Branding and Brand equity benefits have long been established for goods. For services, which are said to be unique and different to goods in view of its unique characteristics needs a different approach. The marketers have been trying to influence the consumers through the various marketing mix elements and in services the elements get extended.The extended marketing mix elements of services include servicescape/physical evidence which has a definitive influence on brand equity. Services are high in experience quality, is personal in nature and the consumers experience with the service firm is a key determinant to quality perception and brand equity. Servicescape encompasses the overall experience for the consumer and even the people element, another mix element which includes the employees and the customers, interact within the servicescape. A positive experience generates a positive word of mouth communication and significantly affects the firms brand equity. The marketer controlled element of advertising also communicates and promises an experience for the consumer.
Thus the marketers’ effort should be to control the experience by influencing the brand image and perceived quality dimensions which could be effectively done through the service scape and thereby the marketer can influence the brand equity to their benefit. This is a review paper which throws light on the above mentioned relationships through references to relevant literature.
Brand Equity, servicescape, physical evidence, Word of Mouth, Brand Image, Perceived quality
