How can integrated marketing communications and advanced technology influence the creation of customer-based brand equity? Evidence from the hospitality industry

As the most recent approach of communication management, the integrated marketing communication (IMC) programmes, enhanced by the advancements in information and communication technology (ICT), are considered an important contribution to the brand equity building. However, hardly any research has been done on the role of this new communication practice in the hospitality industry. Moreover, previous studies have mainly focused on managers' opinions, overlooking customers' perceptions of both marketing communications and advanced technology. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to examine, from the customer perspective, the impact of integrated marketing communications on hotel brand equity, considered as a multidimensional construct composed of brand image, perceived quality, and brand loyalty. In addition, the moderating role of advanced technology on these relationships is tested. While the findings show positive relationships between the studied constructs, the moderating role of technology is not corroborated. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.