish

population.The Partial Least Square methodwas applied to test the hypotheses.

Findings –The results of this research tell us which variables have a positive influence on consumer loyalty to

fashion brands, where brand image, satisfacti on and consumer happiness are the determining variables of loyal ty.

Research limitations/implications –This model has importantimplications and contributes both to the

literature and to the choice of differentiation and brand positioning strategies for marketing to a global

and highlycompetitive market.

Originality/value –One of the noveltiesof this study is the fact that it considers the consumerhappiness

variableas an antecedent to loyalty in the fashionconsumer sector.

Keywords Satisfaction, Brand image, Brand loyalty, Fashion, Consumer happiness, SEM model

Paper type Research paper

1. Introduction

The relationship between brandimage, loyalty and satisfaction has aroused great interestin

recent times (Chiou, 2004;Sondoh et al.,2007;Upamannyu and Sankpal, 2014;Neupane,

2015;Salami Sheeba and Malarvixhi,2019;Cuong and Khoi, 2019) and has been studied in

various sectors. These include internet service providers, cosmetics consumption, retail

supermarket chains, the hotel industry and convenience stores. One of the novelties of this

work is its study of the relationship between brand image, loyalty, satisfaction and

consumer happiness in the branded fashionconsumption sector.

It is generally accepted that consumer satisfaction has a positive influence on loyalty

(Taylor, 1998;Bennet and Rundle-Thiele, 2004;Schultz, 2005;Sondoh et al.,2007).

However, entities perceive that despite high consumer satisfaction with their brand image,

they often lose customers. Authors such as Reichheld and Markey (2000) state that highly

satisfied customers will not necessarily be loyal. Nowadays, entities are worried that current

consumers tend to be less loyal (Dekimpeet al.,1997;Kapferer, 2005; Bennettand Rundle-

Thiele, 2004, Anaya-S

anchez et al.,2020). This makes it necessary to introduce new

variables into the model that will positivelyinfluence consumer loyalty.

The path to customer loyalty does not begin with satisfaction, but rather with the drivers of

satisfaction (Smith, 2020). More loyalty studies need to be conducted to better grasp this

Pedro Cuesta-Valin

˜ois

based at the Department of

Economics and Business

Management, Universidad

de Alcal

a, Alcal

ade

Henares, Spain.

Pablo Gutie

´rrez-Rodrı

´guez

is based at the Department

of Business Administration,

Universidad de Le

on, Le

on,

Spain.

Estela N

unez-Barriopedro

is based at the Department

of Economics and Business

Management, Universidad

de Alcal

a, Alcal

ade

Henares, Spain.

Received 5 March 2021

Revised 7 April 2021

Accepted 27 April 2021

The co-authors would like to

thank the research groups

for the material resources to

make this paper possible:

Consumer behaviour,

Organisational, and Market

Analytics; Tourism

competitiveness and innovation

at University of Alcal

a; and

Iberoamerican Group of

Multidisciplinary Studies on

Happiness (IGOMSOH) at

University of C

adiz.

PAGE 458 jCORPORATE GOVERNANCE jVOL. 22 NO. 3 2022, pp. 458-473, ©Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 1472-0701 DOI 10.1108/CG-03-2021-0099

idea (Sondoh et al.,2007;Cuesta-Valin

˜oet al., 2020), i.e. to understand that, in addition to

brand image and its interrelationships in the context of the retailer’s branded product, there

are other variables that can be considered to be antecedents of loyalty. One of the novelties

of this study is, therefore, the fact that itconsiders the variables happiness and satisfaction,

as well as brand image, to be determinantsof loyalty.

Research into consumer happiness is common in the fields of psychology, education,

organizational behavior, sport, religion, tourism and hospitality (Fun and Wang, 2020). One

of the novelties of this study is the fact that it considers the consumer happiness variable to

be an antecedent of loyalty in the consumer fashionsector.

The main aim of this research is, therefore, to propose a SEM model that explains the

relationship between satisfaction and consumer happiness as antecedentsto loyalty, which

in turn mediates brand image. This model has important implications for the practical

choices of marketing strategies to achieve differentiation and brand positioning. It also

makes a significant contributionto the literature.

This paper is structured as follows: first, the framework of the study is described together

with the hypotheses to be tested in the SEM model, and then the results of the model are

explained. Finally, the conclusions are stated, detailing the implications of the proposed

model for the branded fashion sector.

2. Conceptual framework and hypotheses

2.1 Research framework

The relationships in the modelthat has been developed, and its associated hypotheses, are

presented in detail below. Figure 1 summarizes the research model with the study

constructs and the hypothesizedlinks between them.

Brand image has been conceptualized in various ways, but all agree that it is a construct

formed by perceptions in the consumer’s mind about a brand (Reynolds, 1965;Aaker,

1991;Biel, 1992;Keller, 1993;Kotler, 2001;Faircloth et al., 2001). That construct has been

measured on the basis of product attributes (Kandampully and Suhartanto, 2000;Koo,

2003); brand benefits (Roth, 1995;Bhat and Reddy, 1998;Hsieh et al.,2004)orbyusing

the brand image scale (Malhotra, 1981;Faircloth et al.,2001).

This work uses an approach similar to Keller’s (1993) conceptualization of brand image,

which is considered to be a perception about a brand, as reflected in the brand

associations held in the consumer’s mind.

Figure 1 Model of satisfactionand brand image in fashion

VOL. 22 NO. 3 2022 jCORPORATE GOVERNANCE jPAGE 459