The testing results have given the hypotheses responses, some of the results gave different point of view from our hypotheses, and however most of them are deserved for us to deliberate.
The hypothesis H1 referred that the prices of products effects on customers' perceived quality of the products. The testing result was insignificant; it means that the price of products on the market does not affect customer’s perceived quality on the products in the tile market. A main reason for this is that there was a high tile demand on Vietnam, the developing country, market in passed years, to share profit from this big market, there were many companies created a new brand and stated that it is a high end quality brand, and set the prices in a high end level. However, their products quality were just same with middle end, the different quality between middle end and high end is difficult to recognize in a short time, but customers will finally understand in a period of time. As the result, customers may not believe the product quality just through the prices is high; they will spend more time to understand or refer the actual trade prices.
The result of hypothesis H2 is significant; this result explained that the
"Distribution Intensity" of the products can affect customers on their perceived quality of the products. The distribution in Vietnam takes an important part on customers purchase intention, because Vietnam is a long-shade country, it is around 1650 kilometers from the northern to southern Vietnam, and the wide is 2/3 of the length. Therefore, the distribution is extremely important for the consumers, it decides the delivery time, service after buying, the ease of problem solving processes, and those issues are main considerations when customers thinking about the products.
The special geography of Vietnam is also the main reason that can apply on the significant result of hypotheses H3 and H4, hypothesis H3 stood that customers seem have high brand loyalty, when the products provide with good distribution services.
And the hypothesis H4 stated that good distribution can bring to customers good brand association and awareness. There were many stories happened which indicated the importance of the distribution in Vietnam, some of the customers have experienced their order have been stolen during the transportation from the factory to their warehouses. Some other customers faced the construction process forced to stop in order to wait for the delivery of tiles. The breakage during transportation leads to tile shortage to finish the last part of the construction, and this is also the story often heard. As the result, the suppliers which have good retailers or stores to provide service for local customers can bring good brand image to the customers and also gain the brand loyalty from the local customers.
The result for H5 shows that the advertising spending has positive relationship with customers' perceived quality to the products. This result confirmed that in Vietnam tile market, the information of the products pass through advertisings are effected to customers. However, the brand loyalty seems does not have a positive relationship with adverting spending. The test result of hypothesis H6 was insignificant; it means that the customers do not give their loyalty to a particular tile brand by the influence of advertising. Perhaps customers' favor on one brand not only consider on the information from the advertising, but also other factors such as prices, quality, service, relationship with the sellers, real experience of using the products.
Tile products are not as easy to use or fix as other products like clothes, shoes, when there are problem happened, it usually takes more money and time for the user to fix it, therefore, customers may consider much more than buy other products.
The test of H7 has a significant result, customers' awareness and association with a brand are affected by the advertising spending. It means that customers in tile market will study the information or image of a tile brand through advertising.
Trade prices have influenced customers' perceived quality to a tile brand, this were examined in the test of H8 is supported result. It is a different result with the H1, there was an insignificant result explained that relationship between prices and perceived quality was not positive. The main differentiation between H1 and H8 is one is the product prices and another is the trade prices which is the real amount of money that buyers would like to pay, it also means that the products have this amount of value. This result shows that customers in tile market understand that the prices are not a real value for the products however, the trade prices would be reliable and they will study the tile brand through the real trade prices. Moreover, the explanation in H1 mentioned about those companies who want to share the market, they created tile brands with high level prices but middle end products quality, those situations were well known to the market after the period of time, thus customers will aware or study tile products by the real trade prices rather than prices on the shelf in Vietnam market.
The significant test result of hypotheses H11, H13, let we understand that brand loyalty and country of origin has positive relationship with brand equity in Vietnam tile market. Vietnamese are the people who willing to spend their income on their quality of living, when their income are enough for their physiological needs. In the pass, the main factor for customers considering which tile brand they use was the prices of the products, however, the great economic performance of Vietnam in the pass decades bring riches to Vietnam people, as a result, price now is not the most important factor on customers' purchase decision making, products quality, design,
services are also concerned as an important part in customers' purchase intention and also become essential influence factors to brand equity.
In the result, we know that the brand loyalty has significant relationship with brand equity, it means that customers' loyal to a brand does effect on brand equity in Vietnam tile market. A reason to explain this result is that it is not easy to identify the quality of tiles, and problems happened after using are not easy to solve, they takes time to dig the problem tiles out from the house and construct new tiles into it, in this process the user will need to prepare workers and spend more money on it, moreover, the noise from the construction process and the affection to customers living are also annoyed. Therefore customers seem not easy to switch their favor to another new tile brand, once they have been trusted with a particular tile brand. These also explain why most construction companies they will purchase tiles only from the factories that they designated.
The test result of hypothesis twelve H12 comes with a new finding, it stated that there is not a significant relationship between brand association/awareness and brand equity in the tile market. A possible explanation for this result is the advertising in Vietnam tile market. Most advertising on TV, public place, Vietnam public magazines were the Vietnam local brands, like Dong Tam, it has its own football team and the football team were famous in Vietnam. Company of Prime brand has a lot of retailers in every place of Vietnam. However, the qualities, design, service of those local factories are just fair. The main reason that customers choose those local brands is the cheap prices that those local companies offered. Compare to the local brands, the foreign factories and import brands have less advertising and retailers on the market.
There are only two foreign factories which have already established more than 10 years that have their retailers and branches in the main cities in Vietnam. The other
foreign tile factories are only focus on some specific area, the foreign brand which does not have factories in Vietnam; they are mainly focus on the designers in Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi city. Therefore, the brand equity that brings from the brand awareness and association are less impression.