Exploring Customer-based Airline Brand Equity: Evidence from Taiwan

Although branding management is important to an airline company, the existing literature on brand equity within the airline industry is sparse. This study proposes an airline brand equity model from the customer's perspective and ope rationalize s the airline brand equity with four dimensions: brand awareness, brand image, perceived quality, and brand loyalty. In addition, the inter-relationships among four dimensions and their influences on brand equity are investigated empirically. Using an empirical survey data of Taiwanese air passengers, the results reveal that brand loyalty, among other brand equity components, is the main determinant of brand equity, and a causal relationship between perceptual and behavioral dimensions is confirmed in terms of inter-relationships among brand equity components. Managerial implications in brand management and customer relationship management to the airline industry are provided.