Date: May 30, 2011 Program: MIMA- International Marketing Course Name: Master Thesis (EFO705) Title: The Study of Consumer’s Post-Purchase Evaluation toward Brand Equity of Five Stars Hotels in Thailand Research Problem: What are the characteristics of brand equity of five star luxury hotels in Thailand and which components of brand equity are the majority concerns from customers’ evaluation? Purpose: The study aims to investigate and analyze the interrelationship of brand equity of five stars hotels in Bangkok, Thailand and post-purchase evaluation in order to provide valuable information on how five stars luxury hotels in Thailand can successfully and appropriately exploit the hotel brand equity so as to create the branding strategy and to create a competitive advantage in the long run. Method: Qualitative approach was used to observe the data in the form of content analysis. While, the quantitative approach is employed in order to summarize the finding result. The data collection, the secondary source is the heart of this research such as hotel reviews, brand equity books and related articles. Conclusion: The empirical findings from hotel guest’s post-purchase evaluation reveal the most significant components of brand equity for five stars Thai hotel industry which are perceived quality and brand loyalty. Whereas, brand awareness and brand association are considered the least significant of all brand equity components from customer’s perception. Keywords: Brand equity, Brand loyalty, Brand awareness, Perceived quality, Brand association, Five Stars Hotel in Thailand, Thai Hotels Industry

The purpose of this study is to examine post-purchase evaluation factors influencing repurchase intention of credence products, and develop a model of consumer’s post-purchase evaluation for the repurchase intentions. The credence products in this case are dietary supplements, with a focus on consumers in Thailand. The study classifies a conceptual model and hypothesised relationships into two consumer perspectives: product; and brand. This research assumes that trust, expectations, satisfaction factors may relate to repurchase intention for the consumer product perspective. Also, brand trust, brand experience, expectation, and satisfaction factors are correlated with repurchase intention from the consumer brand perspective. The research adopts a hypothetico-deductive method to enable the testing of hypotheses and also a structural equation modelling (SEM) to measure the constructive relationship and regression analysis that evaluates the relationship between independent and dependent variables. Both simple regression and hierarchical multiple regression analysis were used to examine the effect of post-purchase evaluation factors on repurchase intention. These analyses are based on a sample of 504 dietary supplement users of vitamins, minerals, and herbs or other botanical products in four regions of Thailand through face-to-face structured interviews. Findings indicate that from consumers’ product perspective, consumer trust has no significant direct effect on consumer repurchase intentions whereas the relationship between consumer trust and consumer repurchase intentions of credence products are related, when it is mediated by consumer expectation and consumer satisfaction. In terms of consumers’ brand perspective, the study leads to a better understanding of consumer brand trust and consumer expectation, both of which have no significant direct effect on consumer repurchase intentions. Consumer brand trust, consumer brand experience and consumer repurchase intentions are not correlated when mediated by consumer expectation. Other findings reveal that brand experience has a direct impact on repurchase intentions whereas consumer satisfaction is a significant mediating factor when connected with: (1) the relationship between consumer brand trust and repurchase intention; (2) the relationship between consumer brand experience and repurchase intention. The study makes a contribution to a post-purchase evaluation for repurchase intentions of credence products from both consumers’ product and brand perspectives in Thailand. This study also suggests that consumer brand experience is the strongest factor and consumer satisfaction is the strongest mediator for consumers’ P-PE for the repurchase intention of credence products. From a managerial perspective, the findings of this study provide evidence for both the public and private sector in Thailand in terms of devising marketing strategies in accordance with this model.