The Effect of Brand Equivalence on Customer Satisfaction in Hotel Businesses: The Mediating Role of Trust Variable

Abstract

It is known that the concept of the brand is one of the important determinants of the consumer decisionmaking process. Hotel businesses, which are the main building blocks of the tourism industry, also need brand management to develop sustainable relationships with their customers and survive in the competition. Managing the brand, which is an abstract concept, requires an understanding of the value of the brand in terms of target customers, and therefore the brand equivalence and customer relationship quality dimensions to be discussed together. This study was carried out to determine the effect of brand equivalence dimensions on customer satisfaction quality sub-dimensions, trust and satisfaction, and to test the mediating effect of trust in the relationship between them. The research was carried out through 302 questionnaires collected from foreign tourists coming to the hotel businesses in Fethiye. EFA, CFA, Path analyzes and Sobel tests were performed using SPSS and Smart PLS statistical programs. As a result of the research, it has been determined that hotel brand equivalence has a significant and positive effect on customer satisfaction and trust. Also, it is determined that the trust variable has a mediator role between hotel brand equivalence and customer satisfaction.