Perceived Guest House Brand Value: The Influence of Web Interactivity on Brand Image and Brand Awareness

The purpose of the study was to examine the influence of web interactivity and brand experience on the perceived brand value of guest houses, and ultimately, affective commitment toward guest houses. A questionnaire was used to collect data from guest house customers, yielding a total of 300 responses suitable for analysis. Structural Equation Modeling was used to test the hypotheses. The results revealed that web interactive elements of social interactivity, active control and synchronicity positively influence brand awareness, however, both social interactivity and active control influence brand image. Results also confirmed that brand awareness influences brand image. Brand experience and brand image also had an influence on perceived brand value, with the latter influencing affective commitment. Guesthouses owners are recommended to have websites that allow two-way communication. Websites should also have embedded features such as effective navigation tools which allow for active control.