A Customer-Based Brand Equity Model for Upscale Hotels

The authors propose a customer-based brand equity model for use in global branding efforts and research, based on a series of qualitative and quantitative studies. They find new dimensions of brand equity that need to be considered by lodging researchers and operators. Components of brand equity generated from literature review and focus groups are ordered in theoretical relationships and the model structure is assessed against rival structures. The model is tested with data collected from travelers in 12 major cities in China and validated across several subgroups of travelers. Results support the validity and reliability of the proposed model.