Factors Influencing Growth or Decline of Brand Performance in the Healthcare Industry: a case study in Shiraz hospitals

In the competitive healthcare market, maintaining and developing a market share is the result of brand performance. Therefore, studying factors influencing decline or growth of brand performance is an important topic in hospital marketing strategies. The statistical population of this descriptive and applied study included individuals who received inpatient services during a 9- month period (March, 2017 to December, 2017) at one hospital in Shiraz. Cluster and convenient sampling was done and 396 ones were selected. The collected data were analyzed through Smart PLS software. Hospital brand value was to a large extent influenced by brand association, perceived quality, brand trust, relationship commitment, brand loyalty, reputation and social responsibility. Hospital reputation from the patients' viewpoint with an impact of 0.875 and patients’ loyalty to hospital brand with an impact of 0.843 had the most important roles in enhancing hospital brand value. The factor of brand specific value affected hospitals brand performance with impact of 0.842. Relative Goodness of Fit (GOF) equal to 0.925 and R squares equal to 0.839 for hospital brand value and 0.725 for brand performance indicated that this model was valid for measuring hospital brand value and performance. Hospitals can improve their brand value and also other performance indicators through essential measures related to promotion of factors influencing the decline or growth of hospital brand performance such as service quality, association, trust, relationship commitment, loyalty, reputation and social responsibility.