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The purpose of this article is to develop a model for examination of the relations among attributes, benefits, customer satisfaction, trust, commitment, and customer behavioral loyalty in a marketing system.

In order to observe the behavioral sequence of relationship marketing and relationship quality, this paper aims to collect the relevant literature and infer to the conceptual framework.

The conceptual model is at the level of the individual customer and proposes that benefits and customer satisfaction are positively related with respect to information services. This model also proposes that customer satisfaction and behavioral intentions are positively related and, thus, that product‐related and/or non‐product‐related attributes – functional, symbolic and/or experiential benefits – are determinants of whether a customer ultimately remains with or defects from a company.

Suggesting a research agenda whereby information about individual‐level behavioral sequence of product‐related and/or non‐product‐related attributes and benefits can be monitored and linked to customer satisfaction data, in order to provide ongoing evidence of the impact of attributes and benefits on customer behavioral sequence.

Factors that influence the game attendance and attitudinal loyalty of sports fans have been researched quite extensively in Anglo-American countries, but rather less in Germany. Brand image is held to be an important antecedent of fan loyalty. This study therefore investigates the relationship between these constructs, using a sample of 1,300 fans of German Bundesliga soccer teams. In addition to the verification of this link, causal modelling reveals a relationship between the major facets of a club's brand image, namely attributes and benefits. Non-product-related attributes of the brand are more important to the fans' loyalty than product-related attributes.

The purpose of this paper is to look into the relationship between the physical aspect of a retail store, product‐related attributes, personal interaction with customers and perceived reliability and corporate brand image in an offline or bricks and mortar context.

The study is based on 511 interviews conducted in various bookstores and uses structural equation modelling as a statistical tool for concluding the above.

The paper argues that physical aspect of a retail store, product‐related attributes and personal interaction with customers will have a significant and positive direct effect on the offline corporate brand image whilst there was no significant connection between reliability and corporate brand image.

The research has been conducted in one organisation, albeit a number of bookstores were scrutinized.

The paper's managerial contribution lies in its lessons for practitioners who want to understand what are the key drivers of corporate brand image in an offline context. It also provides a background for further studies which can extrapolate the current thinking into other sectors in order to validate or refute the results presented here.

The paper scrutinizes the impact of: physical aspects; product related information; reliability; and personal interaction in the corporate brand image of a retail organisation.

The purpose of this study is to develop and empirically test a model examining the relationship between customer perceptions (product attributes, benefits, customer satisfaction, trust, commitment and customer behavioral loyalty) and financial performance of a merchant bank.

Based on the SEM tool of Linear Structure Relation (LISREL), this study develops and empirically tests a model examining the relationships between customer perspectives (product attributes, benefits, customer satisfaction, trust, commitment and customer behavioral loyalty) and the financial perspective (financial performance). A cross‐department study in the financial services industry was conducted based on three consumer samples (department of Loans, Deposits, and Credit Cards) drawn from XYZ bank, one of the most famous banks providing merchant banking services in Taiwan.

SEM results indicate that: customer perceptions positively affect financial performance; and customers purchase financial services with dissimilar benefits, all of which come with corresponding attributes, and hence result in different levels of customer satisfaction and behavioral sequence, which is important in reinforcing customers' trust, commitment, repurchase intentions and corporate financial performance.

The findings suggest that financial service managers could consider treating consumers as partners in their provision of existing services or their quest to develop successful new services. Reciprocal behavior will foster a positive atmosphere, remove barriers arising from risk, and enable relationships to progress, ultimately improving financial performance.

The research proposes an empirical model of the customer perceptions in the consumption of financial services that has a positive impact on the financial performance of the company. The findings are based on data from one company across three product departments.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of social media in brand associations, particularly in regard to soccer fan clubs.

The study used a professional English Premier League soccer team to investigate the effects that social media interaction had on brand associations of the team’s fan clubs in two national contexts – England and Greece.

In total, 207 online questionnaires from six fan clubs were collected and analyzed using descriptive and inferential (t-tests and χ² tests) statistics.

The results revealed similarities on Facebook in terms of positive receptions of brand attributes and resonance of perceived brand benefits, while significant differences were observed on Twitter, particularly in terms of brand benefits.

This study aims to explore the use of consumer-generated online product reviews as a source of brand associations in a sport setting.

A total of 800 reviews were collected and categorized into 13 brand association dimensions derived from previous literature. Reviews were further categorized into three valence types (i.e. positive, negative and neutral) via a correspondence analysis.

A correspondence analysis revealed that positive product reviews were highly linked to performance and product-related attributes, while negative reviews were related to conformance associations. Additionally, the results showed that product-related (90.8%) attributes, experiential benefits (89.1%) and functional benefits (86.6%) were the most frequently communicated brand associations. The findings of this study underline the credibility of assessing brand associations from the consumers’ experience, through online consumer reviews.

The findings of the current investigation contribute to existing knowledge by examining consumer-based brand equity (CBBE) in an online setting. Previous, CBBE literature suggests that brand associations are held in the minds of the brand's consumers. To date, however, few studies have examined brand associations generated by consumers and instead have relied upon brand association dimensions developed by the researcher as opposed to the consumer (Ross et al., 2006). This, study however, utilized online sport product reviews as a source of consumer derived brand associations, and, therefore, will further the knowledge as to how brand associations are identified and measured.

Brand management is a central issue for the sports industry in general, and professional football clubs (usually called soccer teams in the USA) are the archetypal branded sport in that industry; the brand is their most important asset. Match attendance equates with financial return; patently it is a preoccupation of senior management. Metrics of brand performance need be up to date, and include contemporary issues such as corporate social responsibility (CSR) as a reflection of consumer expectations. This paper aims to address these issues.

The methodology aims to evaluate consumers' perceptions and purchase behaviours. A sample survey of consumers' brand evaluations has been collected and factor and regression analyses have been employed.

Recent models based on Keller's conceptual approach have not emphasized the evolution of societal concerns. Brand management in the football industry has to change to meet customer expectations better.

This research demonstrates that professional football clubs may be different from other businesses. The research method used enables the evaluation of customer‐based brand equity. Findings suggest clubs' involvement in community activities influences brand image and customer behaviour. The sport entertainment industry requires a specific type of brand management and customer perceived ethicality has to be an integral part of the approach.

Brand theories tend to stem from marketing and they are inclined to emphasize the same kind of product‐oriented concerns. However, customers expect more than watching an exciting game in a pleasant environment; they are affected by clubs' community involvement which impacts on the affect towards the brand. This is demonstrated through purchase behaviours of spectators. This research determines and evaluates these issues for the cases of two professional football clubs.

The paper aims to refine existing customer‐based brand equity models for the team sport industry and examine the importance of brand equity in the professional German soccer league Bundesliga.

After assessing brand equity on the basis of actual consumer responses, we relate the brand equity measure on an aggregate level to objective means of economic success. Online sampling with a total database of 1,594 usable questionnaires is utilized for analysis. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (including multi‐group analysis) as well as structural equation modeling and regression analysis are applied.

Results highlight the adequacy of a parsimonious brand equity model in team sport (BETS) model and the importance of the brand in team sport for economic success.

The main limitations of this research are sample constraints; test persons are highly involved in and knowledgeable about the product category under research. Future research should address a more diverse population.

Teams and their management have to realize the relevance of their brand in economic success. They have to recognize the significance of the stadium visit and the individual spectators in the stadium.

First, a parsimonious BETS model is presented. Second, it was found that special attention should be devoted to the brand equity‐component “brand awareness” when researching brand equity. Third, this is one of the few studies that uses actual economic data to show the impact of brand equity based on direct consumer responses on company success.

The purpose of this paper is to identify selected store attributes of activewear specialty retailers that impact consumers’ satisfaction, which in turn influence word-of-mouth (WOM) and retail patronage behavior.

Using an on-site store intercept, 150 responses were collected to answer hypothesized relationships. An exploratory factor analysis was first performed followed by a confirmatory factor analysis and a structural equation analysis.

Results revealed that sales employees and store atmosphere attributes of activewear specialty stores had a positive influence on consumer satisfaction, which in turn had a direct impact on WOM and repatronage intentions for activewear specialty stores. Therefore, in order to satisfy consumers, activewear specialty retailers need to ensure that they provide an attractive and pleasant shopping atmosphere. Furthermore, satisfied consumers are likely to spread positive WOM about the retailer and display their intention to revisit the store in the future. The authors conclude by discussing the results and suggest implications and future research directions.

The findings of this research shed light on the managerial implications for activewear specialty retailers with regards to marketing strategies and consumers’ attitudes.

The subject of CSR is nowadays widely discussed, as is its relevance to the sport entertainment industry. The objective of this research was to investigate corporate social responsibility (CSR) actions in the professional European football league and its impact on clubs’ brand image.

The first part of this research discusses some particular points of the world's biggest sport entertainment, which is soccer. Then a definition of the meaning of CSR for this particular sector will be outlined. The CSR values adopted by sport clubs are observed in first division football in France. This approach has been combined with brand theories.

The specific research protocol evaluates consumers’ perceptions. The method which is developed measures and analyses the impact of CSR commitment on spectators’ brand perception. In linking CSR to brand image, two managerial viewpoints are discussed. CSR is synonymous with a company's social and ethical commitment. Brand theories outline the nature of brand equity. The authors apply these two complementary considerations to professional football clubs and argue that Keller's model of customer‐based brand equity has to be reconsidered for football clubs.

This research highlights that CSR has to become part of management strategies.

The authors draw attention to the argument that the professional sport entertainment industry requires a specific CSR management strategy which goes beyond the local level or the operational level of one single club. These clubs have to perform well in competition. But, as in no other industry, they have also to be “good” brands.