Modelling the relationship between brand experience dimensions and the antecedents of happiness within the context of dining services

Abstract

Existing studies on happiness in consumer research argued that brands should contribute to consumers’ happiness through experiences, yet they have failed to discuss how individual brand experience dimensions could contribute to consumer happiness, leading to increased brand loyalty and price premium. Bridging brand experience and consumers’ orientation to happiness literature together, this thesis theoretically argues and empirically proves that brand experience could influence brand loyalty and price premium through the mediating effect of consumer happiness. Survey data collected from 1086 participants based on their restaurant dining experiences in the UK show that each brand experience dimension affects consumer behaviour outcomes differently. Relational brand experience contributes the most to happiness, brand loyalty and price premium, followed by emotional brand experience. The findings support the mediating role of happiness and its orientations between brand experience dimensions and consumer behaviour outcomes. Further, the result validates the three different orientations to happiness in a consumption context, and demonstrates that pleasure is the dominant route to happiness, compared to meaning and engagement. The thesis aids new light to existing understanding on brand experience and happiness. Marketers are recommended to focus their effort on delivering certain brand experience dimensions more effectively. For restaurant brand managers, relational and emotional brand experience dimensions are considered most important to acquire customers brand loyalty and price premium.