The Role of Antecedents Brand Equity on Customer Loyalty in Freight Forwarding Service Companies (Courier)

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of digital content marketing (DCM), price fairness (PF) on customer loyalty (CL) mediated by brand equity (BEQ) and strengthened by the moderating variable relationship equity (RE) in service companies’ courier. It is well known that trying to make customers loyal is one of the policy concepts so that a company can continue to operate, at least customers do not switch to competitors' service products. This effort is certainly more efficient than starting again looking for new customers with more intensive promotions and innovations. Re-introducing a product to customers means that we convey the branding of the product. In addition, this study aims to see what factors can increase brand equity. One of them is by presenting effective digital content marketing, shipping prices that match customer expectations (price fairness) and paying attention to the performance of service and communication with customers (relationship equity). The research design and method used in this research is hypothesis testing. This research is non-quantitative experimental, using a questionnaire given to 206 respondents who are customers who use courier services. Data analysis used SmartPLS software version 3.2.9 with the Structural Equation Model (SEM) multivariate analysis method. The results of this study indicate that based on respondents' perceptions of DCM and PF, they have a positive effect on CL mediated by BEQ. Although PF does not have a direct effect on CL, mediated by BEQ, PF can strengthen its influence on CL, this fact reinforces the importance of brand strength in a service product. Whereas RE has not been able to moderate BEQ to strengthen CL value in courier service companies. This research is expected to be an alternative consideration for courier service companies to increase customer commitment to remain loyal in using the services offered, considering that retaining existing customers is more profitable than finding new customers and as an additional reference for future researchers. The novelty in this study is to place digital content marketing as a variable that influences customer loyalty values both directly and indirectly.