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This paper aims to propose and test a conceptual model of theme park experiences by investigating the relationships among brand experience, self-congruity, flow and brand-related outcomes.

Data were collected from guests who had visited a theme park in the past 12 months. Confirmatory factor analysis, consisting of second-order factor analysis and structural equation modeling with the incorporation of alternative model testing, was employed.

The findings revealed that theme park customers’ internalization of brand experience influenced their attitudinal and behavioral tendency with regard to the brand through self-congruity and flow.

This study provides strategies for theme park designers and marketers under pressure to create a desired experiential setting that motivates visitors to engage in activities through various brand stimuli. Well-designed theme parks can create an optimal state of focus and attention, immersing visitors to the extent that they lose their sense of time and place, affecting their attitude and behavior toward the theme park brand.

Theme parks provide a highly experiential, immersive and personally relevant experience with brand elements. Very few studies have attempted to investigate the consequences of theme park experience from the theoretical perspective of customers’ connection with the brand. This study proposed and validated a conceptual model to capture how theme park experience influenced visitors’ commitment to and active engagement with theme park brands through the mechanisms of self-congruity and flow.

This paper aims to examine the relationships between motives, skepticism and brands evaluations in the LGBT-friendly branding hotels context.

An online survey is created and 278 LGBT participants are recruited through a consumer panels firm. The research model is tested through structural equation modeling.

Values-, stakeholder- and strategic-driven motives are negatively related to skepticism, while egoistic-driven motive is positively related to skepticism. Also, sexual orientation openness moderates the relationship between stakeholder-driven motives and skepticism. Finally, skepticism is negatively related to brands evaluations.

The research findings are limited to the LGBT-friendly hotels. However, this research contributes to the CSR and LGBT consumer research by examining the relationships between the four motives and skepticism considering LGBT customers’ sexual orientation openness level.

Hotels should devote greater efforts to communicating that their LGBT-friendly branding efforts are genuine by acknowledging both the social benefits and the business interests.

As more and more hotels promote themselves as LGBT-friendly brands, a key challenge is reducing skepticism by appropriately conveying their motives. This research sheds light on this critical issue.

Although existent research on LGBT-friendliness has established its importance; there is a lack of understanding as to how customers perceive LGBT-friendly branding hotels. This research examines the four motives of hotels presenting themselves as being LGBT-friendly and their relationships to skepticism.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of overall satisfaction in the relationship between active participation and consumer behaviors that benefit hotels. It also addresses the importance of active members in estimating the effectiveness of online brand communities in social media marketing.

This study used a convenient sampling method to collect data from individuals who were or currently are members of hotel Facebook pages. The empirical data were analyzed using structural equation modeling.

The findings indicate that active members are likely to be satisfied with community participation and developed positive behaviors that benefit hotel Facebook pages, specifically willingness to promote the community to others and modify purchasing and information-searching behaviors.

This study provides practical implications for Facebook marketers of hotels. It emphasizes the value of Facebook pages as an effective marketing tool for hotels. Marketers are advised to identify members’ needs, create special offerings that accommodate those needs, and effectively communicate and share information with members in order to increase the level of satisfaction of members of online communities.

The importance of active participation and satisfaction for creating positive behaviors other than loyalty among members of hotel Facebook pages has been under-addressed. This study extends the existing research model of community participation in consumer-brand relationships by using satisfaction, community promotion, and behavioral changes to highlight the benefits of hotel Facebook pages.

The purpose of this paper is to identify the antecedents and consequences of romantic brand love in the luxury hotel context.

Data were collected from guests who had stayed at a luxury hotel within the past year and analyzed using structural equation modeling.

The findings indicate that uniqueness and hedonic values are a prerequisite of evoking closeness and passionate feelings toward hotel brands, resulting in guests’ advocacy and willingness to pay a premium price.

This study provides practical implications for luxury hotel marketers by introducing a new angle to understand brand love and suggesting desirable post-consumption behaviors through creating romantic love relationships between guests and hotel brands.

Research on the multidimensional aspects of luxury value is limited. This study proposes a conceptual model to investigate which luxury values enable guests to fall in love with brands and influence future behavior decisions and identifies opportunities for managerial benefits relating to consumers who are not traditional or frequent visitors to hotels.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the theory and implementation of dual branding. The authors explore whether dual branding is a positive choice for two hotel brands belonging to the same firm and operating under the same roof, in this case, a Wyndham and a Wyndham Garden branded property.

A case study methodology was employed. In-depth interviews were conducted with managers regarding their decisions and implementation of a dual branding strategy.

The authors reveal the organizational, operational, technical, marketing, financial, economic and technological challenges experienced before, during and after the dual branding transition. Moreover, they reveal the results of the implementation and its consequences to the hotel and its customers. A conceptual model is presented with the goal of assisting and facilitating the investigation, analysis, choice and implementation of dual branding by hoteliers.

The present research expands the existing body of knowledge, bridges the theory and practice of branding in the lodging sector, advances dual branding theory and provides insightful implications for scholars and managers alike.

The purpose of this paper is to incorporate third-party certification to test a theoretical model that demonstrates the effects of third-party certification on perceived food quality, perceived service quality, and trust and the effects of these factors on word of mouth (WOM) intentions in the context of luxury restaurants. It also investigates the moderating roles of attention to social comparison information (ATSCI) and the education level.

An online survey sent to customers who are patronizing luxury restaurants in the US 317 empirical data analysis was conducted using structural equation modeling.

Third-party certification facilitated patrons’ positive evaluation of food and service quality. In addition, this positive evaluation fostered trust in the restaurant. Finally, ATSCI and the education level had significant moderating effects on the relationship between third-party certification and patrons’ trust in the restaurant.

This study proposes risk-reducing effect of third-party certification on the luxury-restaurant business. Third-party certification is employed as a mechanism for communicating restaurant quality in food and service to patrons. Both stakeholders and patrons in the restaurant industry can obtain benefits from the third-party certification because it minimizes uncertainties and information asymmetries in luxury restaurants’ quality and service, and thus generating likelihood of WOM intentions.

The goal of this paper is to investigate the relationships between consumers’ value perceptions, satisfaction and involvement, and, ultimately, their effects on behavioral intentions in the contexts of alternative golf (AG) and traditional golf (TG).

Data were collected from potential golfers who had visited AG facilities in the past 12 months. Data were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling.

The findings of this study indicated that perceived value is a key element of developing satisfaction and promoting involvement, which resulted in visitors’ behavioral intentions toward AG and TG. In addition, satisfaction and involvement were found to sequentially mediate these relationships, and gender had a moderating effect on the relationship between AG and TG behavioral intentions.

This study theoretically contributes to the literature by proposing an extensive research model that attempted to capture the connection between AG and TG intentions and the sequential mediating effects of satisfaction and involvement. The strong connection between AG and TG found in this study suggest practical implications for managers, marketers and sales personnel for both AG and TG.

AG is defined as a non-traditional way to play golf that focuses more on entertainment and leisure activities. AG facilities are highly experiential spaces that include both golf and hospitality elements. The popularity of AG has increased in recent years with mostly anecdotal evidence of its influence on TG. This study empirically tested the role of AG in increasing the TG population.

This paper aims to empirically examine how five different brand equity dimensions of a festival brand (i.e. awareness, image, quality, value and loyalty) are inter-related. Specifically, this study aims to examine the impact of brand awareness on perceived brand image, perceived brand quality and perceived value; the impact of perceived brand image on perceived brand quality and brand loyalty; and the impact of perceived brand quality on perceived value and brand loyalty.

The conceptual model was tested with an onsite sample of a public festival referred to as the VEISHEA (Veterinary Medicine, Engineering, Industrial Science, Home Economics and Agriculture) festival, which is located in a Midwestern college-town. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were used to reach the goals of the study.

The findings revealed that improving attendees’ awareness is a keystone in promoting brand quality perceptions, increasing perceived value and creating favorable brand image. Perceptions of quality on brand loyalty were stronger than any other effect, pointing out the need for superior quality. These findings confirmed that a public festival which does not require visitor admission fees can increase visitors by utilizing branding strategies, as has been done with other types of festivals.

This research was conducted at a public festival. Further study should be conducted at other festivals/events. Analysis of antecedents such as advertising and promotions in the brand equity creation process will provide further important information.

This study provides guidance for practitioners to manage festival brands properly and develop strategies (e.g. communications and promotions) which reinforce the intangible asset of brand equity.

This is the first study that applies the brand equity concept to the setting of public festivals. This application to a new context contributes to the body of knowledge of brand equity theory.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of members’ active participation in customer–brand relationships, considering brand trust and brand commitment in an online community context. It also investigates the moderating effect of monetary sales promotions in building and maintaining customer–brand relationships.

This study is based on an online survey sent to Facebook users who have been engaging with restaurants’ brand pages on Facebook. The empirical data analysis was conducted using structural equation modeling.

Results revealed that members who actively participated in activities on restaurant, Facebook fan pages were likely to feel that the brands were trustworthy and developed commitment toward the brands. The moderating effect of monetary sales promotions between active participation and brand trust was supported. In particular, active participation was more likely to generate brand trust for members who had less interest in monetary sales promotions on restaurant Facebook fan pages.

This study provides practical implications for restaurant marketers on the applications of Facebook as a branding tool. Marketers are advised to identify active members who can contribute to the maintenance of the community by encouraging active communication and engaging in marketing activities. As active participants are critical to the success of a restaurant Facebook page, marketers are encouraged to develop marketing strategies that can generate members’ interest and increase participation in a marketing campaign.

Although Facebook has been widely used to improve customer–brand relationships in the food service industry, research on the effect of an online community scares. The study proposes a conceptual model to examine the role of active participation in customer–brand relationships and the role of monetary promotions in enhancing customer–brand relationships. Management and marketing strategies for practitioners in the food service industry are suggested.