Satisfaction and attitudinal responses: indirect effects of involvement and reputation

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the influence of the company’s reputation and individual consumer involvement in the relationship between satisfaction, loyalty and willingness to pay more for a product. Design/methodology/approach The method used is quantitative, by means of a survey with real consumers of automotive services of two vehicle dealerships, whose data were analyzed through linear regression analysis and conditional analysis of moderation. Findings The authors have identified that the relationship between satisfaction and loyalty and between loyalty and willingness to pay more for a product is entirely moderated by the (high) reputation of the brand and the (high) individual involvement of the consumer. Practical implications The study contributes to marketing managers as it demonstrates effect of brand reputation and involvement. Therefore, it is understood that these variables need to be considered in satisfaction surveys, as it has been proven that satisfaction alone cannot explain the variables of business performance (loyalty and willingness to pay). Originality/value The greatest innovation of this study is the identification of the total moderation between stated satisfaction and loyalty and between satisfaction and willingness to pay more. It has been demonstrated that high levels of brand reputation coupled with high levels of consumer involvement account for the fully dependent variables.