Abstract
Incorporating demographic variables in brand management provides many practical benefits for service providers. Although the impact of customers’ perceived values on their attitude and behavior has been extensively examined in the past, studies connecting customers’ demographic characteristics and their tourism behavior remain scarce. Thus, this study aims to empirically investigate the role of demographic variables (e.g. gender, age, income, and marital status) in the relationship between perceived value and brand-related behavior. Specifically, the research conducts several multigroup analyses to examine how demographic factors link Malaysian customers’ behavior toward integrated resort brands. Demographic factors are found to associate with customers’ perceived spiritual, status, efficiency, and aesthetic values. Findings reveal that customers’ individual characteristics and perceived values produce different results in their future behavioral intention toward integrated resort brands. In addition, the impact of spiritual and aesthetic values on brand loyalty is stronger among male customers than among female customers. Moreover, personal satisfaction is highly influential among low-income and married customers. On the basis of these findings, this study provides implications not only for integrated resort service providers but also for destination marketers to develop micromarketing strategies.
Keywords
Introduction
Integrated resorts in Asia continue to expand. In 2007, various types of integrated resorts (e.g. Wynn, Galaxy StarWorld, MGM Grand, Crow) with gaming and non-gaming facilities rapidly increased after the first integrated resort—The Venetian—was opened on the Cotai Strip in Macao (McCartney, 2008). Other Asian countries have developed integrated resorts to attract gaming and non-gaming international customers. A PwC report states that in 2011, Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore earned over US$10 billion in gross gaming revenue, which is equivalent to two-thirds of the gross gaming revenues of the whole Las Vegas strip (PwC, 2016). First World Hotel and Plaza and Genting Highland in Malaysia have also attracted various customers by providing hotel rooms, live shows, theme parks, shopping outlets, and casinos (Ahmad and Scott, 2019; Skift, 2013).
Most integrated resorts engage with various customer profiles by offering gambling and non-gambling services, which vary from gaming-focused (MGM in Las Vegas), meeting-focused (Venetian in Macao), family-oriented (e.g. Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore), and luxury-focused (Four Seasons in Macao and Marina Bay Sands in Singapore) facilities. Types of integrated resorts are closely related to their different customer segmentation. For instance, integrated resorts targeting millennial customers may be equipped with various leisure activities (e.g. shopping, high-end restaurants, and theme parks) other than casino games. By contrast, integrated resort brands that target senior customers may highlight customized luxury services. Integrated resorts engage with a wide range of customers. Thus, micromarketing is required to satisfy the needs and wants of each customer segment.
The integrated setting offers various resources, such as gambling and non-gambling facilities. Many integrated resort brands recently focus on creating unique and memorable non-gambling experiences because of their increasing impact on the overall revenue (Ahn and Back, 2018). By contrast, integrated resorts in Macao heavily rely on casinos and gaming activities (Gu, 2004). Therefore, understanding the values of customers is crucial for the development of the entire marketing and brand management process. Such an understanding can be achieved by investigating the relationship between various facilities and customers’ perceived values. Customer perceived value has been widely studied in the field of brand management (Ashton and Scott, 2011; Dall’Olmo Riley et al., 2015; McDougall and Levesque, 2000; Patterson and Spreng, 1997; Sweeney and Soutar, 2001; Vera, 2015; Yoo and Park, 2016). Previous studies found that customers with high perceived brand value tend to exhibit satisfaction, willingness to pay, and loyalty toward products or services (Li et al., 2012; Yang and Peterson, 2004). Researchers have also examined the antecedents and consequences of customers’ perceived values in the tourism and hospitality industry. Chen and Chen (2010) determined the impact of personal value on satisfaction and behavioral intention toward the heritage tourism setting. Gallarza and Saura (2006) reported the link among quality, value, satisfaction, and loyalty among travelers. With the increasing importance of micromarketing, which focuses on satisfying customers’ needs and wants, their demographic characteristics have been identified as important factors that influence the relationship between perceived value and customer behavior in the service setting (Chen and Hu, 2010; Petrick and Backman, 2002; Tarn, 1999). Petrick and Backman (2002) revealed that young golfers expect more perceived value than old golfers. However, they did not find significant differences in terms of gender, education, income, and ethnicity.
Sanchez et al. (2006) developed and validated multidimensional perceived value (e.g. functional values of a travel agency, contact personnel, tourism package, and price; and emotional and social values) in the tourism setting. Chen and Chen (2010) also suggested the link among experience quality, perceived value, satisfaction, and behavioral intention. Moreover, researchers in the integrated resort literature have started to examine customers’ behavior toward brands (Ahn and Back, 2018; Gao and Lai, 2015; Philander and Zhong, 2016). However, limited effort has been exerted to identify the impact of demographic variables on the relationship between perceived value and integrated resort customer loyalty. Furthermore, despite the importance of Malaysian customers’ consumption behavior toward integrated resort destinations, little is known about their integrated resort brand-related behavior.
The present study aims to investigate the role of demographic factors in the relationship between perceived value and brand-related behavior. This research contributes to market literature in threefolds. First, demographic differences among Malaysian customers are empirically verified. Second, several multigroup analyses, which the author expects to provide insights into underlying customers’ demographic variables, are conducted. Finally, the findings can provide guidelines for service providers and marketers. This study contributes to marketing literature by examining demographic variations in developing and implementing micromarketing strategies.
Literature review
Value dimensions of integrated resort brand
The concept of perceived value is widely investigated in the fields of marketing and customer behavior (Chen and Dubinsky, 2003; Hu et al., 2009; Sánchez-Fernández and Iniesta-Bonillo, 2007). Customer perceived value has obtained significant interest in the applied marketing literature as an important indicator of customers’ decision-making processes (Petrick, 2002a; 2002b). Ahn and Back (2018) defined integrated resorts as facilities that provide gaming (e.g. slot machines, table games, and video games) and non-gaming travel services (e.g. hotels, restaurants, convention centers, theme parks, retail shops, and wellness centers). Malaysian customers have visited local (e.g. Genting Highland in Malaysia) or international (e.g. Marina Bay Sands in Singapore) integrated resort brands. Those near Malaysia are becoming increasingly popular among Malaysian customers. For instance, the number of members under the Genting Rewards Loyalty Program (Genting Highland) is over 4 million in Malaysian operations compared with the 650,000 members in England operations (Genting Malaysia Berhad, 2017). Integrated resort customers’ behavior and perceived value can be multidimensional and subjective.
Examining brand perceived value in the integrated resort setting from a holistic perspective is more useful than considering different facilities. Applying the brand perspective demonstrates how a holistic approach provides extensive insight and information for destination marketers (Vargo and Lusch, 2004, 2008). Perceived value relates to customers’ overall evaluation of the utility of a product or a service based on comparisons of what is received and what is given (Zeithaml, 1988). Zeithaml (1988) argued that customers’ perceived values are composed of four characteristics, such as low prices, customers’ specific needs, balance between perceived quality and cost, and the surplus from what customers receive. Thus, perceived values vary depending on customers’ perceptions of quality, convenience, utility, cost, time, and effort (Wang, 2014). In addition, the concept of customer perceived value is important to successful businesses because of its role in customers’ decision-making processes (Holbrook, 1994; Petrick, 2002a; 2002b). In the hospitality and tourism industry, customers with high perceived value are likely satisfied and thus decide to repurchase services (Chen and Chen, 2010; Gallarza and Saura, 2006). Creating and maintaining perceived value influence customers’ choices among various tourism and hospitality brands. Holbrook (2006) and Papista and Krystallis (2013) revealed that the dimensions of perceived value involve economic, social, hedonic, and altruistic values. This multidimensional perceived value has been investigated in destination (Moon et al., 2013) and brand relationship (Papista and Krystallis, 2013) marketing.
The present study applies Holbrook’s (1994) value categorization, which includes intrinsic and extrinsic values. Intrinsic value, such as spiritual and aesthetic values, refers to the emotional side of experiences. Extrinsic value, such as status and efficiency values, is related to the utilitarian and task completion of experiences. First, spiritual value is associated with customers’ ethical consumption experience (Holbrook, 2006). In the integrated resort setting, an increasing number of brands have emphasized companies’ roles in corporate social responsibility activities, such as engagement with communities, use of eco-friendly products, and concern over customers and employees’ well-being. Integrated resort brands also offer customers an altruistic benefit (e.g. MGM International’s Spotlight on Hunger program). Second, status value refers to customers’ perceived utilities received from an alternative’s association with social groups (Sweeney and Soutar, 2001). Tourism and hospitality experiences provide interaction opportunities wherein brands can meet customers’ underlying needs for social approval and self-esteem (Keller, 1993). Service providers, especially in the context of integrated resorts, design luxury hotel rooms and high-end luxury restaurants that can influence customers’ social distinction, self-enhancement, and high emotional values (Vigneron and Johnson, 2004). Thus, experiences with integrated resort brands can result in the enjoyment of customers’ status value. Third, efficiency value appears when integrated resort experiences allow customers to achieve their goals or objectives (Holbrook, 2006). Efficiency and economic values are associated with functional value, which refers to perceived brand utility, function, and performance (Sheth et al., 1991). Kumar and Lim (2008) examined the positive impact of customers’ perceived value on brand loyalty. Economic value, such as discount price and sales promotion, is a significant factor of customers’ overall perceived value of integrated resort brands. Finally, aesthetic value refers to customers’ pleasure experiences in the integrated resort setting. Playfulness and aesthetics are critical factors of customers’ perceived hedonic values that lead to satisfaction (Sweeney and Soutar, 2001; Szymanski and Henard, 2001). Similarly, Ahn and Back (2018) suggested that integrated resort brands provide affective experiences that create customers’ positive emotions. Thus, findings from previous studies clearly indicate the multidimensional nature of customer perceived value, which comprises spiritual, status, efficiency, and aesthetic values in the integrated resort setting.
Consequences of customers’ perceived value
A recent trend in tourism and hospitality research can be found in studies that examine the determinants of integrated resort customers’ behavior (Ahn and Back, 2018; Gao and Lai, 2015). Examining integrated resort brands is important for the success of destinations because the results influence the overall performance of the hospitality and tourism industry. By stimulating memorable and unique experiences, integrated resort brands influence customer perceived value, which plays a significant role in influencing brand choice behavior. Various products and services (e.g. luxury hotels, authentic interiors, and various gaming and meeting facilities) in the integrated resort sector are used by marketers to promote their brands. Despite the role of multidimensional perceived value and its antecedents and consequences in shaping perceived value and stimulating future behavior, its contributions remain unclear.
Customers’ perceived values are related to their post-purchase behavior. McDougall and Levesque (2000) revealed that customers with high perceived value tend to be satisfied with services. Perceived value is correlated with satisfaction. For instance, customers with high perceived value (e.g. economic, social, hedonic, and altruistic) tend to perceive high satisfaction, trust, and commitment toward a brand (Papista et al., 2018). In the service setting, Van Tonder and Petzer (2018) suggested the impact of customers’ values on affective commitment and trust, leading to their engagements with service providers. Thus, understanding the level of customers’ perceived value on integrated resort brands provides insights into the mechanism of customers’ attitudes and behaviors toward the brands.
Consumption value theory by Holbrook (1994; 1999) states that customer benefits can be categorized into intrinsic versus extrinsic, self-oriented versus other-oriented, and active versus reactive values. Intrinsic value can be increased when customers enjoy integrated resort experiences for their own sake, whereas extrinsic value is related to customers’ visits to integrated resorts to show off their experiences to their friends. Self-oriented value is derived when customers stay at integrated resorts for their own benefit, whereas other-oriented value is associated with the purchase of integrated resort products and services for other people. Active value is related to activities such as golf, which are offered without manipulation, whereas reactive value can be created when customers engage in activities such as playing table games with employees. On the basis of these classifications, Holbrook focused on spiritual, status, efficiency, and aesthetic values. Spiritual value is associated with customers’ feelings of faith, ecstasy, and sacredness derived from purchasing particular brands (Holbrook, 1994). Status value refers to customers’ interest in fulfilling the benefits of success and impression by purchasing and possessing certain brands. Service conveniences, such as location, membership programs, or promotional activities, can influence customers’ efficiency value by increasing consequences relative to input. Aesthetic value is considered customers’ appreciation of beauty, which can motivate intrinsic factors, such as interior, exterior, design, and texture. In line with previous studies that support the impact of customer perceived value on customer satisfaction (Carpenter and Fairhurst, 2005; Cottet et al., 2006) and loyalty/behavioral intention (Pura, 2005; Tsai, 2005), these benefits are applied on the basis of their generalizability to various integrated resort settings. Thus, the following hypotheses are formulated.
Customers’ perceived value has been widely examined as an antecedent of their behavior (Sweeney and Soutar, 2001; Yang and Peterson, 2004). Brand loyalty is derived from customers’ preferences of products or services from previous experiences (Aaker, 1991; Deighton et al., 1994). Perceived value is an important factor for tourism and hospitality brands because it can lead to brand loyalty, which can increase company profits (Gallarza and Saura, 2006; Ryu et al., 2008). Tourism and hospitality brand marketing efforts and promotional activities can increase perceived value (Dahlén et al., 2009). When customers’ perceived value is high, they tend to spread a positive word of mouth to other customers and repurchase the same brands (Dahlén et al., 2009). By contrast, customers with low perceived value likely switch to competitors and decrease brand loyalty (Soltani and Gharbi, 1970). The evaluation of perceived brand value is influenced by the biases of customers toward a particular brand.
Customer satisfaction has been proven to influence brand-related outcomes. In the tourism and hospitality industry, brand satisfaction level exhibits a positive effect on customers’ loyal behaviors, such as revisiting or repurchasing a brand (Akhoondnejad, 2016; Melo et al., 2017). Similarly, Wu and Chang (2007) suggested an association among shopping experience, personal satisfaction, and repurchase intention, thus proving that customers’ satisfaction level is associated with their brand loyalty (Bloemer and Kasper, 1995). Given the importance of predicting customers’ future behavior, the essence of creating high satisfaction level is to consider how integrated resort brands achieve sustainable growth among competitors by enhancing customers’ purchase intentions. Hence, the following research hypothesis is proposed.
Role of demographic characteristics
Academic studies have examined customers’ characteristics as antecedents of their behavior (Choi et al., 2008; McKechnie and Zhou, 2003; Shiu and Dawson, 2002). Demographic variables have become important indicators in predicting customers’ decision-making processes toward brands (Allenby and Rossi, 1991; Gupta and Chintagunta, 1994). Understanding the role of demographic variables provides practical guidelines for service providers. Demographic differences exist in customers’ perceived intrinsic and extrinsic factors that likely influence their brand-related behavior. Chintagunta et al. (1991) found that different household types influence customers’ brand-related variables, such as brand preference. Demographic factors influence customers’ perceived value of products or services. Steenkamp and Geyskens (2006) revealed that customers in individualistic countries emphasize pleasure and privacy/security protection more than customers in collectivistic countries. Furthermore, a relationship exists between demographic characteristics (e.g. gender, age, income, and marital status) and customer perceived value. Demographic factors may be associated with the relative strength of perceived value dimensions.
Customer behavior varies across demographic characteristics (Han and Ryu, 2006; Mittal and Kamakura, 2001). Among various personal characteristics, gender plays an important role in post-purchase behavior (Evanschitzky and Wunderlich, 2006; Kwun, 2011). Jin et al. (2013) suggested the moderating role of gender in the relationship among experiential value, relationship quality, attitudinal loyalty, and behavioral loyalty in the restaurant setting. Female customers tend to value service excellence and return on investment (ROI) more than male customers, whereas male customers care about the aesthetic value of restaurants. In addition, the impact of attitudinal loyalty on behavioral loyalty is higher among female restaurant customers than among male customers. These findings are supported by selectivity theory, which claims that female customers tend to make an effort to find and analyze information compared with male customers (Meyers-Levy and Maheswaran, 1991). Female customers also appreciate visual values more than male customers (Holbrook, 1986). Previous studies suggested that gender may influence customers’ evaluation of experience value and its impact on brand-related behavior. Thus, the following hypothesis is formulated.
Researchers have also revealed differences in customer behavior across ages. Yoon et al. (2009) argued that age is a critical element in customers’ decision-making processes. In service literature, Namkung and Jang (2009) found the moderating role of age in the relationship among service experience, satisfaction, and behavioral intention in the restaurant setting. Customers’ age may influence their motivation to participate in travel services (Anderson and Langmeyer, 1982). In the same vein, Kim et al. (2013) found that the impact of healthy food options on trust and emotional loyalty is higher among senior customers than non-senior customers. In the integrated resort setting, senior customers concern about efficiency and spiritual value. Thus, the following hypothesis is formulated.
Household income is another indicator to understand customer behavior. For instance, customers with high income likely purchase authentic luxury products, whereas low-income customers tend to focus on status value (Han et al., 2010). Previous research also suggested that high-income customers are more influenced by the usefulness of services during a decision-making process than low-income customers (Hernandez and Mazzon, 2007). Moreover, Wu et al. (2014) found that the impact of the perceived value of services on reuse intention is strong among high-income customers. Income influences customer behavior in terms of satisfaction and purchase decision (Homburg and Giering, 2001). Marital status is also an influential factor of customer behavior. Bodkin et al. (2016) revealed the moderating role of marital status in internal customers’ behavior. Thus, customers evaluate their experience on the basis of income level and marital status. For instance, high-income and married customers likely become more sensitive than low-income and single customers in the integrated resort setting. Thus, the following hypotheses are formulated.
Figure 1 illustrates the conceptual model of perceived value, relationship quality, and loyalty in the present study that examines the differences across countries.
Proposed conceptual model.
Research methodology
Data collection
Data were collected from Malaysian customers who voluntarily agreed to participate in the survey. Such data were obtained through an online survey in Malaysia. Amazon Mechanical Turk is a useful online platform with diverse customers and high-quality data (Buhrmester et al., 2011). Participants were initially asked a qualifying question: ‘Have you ever stayed in an integrated resort within the past year?’ Respondents who passed the screening question were subsequently requested to complete the questionnaire. Subsequently, they were asked to answer several questions to ascertain whether they have previous experiences with integrated resorts (e.g. frequency of integrated resort visits and name of the integrated resort brand they recently visited). The names of the integrated resort brands (e.g. Marina Bay Sands, Resorts World Sentosa, Genting Highland Resort, MGM Macau) that they most recently visited were embedded in the entire brand-related questionnaire. After removing all cases with missing data, a total valid sample of 316 respondents were obtained. The sample comprised 178 males and 138 females. Most of the respondents were between 25 and 34 years old (50%), and 67% were married. Table 1 presents the sample characteristics.
Demographic characteristic of integrated resort customers.
Measurements
A multigroup analysis was conducted to test for differences in the partial least square (PLS) estimates produced between males versus females, young (18–34 years old) versus old (35–50 years old), low income (less than RM 54,999) versus high income (over RM 55,000), and married versus single (Sarstedt et al., 2011). Significant group differences support the role of demographic variables in the relationship among perceived value, personal satisfaction, and brand loyalty. First, the differences between males and females are shown in Table 5. The t-test results suggest significant differences in the impact of spiritual and aesthetic values on brand loyalty. For the male participants, spiritual and aesthetic values significantly influenced customers’ loyalty behavior, whereas for the female subsample, these relationships were not significant. Second, the path coefficient from status value to brand loyalty was only significant among the young subsample (Table 6). Finally, the impact of personal satisfaction on brand loyalty was found to be significant among the low-income and married customer subsamples (Tables 7 and 8). Therefore, hypothesis 6 was partially supported.
Data analysis
The author used PLS-structural equation modeling (SEM) with SmartPLS 2.0 software (Ringle et al., 2005). PLS-SEM technique has been widely used to examine the complex model because it does not include assumptions of multivariate normality (Fornell and Bookstein, 1982; Henseler et al., 2009). All items have a factor loading on indicators of latent variables of above 0.70 which indicates the composite reliability of the latent variable (Hair et al., 2011). Also, all items loaded significantly (p < 0.05) on each latent variable. To examine the internal consistency reliability, the author measured composite reliability and they all exceeded 0.80 (Hair et al., 2011). Convergent validity was ensured because the average variance extracted (AVE) for all of the latent variables were above 0.50. Additionally, discriminant validity was ensured by comparing the AVE of each latent variable and squared correlation of latent variables (Fornell and Larker, 1981). Tables 2 and 3 provide the information of variable descriptive, reliability, correlations, and AVE for the latent variables.
Validity and reliability for constructs.
Discriminant validity.
Discussion of results
In each data set, the author analyzed the data using 5000 bootstrapped samples (Sarstedt et al., 2011). The standardized structural coefficients and R 2 values of endogenous variables were examined. Based on the Chin’s (1998) recommendation, R 2 values for brand satisfaction (R 2 = 0.72) and brand loyalty (R 2 = 0.70) indicate the predictive strength of the model. The author also checked for multicollinearity using the variation inflation factors (VIFs) with SPSS. All VIFs were below the threshold of 5 and it indicates no collinearity concerns (Hair et al., 2011).
Hypotheses 1a and 4a, which convey expectations of the effects of intrinsic value, including spiritual and aesthetic values, on personal satisfaction, were supported. Hypothesis 3a, which predicts the influence of efficiency value on customers’ satisfaction with the integrated resort brand, was supported. However, hypothesis 2a, which predicts the effects of status value on personal satisfaction, was not supported. In terms of the antecedents of brand loyalty, status and aesthetic values predicted customers’ loyalty behavior toward the integrated resort brand. Thus, hypotheses 2b and 4b were supported. By contrast, spiritual and efficiency values failed to influence brand loyalty. Finally, the expectation of the effects of customers’ satisfaction on brand loyalty, expressed in hypothesis 5, was supported. Table 4 provides the results of the hypotheses testing.
Structural estimates (hypotheses testing).
A multigroup analysis was conducted to test for differences in the PLS estimates produced between males versus females, young (18–34 years old) versus old (35–50 years old), low income (less than RM 54,999) versus high income (over RM 55,000), and married versus single (Sarstedt et al., 2011). Significant group differences support the role of demographic variables in the relationship among perceived value, personal satisfaction, and brand loyalty. First, the differences between males and females are shown in Table 5. The t-test results suggest significant differences in the impact of spiritual and aesthetic values on brand loyalty. For the male participants, spiritual and aesthetic values significantly influenced customers’ loyalty behavior, whereas for the female subsample, these relationships were not significant. Second, the path coefficient from status value to brand loyalty was only significant among the young subsample (Table 6). Finally, the impact of personal satisfaction on brand loyalty was found to be significant among the low-income and married customer subsamples (Tables 7 and 8). Therefore, hypotheses 6–9 were partially supported.
Multigroup analysis (gender).
Multigroup analysis (age).
Multigroup analysis (income).
Multigroup analysis (marital status).
Conclusions
This study has provided an insightful source of conducting marketing activities on the basis of understanding which marketing mix (e.g. advertising, design, promotion) attracts different profiles of integrated resort customers. The relative impact of spiritual, status, efficiency, and aesthetic values on customer satisfaction and loyalty is found. In this study, aesthetic value is one of the important factors that lead to customers’ attitudinal loyalty. In addition, profile is one of the main variables that develop effective brand marketing strategies. This study has examined the role of customers’ demographic characteristics in the integrated resort setting. These variables are gender, age, income, and marital status, all of which are included in the proposed model. Gender: Gender partially moderates the impact of aesthetic value on customers’ brand-related behavior. Male customers likely value aesthetic value when they evaluate their travel experiences and develop brand loyalty. Age: Consistent with previous studies, young customers tend to emphasize social status value when they form loyal attitude toward brands. The moderating role of age in the relationship between status value and brand loyalty is partially supported. Income and marital status: Low-income customers develop brand loyalty more easily than high-income customers. Similarly, married customers tend to have higher brand loyalty than single customers. Thus, income level and marital status partially moderate the relationship between personal satisfaction and brand loyalty in the service setting.
Moreover, service providers and marketing researchers must focus on how the service environment is designed to meet different customer profiles in the integrated resort setting.
Theoretical implications
Integrated resort industry is one of the emerging sectors in the field of tourism and hospitality. However, only few studies have attempted to identify the role of customer perceived value in the emerging market. Therefore, understanding diverse consumer behaviors toward integrated resort brands in the Malaysian market is important. Owing to the importance of understanding perceived value in tourism and hospitality management, the study has extended previous knowledge to a contextualized cross-national comparison of customers’ loyal behaviors. Moreover, perceived value, personal satisfaction, and brand loyalty are incorporated to examine the integrated resort industry. The results provide implications for theory and practice by integrating demographic and brand-related variables in the integrated resort setting. In addition, the relative impact of perceived value on customer attitude and behavior is suggested. Implications are also offered for the tourism and hospitality literature, especially with regard to the role of demographic factors in creating customer brand loyalty.
Moreover, findings indicate the important differences in the magnitude of the effects of perceived value on customers’ personal satisfaction. On the basis of the work of Zajonc (1984) and the link between cognition and emotion, the present study emphasizes the significant relationship between integrated resort customers’ emotions and their experience evaluations. This topic has not been addressed in previous tourism and hospitality studies. Consistent with Ahn and Back (2018), customers’ perceived aesthetic value in the current study suggests a strong and positive effect on their satisfaction. This result explains that sensory and emotional experiences are important among integrated resort Malaysian customers. Spiritual and efficiency values only affect customer satisfaction, not brand loyalty. In this study, customers’ altruistic and economic values are inadequate to influence their loyal behavioral intentions toward integrated resort brands. Although the four dimensions of perceived value are important indicators of customer behavior, each dimension shows varying degrees of impact on satisfaction and brand loyalty.
Most importantly, the impact of perceived value dimensions has produced significant differences in customers’ loyalty with service brands, thereby indicating the importance of understanding demographic factors in the brand context. Male customers likely emphasize the virtual, spiritual, moral, and emotional values of integrated resort brands. The result of gender differences may be attributable to the importance of micromarketing for destination marketers. The perceived status value of young customers also likely results in higher brand loyalty than that of old customers. Given the recent surge in the number of millennial customers, this finding indicates that young customers regard destination experiences as a way to express themselves to others. Finally, the proposed model reveals that the impact of satisfaction on brand loyalty is higher among low-income and married customers than among high-income and single customers. A key benefit of this framework is that researchers and practitioners can examine the differences in customers’ responses to destination experiences according to their underlying demographic composition. Service providers must customize their marketing and promotion programs to maximize competitive advantages on the basis of the underlying demographic composition of different resorts, facilities, and locations.
This study has applied the concept of perceived value (Holbrook, 1994) into the integrated resort setting. Integrated resort customers’ perceived brand value is likely associated with brands that enhance their satisfaction and loyalty. Integrated resort brands associated with spiritual, status, efficiency, and aesthetic values also affect customers’ attitudes and behaviors. In addition, the relative impact of demographic factors on this relationship is highlighted. Customers’ characteristics play an important role in the evaluation of their perceived value. The valence and type of perceived value differ depending on customers’ demographic factors, such as gender, age, income, and marital status. That is, if integrated resort brands provide customized experiences to target different customer groups, then they can build loyalty toward such brands by positively evaluating brand values. Moreover, the importance of micromarketing in stimulating customers’ positive attitude and behavior is emphasized.
Practical implications
In the last few decades, integrated resorts have been gaining interest from public and private sectors by attracting various domestic and international customers. The nature of integrated resorts (e.g. casino, hotel, theme park, shopping center, meeting space, restaurant, and entertainment show) creates various customer motivations. Thus, the findings of this study provide an understanding of the association between customers’ behavior and their demographic profile. For instance, male customers visit integrated resorts because doing so pleases them and yields good experiences, whereas female customers emphasize status and economic values. Marketing strategies must also be developed to boost economic values for female customers and pleasure experiences for male customers. To attract millennial customers, integrated resort brands should focus on delivering status values. Advertising luxury images via social media can create strong satisfaction and loyalty among the younger generation. Integrated resort brands that exhibit status values can expand their profiles and influence millennial customers’ dialogues. Customized marketing and promotional programs provide opportunities for meaningful engagements, which suggest loyal behaviors. The strategic implication of this study is that service providers and marketers must focus on delivering different perceived values on the basis of customers’ demographic characteristics.
The results also provide practical implications for destination marketers by linking the demographic factors of customers’ brand-related behavior to how customers’ perceived value influences their loyalty. Moreover, the relative importance of spiritual, status, efficiency, and aesthetic values in different demographic contexts is generally supported. This study is useful in predicting diverse customer groups in various tourism settings. The relationship between perceived value and brand loyalty has been widely investigated, but the underlying mechanism needs further understanding. With the unexpected results concerning the non-varying impact of multidimensional perceived value, perhaps among Malaysian customers, enhancing aesthetic value may create a strong and positive link to customers.
Limitations and future studies
The study examined the link among perceived value, personal satisfaction, and brand loyalty in the context of emerging tourism and hospitality. Although theoretical and practical implications were provided, the study still has limitations. First, the author used an online survey method to ask respondents about their most recent integrated resort experience. To overcome the possible limitations of this survey method, researchers can employ a combined method involving experimental design and on-site survey. This way, the causal relationship among the proposed variables can be examined. Second, the research did not find a positive significant impact of spiritual and efficiency values on customer satisfaction, indicating that the impact of the four dimensions of perceived value may vary across cultures. Thus, future research should be performed across different countries to expand the findings. Third, the data were collected only once and were analyzed using the PLS-SEM. Repeated longitudinal research must be conducted to support the results of the present study. A longitudinal study with a large sampling number can extend the current work by looking at the changes in the impact of perceived value across demographic characteristics. Last, the author focused on Malaysian customers’ behavior in the integrated resort setting. However, customers’ perceived value may vary across religions, which is closely related to customers’ consumption behavior. Thus, other researchers can examine the possible moderating roles of customers’ religion in the relationship between multidimensional brand-related variables and outcomes.
Supplemental Material
Supplemental Material, JVM)2nd_Reponses - Effectiveness of demographic characteristics in understanding Malaysian customers’ perceived value of the integrated resort sector
Supplemental Material, JVM)2nd_Reponses for Effectiveness of demographic characteristics in understanding Malaysian customers’ perceived value of the integrated resort sector by Jiseon Ahn in Journal of Vacation Marketing
Footnotes
Declaration of conflicting interests
The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Funding
The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
References
Supplementary Material
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