Eksplorasi Brand Equity dalam Membangun Loyalitas Pelanggan Tomoro Coffee Shop di Surabaya

Abstract

The increasingly competitive development of the coffee shop industry in Surabaya has driven the importance of a deep understanding of the factors that shape customer loyalty, particularly through the exploration of Brand Equity. This study aims to explore the phenomenological experiences of customers towards the dimensions of Brand Equity which include brand awareness, brand association, perceived quality, and brand loyalty, as well as their influence on the formation of relational and transactional loyalty of Tomoro Coffee customers in Surabaya. This study uses a qualitative, interpretative phenomenological approach with data collection through in-depth semi-structured interviews. The research informants were four people selected by purposive sampling, consisting of one shop manager, one barista, and two regular customers of Tomoro Coffee in Surabaya. Data analysis was conducted using the Miles and Huberman model which includes data reduction, data presentation, and conclusion drawing, with validity testing through source triangulation and reconfirmation with sources. The research findings identified six main themes in the formation of customer loyalty at Tomoro Coffee in Surabaya, namely brand awareness and recognition as the initial gateway to loyalty formed through social media, recommendations from others, and strategic store locations; brand associations that form a positive imagemodern, aesthetic, comfortable, and in line with urban lifestyles; perceived quality as a dominant factor that includes consistency of coffee taste, service quality, cleanliness, and comfort of the room; customer experience that creates an emotional bond, where the coffee shop is not just a place to buy drinks but a personally meaningful space; brand loyalty reflected in repeat purchasing behavior without the need to compare with competitors intensively; and brand recommendations and advocacy as the highest form of loyalty that encourages organic word-of-mouth promotion.