Global Journal of Management and Business Research, E: Marketing, Volume 23 Issue 1

communicates with them (Ofir & Simonson, 2007; Pedragosa & Correia, 2009). Expectations are also in overdrive and only satisfied if met or exceeded (Peitzika et al., 2020). Conversely, when they cannot meet, this may lead to current customer churn (Lu et al., 2012) and affect customer loyalty (CL) building to the firm (Kwon et al., 2022). In today's increasingly competitive marketplace, customers are the organization's primary focus (CİZRELİOĞULLARI et al., 2021). Developing consumer satisfaction and loyalty by providing desired products or services has become more critical to retain customers and gaining competitive advantages over competitors (Almsalam, 2014; Čáslavová & Čmakalová, 2014; Gonçalves & Diniz, 2015; Pedragosa & Correia, 2009). Traditionally, firm marketing communication (FMC) has been linked to advertising and one-way communications in mass channels that aim to persuade new prospects and share information(De Pelsmacker et al., 2007). Recently, however, communication has taken on a more comprehensive and interactive approach, including engaging with customers through digital channels such as social media, email, and web-chat (Järvinen et al., 2012). It also includes content marketing, such as blogs and videos, to educate customers and build relationships(Keller, 2009; Kwak et al., 2006). This type of FMCs aims to create a two-way dialogue with customers and form an emotional connection to inspire loyalty and advocacy (Dimyati, 2015). Additionally, this type of FMCs success depends on understanding customer needs and preferences and delivering relevant and timely messages to customers (Peltier et al., 2006; Sashi, 2012). It requires combining traditional and digital communication techniques, building relationships, and creating experiences that generate customer satisfaction (CS) and customer loyalty (CL) (Hänninen & Karjaluoto, 2017; Sayekti et al., 2019). However, most previous studies have predominantly concentrated on marketing communication from diverse industrial business-to- business perspectives (Gilliland & Johnston, 1997; Hänninen & Karjaluoto, 2017; Järvinen et al., 2012; Yadava et al., 2022). By contrast, very little scholarly attention has been paid to the beneficial effects of marketing communication, particularly in industrial business-to-consumer settings (Bakator et al., 2017; Dimyati, 2015; Halimi et al., 2011; Zephaniah et al., 2020). Furthermore, even relatively fewer empirical investigations thus far have investigated the relationship between FMCs and brand loyalty from the fitness club context (Lim et al., 2016; Meesala & Paul, 2018; Nursanti & Tomoliyus, 2021). The study mainly examines whether and how fitness club FMC affects the EXP and PSQ of fitness clubs. Additionally, to examine whether and how FMC, EXP, and PSQ comprehensively influence CS and CL toward fitness clubs. Prior empirical research has demonstrated that approximately 80 percent of the revenue generated by health and fitness centers comes from membership fees (Gacek, 2017; Lim et al., 2016). Nevertheless, retaining current club members is the most pressing challenge for the health and fitness club industry, as the average club loses more than 40 percent of its members annually (MacIntosh & Law, 2015), resulting in unstable revenues and high marketing costs to attract new customers (Henry, 2019; Santos, 2016). Therefore, fitness facilities must prioritize CS and CL to maintain and expand customer flow and gain a competitive advantage (Gonçalves et al., 2016; Lee et al., 2018). The study is one of the first studies that utilized the marketing communication theory to understand how the communications of fitness clubs influence EXP and the service quality of fitness clubs. Secondly, the study conducted a comprehensive study, including FMC, EXP, and PSQ, to comprehend its beneficial effect on loyalty building, particularly toward a fitness club in China. Finally, the study demonstrates the mediating role of EXP, PSQ, and CS in the link between FMC and CL. II. L iterature R eview a) Chinese Fitness Club Industry With the continuous growth of the world’s population in the 21 st century, urbanization has expanded, improving education, transportation, and jobs (Hou et al., 2019). Nevertheless, urbanization has raised the likelihood that residents will develop chronic diseases like obesity, diabetes, lung cancer, stroke, heart disease, asthma, depression, and loneliness (Lopez & Hynes, 2006). China has experienced rapid urbanization predominantly due to the industrial revolution, which has increased the number of factory and mill laborers (Wan et al., 2022). This has led rural people to migrate to urban areas, putting pressure on infrastructure and housing (You et al., 2022). As a result, the surrounding environment of cities is severely impacted by pollution, overcrowding, and noise (Aziz et al., 2012; Zhang & Li, 2014). Moreover, most residents reside in densely populated locations (Hong, 1997; McMichael, 2000). Under this circumstance, fitness clubs have become essential to a healthy lifestyle for urban citizens (Pedragosa & Correia, 2009; Zhai, 2021). China's fitness industry has undergone numerous phases of development over the past few decades (Hong, 1997), demonstrating its tremendous growth (Holman, 2018; Sims, 2011). In the 1980s, Beijing had the first commercial Chinese fitness club (Malleret, 2021). According to the recent report of “the China Gym and Health Club Industries market Report 2022,” the fitness sector has risen by about 20% annually, and the gym-goer population reached 70.29 million, accounting for 5.02% of the population (Daxueconsulting, 2022). In addition, the 2022 Winter Olympics increased China’s Customer Loyalty in the Fitness Club Industry: The Role of Club Communication, Customer Expectation and Perceived Service Quality 44 Global Journal of Management and Business Research Volume XXIII Issue I Version I Year 2023 ( )E © 2023 Global Journals