This content requires Adobe Flash Player version
or later.
Either you do not have Adobe Flash Player installed,
or your version is too old,
or there is a problem with your Flash installation and we were unable to detect it.
agreement with the statements measuring service brand equity. It was furthermore evident that the overall mean scores for the service brand equity dimensions ranged from 3.61 to 3.83 on the five- point scale. The brand awareness dimension realised the highest overall mean score of 3.83 with a standard deviation of 0.972. The brand trust dimension realised the lowest overall mean score of 3.61 with a standard deviation of 0.785.
The overall mean score for the brand relationship construct was 3.14 with a standard deviation of 0.893. The overall mean score was also above the midpoint of the scale.
Results of hypothesis testing
With regard to Ha1 that there are significant differences in the level of agreement customers assign to the underlying dimensions of service brand equity of fast-food outlets, the following findings were
made (Table 6 provides detailed insight): Brand awareness (mean = 3.83) is rated significantly higher than all the other dimensions, except
for brand association (mean = 3.75; p-value = 0.135). Brand association (mean = 3.75) is also rated significantly higher than all the other dimensions,
except for brand awareness (mean = 3.83; p-value = 0.135). Brand differentiation (mean = 3.64) is rated only significantly higher than brand trust (mean = 3.61;
p-value < 0.0005). Perceived quality (mean = 3.64) is rated only significantly higher than brand trust (mean = 3.61; p- value < 0.0005).
Ha1, that there are significant differences in the level of agreement customers assign to the underlying dimensions of service brand equity of fast-food outlets can therefore be accepted with respect to brand awareness and brand association being rated significantly higher than brand differentiation, perceived quality and brand trust, and also perceived quality and brand differentiation being rated significantly higher than brand trust.
TABLE 6: SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES IN THE LEVEL OF AGREEMENT CUSTOMERS ASSIGN TO THE UNDERLYING DIMENSIONS OF SERVICE BRAND EQUITY
Brand awareness
Perceived quality Brand
differentiation
Brand association
Mean 3.83
3.64 3.64 3.75 * indicates significant differences between the means of the pairs of key information sources (p-value ≤ 0.05)
With regard to Ha2, that there is a significant and positive relationship between customers' level of service brand equity towards fast-food outlets and the strength of their brand relationships with fast- food outlets, the results of the Pearson product moment correlation indicate a strongly significant and positive relationship between the two variables concerned (p-value < 0.0005; correlation coefficient 0.604). Ha2 that there is a significant and positive relationship between customers' level of service brand equity and the strength of their brand relationships with fast-food outlets can therefore be accepted.
Brand awareness 3.83
Perceived quality 3.64
0.000* Brand
differentiation 3.64
0.000* 0.866
Brand association 3.75
0.135 0.000* 0.008*
Brand trust 3.61
0.000* 0.000* 0.643 0.000*
SERVICE BRAND EQUITY AND BRAND RELATIONSHIPS IN THE FAST-FOOD INDUSTRY 333