Development and Validation of Brand Value Creation Model in the Context of E-Commerce and Tourism Industry

Abstract

Issue: Customer participation in a wide range of voluntary, active and interactive business behaviors increases the perceived value of the brand. In fact, there is a great deal of empirical evidence to support a general link between customer engagement and customer perceived brand value. However, the concepts of customer engagement and brand value co-creation are significantly multifaceted issues. Therefore, there is an important research opportunity to examine the relationship between different factors affecting the creation of brand value through customer participation. Recognizing this research hypothesis, the present study seeks to identify a set of factors that affect the creation of brand value in various ways through customer participation with a precise and meticulously meticulous approach, and thus, a model for explaining co-creation. Provide brand value in the tourism industry. The lack of comprehensive and multifaceted models on the issue of brand value co-creation in the tourism industry further clarifies the theoretical importance of this paper. At the same time, since the main evidence and information of this research is provided through interviews with tourism industry stakeholders who are fully acquainted with the subject; Therefore, it can be inferred that the proposed model of this research has a good validity.Method: The present study is a fundamental study that has been conducted with the aim of developing and validating the pattern of brand value creation in the tourism industry. From the perspective of data type, the present study has been conducted by mixed method (quantitative-qualitative) and from the perspective of data collection period is in the category of cross-sectional research. The study population in the qualitative section, including marketing and branding specialists in the tourism industry, reached a theoretical saturation with 15 experts. And in a small part, a sample consisting of 311 employees of Tehran hotels has been selected. The main method used in the qualitative part is the data approach of the foundation (grounded theory) and using this method, the main and sub-categories of designing the pattern of creating brand value in the tourism industry have been identified. In the quantitative part, the partial least squares method is used to validate the model. MaxQDA 11 software was used for content analysis and partial minimum squares calculations were performed with Smart PLS 2 software.Discussion and Conclusion: Managers should try to adapt services in the digital context to the needs of the day and with changes, and also by increasing customers' trust in the brand, their service to the services they provide and the conditions they create in the minds of consumers. Raise the brand in the context of e-commerce. The importance of trust in the development of e-business in the service sector has already been mentioned (Das et al., 2019). In this regard, it is necessary for managers of tourism and hotel industry with appropriate activities and investments in marketing in the digital context, setting fair prices and appropriate to the level of service quality, customer participation in programs and social activities with the aim of promoting the brand name in different market segments. Promotional activities such as offering cash discounts, prizes, etc. provide the necessary platform for promoting customer engagement with the brand and managing the brand value of the hotel in the field of e-commerce.

Keywords

• branding
• customer participation
• value creation
• e-commerce