Experiential Marketing to Increase Brand Trust and Loyalty of Non-Insurance Patients in the Outpatient Unit of the Army Hospital in Malang East Java, Indonesia

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this study is to determine how experiential marketing and brand trust affect general patient loyalty in the outpatient section of the Army Hospital in Malang. Theoretical Framework: The competitiveness of the health industry is increasing so that hospitals must make marketing efforts to create loyal patients, which is expected to affect visit rates. Patient impressions and experiences, as well as consumer trust in hospital brands, are important considerations. Design/methodology/approach: An analytic observational design with a cross-sectional study approach was used to analyze data collected at the Outpatient Unit from April to May 2022 involving outpatient unit patients as participants. By using convenience sampling, 255 people were selected. SmartPLS 3.0 is given to assess the results of research data. Findings: The results of the study revealed a positive and significant effect of experiential marketing on loyalty (dc 0.225), a positive and significant effect of brand trust on loyalty (dc 0.686), a positive and significant effect of experiential marketing on brand trust (dc 0.819), and a positive and significant effect of experiential marketing on general patient loyalty via a brand trust (ic 0.562). Research, Practical & Social implications: The implicative suggestion from this study is that that hospitals must always improve marketing, increase the competence and experience of human resources so that the trust and loyalty of non-insured patients in the Army Hospital outpatient unit will increase. Originality/value: The value of this study focuses on analyzing the factors that are considered relevant to influence the decision to visit, namely marketing management, experience, and patient trust. The novelty in this study lies in the object study are in non-insurance patients, and the research site the Army Hospital, using the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) approach with the Partial Least Square (PLS) method. The results of this study are expected to contribute to the development of marketing science, especially in the field of hospital management.