Origins of Brand Image, Customer Satisfaction, and Loyalty toward Telecommunication Service: An Emerging Market Perspective

As competition grows in the telecommunication service industry, understanding the origins of brand image and consumer behavioral intentions challenges practitioners to design an effective marketing strategy and branding plan. In this paper, brand image and behavioral relationships are investigated in Bangladesh, an emerging market that has a particular socio-cultural and economic context of one of the most densely populated countries of South Asia. This study employs confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling to analyze the database. Empirical testing and the proposed model suggest that brand image is the prime determinant of consumer satisfaction and loyalty. The results highlight the importance of perceived value, perceived trust and price structure to project brand image and satisfaction. Additionally, confirmation exhibits a stronger total effect of brand image on customer loyalty. Empirical findings extensively contribute to the theoretical and managerial understanding of subscribers’ attitudes toward telecommunication service in an emerging market context.