The Relationship Of Customer Equity's Drivers,customer Loyalty And Customer Equity

As the development of science and technology, and the coming of products affluent era, the competitive form of enterprises has changed in this market environment. Competition strategy, in product-oriented, has not be able to meet the needs of business survival. The strategy, which takes customer as the core business, has been needed for a new business idea. That is, the management of enterprise is according as the customer equity rather than the brand equity, and the focus of enterprise is on the profitability of the customer rather than that of the product. In fact, many enterprises have realized that the blind pursuit of profit is not conducive to long-term healthy development of enterprise. Competition among enterprises has begun to switch to "customer" as the core.Main stream of marketing idea has shifted from mass-marketing to relationship marketing in recent years. For that, enterprises begin to attach importance to the establishment of relationship between customers and enterprises. In new economy era, marketers should focus on this relationship, rather than a single trading event; should care, understand and get familiar with customers rather than focus product sales simply; should maintain mature customers actively rather than attract new customers only. Only in this way can enterprises win the business. While under the influence of market trend, managers attach importance to the implementation of relationship marketing, and manage the customer service efficiently has become a vital factor which determines the enterprises whether can achieve success or not. In order to remain the real valued customers, enterprises must get a balance between the objectives and the resources invested for the customers. Therefore, the aim of this study is to explore the relationship between various drivers of customer equity and the customer loyalty.In this study, we will focus on three aspects specifically as follow: First, to establish a measurement model of customer equity based on the consumer perspective. Second, put forward and verify the relationship between the dimensions, which are from drivers of customer equity ( the value equity, the brand equity, the relationship equity ), and customer loyalty with consumer perspective. Third, to verify the impact function of the individual disposition to trust and switching costs, which is from the value equity, the brand equity, and the relationship equity to relationship equity, on customer loyalty.Based on related theories and research of predecessors, such as customer equity, customer loyalty, trust, switching costs and so on, we will study customer equity from the consumer perspective. It will proceed in three stages to discuss the influence from the drivers of customer equity (the value equity, the brand equity, the relationship equity) to customer loyalty, to reveal the significant impaction from customer loyalty to customer equity, at the same time, to provide theoretical support for enterprises to understand the consumer awarFirstly, Literature Review. From the review and collation of domestic and international related literature, such as customer equity, customer loyalty, trust, switching costs and so on, we clearly defined concepts of the, individual disposition to trust, switching costs, customer loyalty, customer equity, which will be researched in this study, and offer these concepts with operational treatment. Then put forward the various dimensions of the value equity, brand equity, relationship equity in consumer perspective initially. From the review of these research results of relevant scholars, we will find out the logical relationship among variables, establish a theoretical model of this study exploringly, and then put forward the hypothesis combining with the purpose of this study.Secondly, Semi-structure Interviews. We selected 21 customers, who have used many products and services supplied by several banks, as the target respondents to do semi-structure depth interviews. We hope to explore the contributing factors, which form the customer equity, and to identify some behaviors, psychological characteristics and factors in the process of the formation of customer equity. Then, we collected and gathered these interview data, and found out the component factor of value equity, including price,quality,convenience; the component factor of brand equity, including brand image,brand awareness,brand attitude,brand associations; the component factor of relationship equity, including customer trust,customer satisfaction,customer commitment,customer identification,special treatment. Based on these research, we conducted a preliminary validation analysis at the relationships among the value equity, brand equity, relationship equity and customer loyalty, which have been put forwarded in literature review. These are also the foundation of completing the empirical research.Thirdly, Empirical Research. According to depth interview data and related academic scales, we determined the initial questionnaire of this study, distributed 150 pieces of questionnaire to do the pre-tested, and examined the reliability and validity of the questionnaire. Then we eliminated some inappropriate items from initial questionnaire, and ascertained the final one. After of these, we selected some customers, who have made trade with branch of bank in one month, to distribute questionnaires in target cities, such as Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Xiamen, Wuhan and most of Northeast cities. The total number of questionnaires distributed is 1,200, and 728 were retracted. Based on these data, using the statistical software like SPSS and AOMS, we took a series of empirical analysis as follow, descriptive statistical analysis, reliability analysis, validity analysis, correlation analysis, regression analysis and structural equation model analysis. These analyses help us to get more in-depth research of mechanism among driven factors in customer equity and customer loyalty. The results show that, the value equity, brand equity, relationship equity have a significant impact on customer loyalty; customer loyalty has a significant impact on customer equity; switching costs takes a regulatory role between brand equity and customer loyalty, and between relationship equity and customer loyalty. In this research, we verified the theoretical model and corresponding, and made necessary discussion of some hypothesis which did not get supports from statistical analysis.From the empirical analysis and discussions, which are combined with the relevant literature, we reached the conclusions like these:(1) The impact that from value equity on customer loyalty is very significant. No matter consider which one of price, quality, or convenience, they are all necessary factors which promote the customer form the loyalty to enterprise. The several dimensions of brand equity (brand image, brand attitude, brand associations) also have a positive significant impact on customer loyalty. However, at the perspective of customers, the impact from sense of bank brand awareness on customer loyalty is not significant; and the impact between the relationship equity and customer loyalty is significant. The several dimensions of relationship equity (customer trust, customer commitment, customer identification and special treatment) have a positive significant impact on customer loyalty. However, we found out that customer satisfaction may not have a positive impact on customer loyalty necessarily.(2) The value equity, brand equity, relationship equity have direct impacts on customer loyalty, but these impacts are regulated by certain constraints (such as: switching costs). However, the regulation role of switching costs between the value equity and customer loyalty is not so significant. The hypothesis that the individual disposition to trust takes a regulation role from the value equity, brand equity, relationship equity to customer loyalty is not quite obvious.(3) In formation of customer equity, customer loyalty is the primary factor. Only obtain the customer loyalty can enterprises access to customer equity. There is a significant impact between customer loyalty and customer equity. No matter attitude loyalty or behavior loyalty, they all have a significant positive impact on the customer equity, .From the empirical analysis and hypothesis test, we reached the appropriate conclusions. Not only from the perspective of customers we discussed the causes in the process of formation and the factors that promoted the formation of customer equity, this makes up for the related research on customer equity theoretics; but also provided the necessary guidance and reference of customer equity management and practice for banking industry in China. Domestic banking industry is exposed to fierce market competition. Better customer maintenance makes better customer loyalty, and makes enterprises a long-term healthy development. We can make effort in several aspects, such as to develop the value, to strengthen brand strategy, and to implement relationship marketing. Only achieve a real understanding, care, satisfaction, and maintain of the customers, can enterprises obtain customers equity and persistent competitive advantage.At the end of this study, we analyzed some limitations in customer equity research. These limitations and deficiencies are needed to be resolved in future research. What's more, we also put forwarded research prospects and rec...