Measuring Brand Equity Of Health Care Industry: A Customer Based Perspective

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of the paper is to identify and examine the importance of brand equity for healthcare industry. The components like brand awareness, brand loyalty, perceived quality, and brand image are taken for analysing the relationships among them for enhancing the brand equity of healthcare industry. Design/methodology/Approach: A sample size of 245 is taken to test the proposed conceptual model of customer based brand equity of healthcare industry using regression analysis. Ridit Analysis is used for ranking the parameters. The research is done in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar city of Gujarat. Research limitations/Implications: This study can also be utilized for further research in the area of brand equity by taking additional component relevant to service brand equity. It can also be utilized other sector having service as a component of delivery agenda. Practical Implications: The customer based brand equity concept could provide a better understanding to healthcare industry to prepare them for enhancing their brand equity through improving brand awareness, brand loyalty, perceived service quality, as well as brand image. They also think of alternative parameters for improving brand equity focusing on customers’ expectation. Originality/Value: As service concept is very important in healthcare delivery system, there is a critical need for understanding the target markets. As this empirical study is focused on customer based brand equity consideration of healthcare delivery services, the results will enable the hospital/nursing home owner to better design their healthcare delivery strategies that cater the need of customers. It also provide direction to practitioners, and policymaker, for creating and maintaining brand equity by giving importance to brand awareness, perceived quality, brand loyalty