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

communication is a continuous cycle of ideation, structure, and information transmission to achieve the goal. A firm's marketing communication is a management technique to communicate and interact with its diverse audiences (Yeboah, 2013). Under- standing the audience's communication environment helps firms to create and convey messages to target demographic groups to successfully connect with them and evaluate and act on their responses (De Pelsmacker et al., 2007; Keller, 2009). Marketing encompasses product attributes and pricing to store locations and promotional campaigns. Firms utilize two- way communication to persuade and listen to their stakeholders to build long-term relationships (Sashi, 2012). Commonly, there are four levels of stakeholders. First, at the corporate level, they communicate to convey the business’s identity to all stakeholders through a clear and distinctive corporate identity that incorporates mission, values and objectives, supported by sponsorship and public relations. Second, when branding products or services, firms communicate with customers regarding product features, product quality, warranty and guaranty through advertising, personal selling, and sales promotions. Third, while delivering products or services, i.e., they communicate by delivering products timely at the right locations using intermediaries of distribution channels and providing necessary support services. Forth, at the retail stage, they directly communicate with existing customers regularly to build close relationships through the marketing information system (MIS) (Peltier et al., 2006). Marketing communication also considers the “marketing mix” strategy, including storefronts, personal selling, direct marketing, sales promotion, public relations, and social media marketing. A business may use these methods to build customer knowledge and influence 2023). Thus, FMC is crucial in marketing literature for identifying EXPs and delivering timely information with quality service through multiple communication channels to increase CS and build long-term customer relationships (Percy, 2023; Smith & Taylor, 2004). Figure 1 depicts the proposed research model, which comprises CL's antecedents and factors determining CS in fitness clubs. These factors include EXPs, PSQ, and FMC. All of these elements subsequently contribute to an increase in the loyalty of club members. Fig. 1: Conceptual Framework III. H ypotheses D evelopment a) The Effect of Customer Expectation (EXP) amenities terms, e.g., modern and high-quality equipment, professional instructors, a clean environment, a variety of classes, affordable membership fees, and good customer service (Afthinos et al., 2005; Gonçalves et al., 2016; Robinson, 2006; Zeithaml et al., 1993). According to Parasuraman et al. (1988), EXP is a customer's belief or perception about what a product and service should offer. This means that consumers usually implement their stated expectations to determine whether the service is provided at an acceptable level of quality and Customer Loyalty in the Fitness Club Industry: The Role of Club Communication, Customer Expectation and Perceived Service Quality 46 Global Journal of Management and Business Research Volume XXIII Issue I Version I Year 2023 ( )E © 2023 Global Journals satisfaction (Hu et al., 2010; O’Neill & Palmer, 2003; them to purchase products and services (Wang et al., EXP is an essential aspect of service quality and is vital in determining CS and CL (Oliver, 1980; Olson & Dover, 1979). Knowing what the consumers expect is critical for developing successful marketing strategies (Anderson et al., 1994; Barros & Desbordes, 2009). Many factors generally influence EXPs in reality, including past use experiences, personal needs, expert opinion, word-of-mouth, and marketing campaign (Yeon et al., 2006). Fitness club members also expect