Branding Expectations in Sports Fitness Businesses
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70736/spjses.317Keywords:
Service quality, corporate identity, customer loyalty, sport consumer behaviorAbstract
This study was conducted to determine customer branding expectations in sports fitness centers. Sports fitness centers have rapidly become a preferred sector worldwide, especially with the growing trend of healthy living. The study involved the creation of demographic and survey questions regarding branding preferences. The survey was distributed to current members of sports fitness centers via Google Forms. A total of 134 participants from various age groups, genders, and occupational backgrounds took part. The frequency and percentage distributions of the obtained data, as well as chi-square relationships between demographic information and branding preferences, were analyzed. The participants consisted of 57.5% male and 42.5% female; 81% were university graduates or currently studying; 77.6% were interested in a sport; 38.1% attended fitness centers for health and fitness purposes, 33.6% for bodybuilding, 14.2% for weight loss (fat reduction), 14.2% for gain weight (muscle mass). The study found that 67.9% of participants preferred to join a fitness center with a recognized brand, 63.4% believed branding was associated with high-quality service, and 63.4% felt that branding would increase customer loyalty. The chi-square analysis revealed significant relationships between participants’ perceptions of service quality at branded fitness centers and their gender, as well as between customer loyalty and educational status (p<.05). Based on the study's results, it is evident that participants have branding expectations from sports fitness centers. Participants' expectations of receiving quality service through branding, increasing the corporate identity of the center, correct pricing policy, and widespread sports services through branching are increasing.
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