Brand Equity Formation Among LGBTQ+ Customers: The Role of Brand-Self Identification

Objective - This paper is to examine the importance of online brand trust towards the formation of brand equity on top of the factors used by Aaker in Brand Equity's Model. Methodology/Technique – Literature review Findings– Changing environment in the business world is affecting business and the advent of the Internet has also had an enduring effect in the way companies do business. In ensuring the continued survival of a company it becomes imperative that a company develop a loyal customer base. To this effect brand equity is a concept that has been looked at as a way of achieving a loyal customer base. Higher brand equity, leads to higher customers' repeat purchase, to pay more for the same value of quality and to create a long term relationship with the seller. Furthermore, the emergence of the Internet has made the brand equity concept become ever more important in helping the consumers to reduce their search costs and purchase risk in the world of information overload. However, the nature of the Internet also raises an issue of how marketers can build the online brand equity when the buyers and sellers have physical distance in cyberspace. As a result, trust becomes one of the fundamental elements in forming online brand equity. The purpose of this paper thus, is to examine the importance of online brand trust towards the formation of brand equity on top of the factors used by Aaker in Brand Equity's Model. Novelty – The formation of Online brand equity in Malaysia setting Type of Paper: Conceptual Keywords: Online Brand Association; Online Brand Equity; Online Brand Loyalty, Online Brand Trust

Franchisee-based brand equity: the role of brand relationship management

XYZ Insurance is an insurance company that has only been running for three years and is considered to have no brand equity (brand strength) in the eyes of customers. The purpose of this research were identify the perception of personal selling and digital marketing on the formation of brand equity, Analyzing the effect of personal selling and digital marketing on the formation of brand equity and Formulate managerial implications that will be applied by XYZ Insurance to increase brand equity. The data processing and analysis techniques used in this study are descriptive analysis and brand equity analysis with structural equation modelling (SEM) with a variance approach (VB-SEM) with partial least squares (PLS-SEM) technique. The results showed that the results showed that both personal selling and digital marketing had a significant effect on brand awareness, brand association, perceived quality, and brand loyalty. While the indirect effect explains that personal selling through brand awareness, brand association, and loyalty variables has a good mediating role on brand equity. Meanwhile, digital marketing through brand awareness, perceived quality, and loyalty variables has a role as a mediating variable, but it is still doubtful because it has an insignificant effect on brand equity. Therefore, it is expected to improve brand equity are in developing the company's brand awareness, both in terms of personal selling agents and developing the use of digital media. Keywords: XYZ Insurance, SEM-PLS, brand awareness, brand loyalty, brand equity

This study aims to improve the brand equity of online health and beauty products among Thai entrepreneurs to enhance their competitiveness in global markets. Using elements from the Rough Set Delphi technique, the research examines the relationships between nine key components that contribute to building brand equity, analyzed through confirmatory factor analysis. A quantitative approach was used, collecting data from 600 manufacturers who utilize online social media platforms for marketing and distribution. The results show that the validated model includes all nine components, which closely align with real-world data. These components include marketing factors, social media marketing activity, brand association, perceived quality, brand awareness, brand image, brand trust, and brand loyalty, all of which play a critical role in developing brand equity. The study provides practical insights for health and beauty product manufacturers to strengthen brand sustainability, recommending a focus on understanding all nine components, especially social media marketing factors, brand loyalty, and brand image, to increase brand equity. Recognizing the importance of the other components is also essential for long-term brand growth.

This study examined the impact of social media marketing on online purchase intention, with brand attachment, brand trust, and brand equity acting as mediating factors. The problem addressed in this research is the lack of understanding regarding the reasons for low adoption of online shopping in Iran despite the increasing popularity of the internet, and the originality lies in exploring the factors and proposing and testing a conceptual model that influence Iranian customers’ decision to buy online. To conduct an empirical case study, we selected Digikala, the largest online two-sided marketplace platform in Iran. To gather data from a representative sample of Digikala customers, a simple random sampling method was utilized. An online survey questionnaire was administered to 363 participants, ensuring a diverse range of respondents were included in the study. A partial least squares method was used to analyze the data using the structural equation modelling (SEM) method by SmartPLS software. The results of the research study demonstrated that social media marketing creates positive changes in brand equity, customer attachment to the brand, brand trust, and online purchase intent over time. Online purchase intention, brand trust, and customer brand attachment were positively influenced by brand equity. The level of customer brand attachment affected brand trust and online purchase intent in a positive way. An increase in brand trust led to a significant increase in online purchase intentions. An online purchase intention, customer brand attachment, and brand trust of a brand were influenced positively by brand equity during social media marketing. Social media marketing impacted online purchase intentions positively and significantly through customer brand attachment. Social media marketing improved online purchase intentions when brand trust is positive and significant. Several factors contributed to the effect of social media marketing on online purchase intentions, including brand trust. This leads us to conclude that social media marketing enhances online purchase intent through the creation of brand attachments, brand trust, and brand equity among customers.

This study investigates the role of corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives in shaping brand equity, with a specific focus on demographic factors such as age, gender, education, and occupation. Using survey-based analysis of FMCG consumers, the research explores how different demographic segments perceive CSR activities and how these perceptions influence trust, loyalty, and overall brand equity. The findings suggest that younger consumers and highly educated respondents are more responsive to CSR initiatives related to sustainability and ethical practices, while older consumers emphasize community welfare and traditional responsibility. Gender differences highlight varying expectations, with female consumers showing stronger alignment with CSR initiatives in health and social welfare, whereas male consumers emphasize economic and employment-related contributions. Occupational status further influences brand equity formation, as professionals value CSR-driven innovation and quality, while non-professionals prioritize affordability and accessibility. The study underscores that CSR effectiveness in enhancing brand equity is contingent upon tailoring initiatives to diverse demographic expectations. Keywords: Corporate Social Responsibility, Brand Equity, FMCG Industry, Responsible Branding etc.

This study aims to analyze the effect of green marketing and sustainability practices on brand equity in the Indonesian e-commerce sector. A quantitative approach with an explanatory research design was used to test the relationship between variables. Data were collected through an online survey using a structured questionnaire from 200 respondents who are e-commerce consumers in Indonesia. The analysis was conducted using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to test the direct and indirect effects. The results showed that green marketing has a significant positive effect on brand equity (? = 0.42, p < 0.001). Sustainability practices also have a positive effect on brand equity (? = 0.38, p < 0.004). In addition, sustainability practices are proven to mediate the relationship between green marketing and brand equity with an indirect effect of 0.15 (p = 0.032). These findings indicate that green marketing strategies integrated with sustainability practices can increase consumer loyalty and trust, which ultimately strengthen brand equity. This study provides theoretical contributions to the green marketing and sustainability literature, and offers practical guidance for e-commerce companies to adopt environmentally friendly strategies effectively. Managerial implications include the importance of transparent communication and consistent adoption of sustainability practices to create competitive advantage. This study also opens up opportunities for further exploration in other sectors or with different methods.

High brand equity becomes the company's strength to stay in the market competition. Increasing brand equity is one of the company's strategies that is carried out all the time. Increasing the supporting factors of brand equity is a way to strengthen brand equity. This study aims to determine the role of product attributes and brand attitudes in increasing brand equity. The research population is the consumer of the Rinnai brand gas stove. Obtained 85 respondents as research samples with purposive sampling technique. Research data obtained through the distribution of questionnaires will then be analyzed using multiple linear regression analysis. The results show that product attributes play a significant role in the development of brand equity. Furthermore, brand equity is significantly influenced by brand attitudes. Product attributes and brand attitudes have a significant role in the joint formation of brand equity.

PurposeThis research aims to explore the impact of social media marketing (SMM) activities on brand equity (BE) in the banking sector in Bangladesh. Moreover, brand love and brand trust are examined as a mediator of SMM activities and BE.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from a total of 289 banking customers in Bangladesh through a structured questionnaire and the hypotheses were examined using structural equation modeling (SEM).FindingsThe results validated that SMM activities have no significant influence on BE directly. Furthermore, brand love fully mediates the linkage between SMM activities and BE. Likewise, brand trust was found to have a partial mediation effect on SMM activities and BE.Research limitations/implicationsThis study was based on a specific sector in a particular geographic area. Hence, cross-cultural studies on different sectors need to be conducted to generalize the findings of the current research.Practical implicationsThe study offers useful insights for bank marketers to successfully manage SMM activities that can generate consumer interest toward a bank's brand and prevent switching behavior. Furthermore, the proliferation of authentic brand-related information over a firms' social media pages can build strong brand trust, which in turn contributes to BE for the banks.Originality/valueThe study further extended the current knowledge by showing that how SMM activities influence BE in the banking sector in Bangladesh. Also, this study empirically corroborates the mediation influence of brand love and brand trust on SMM activities and BE in the banking sector in Bangladesh, which was rarely tested in prior studies. Hence, the findings will add value to the nascent literature of BE from an SMM perspective.

In the fiercely competitive fast-food industry, building strong brand equity is crucial for long-term success. This study investigates the effects of brand trust, brand image, and perceived quality on brand equity, while also examining the mediating role of brand loyalty in these relationships within the context of fast-food restaurants. Employing a quantitative, descriptive, and correlational research design, this study explores the interrelationships among these variables. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire administered to 175 regular customers of fast-food restaurants in North Sulawesi, Indonesia. The collected data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with the aid of SmartPLS statistical software. The findings reveal that brand image and perceived quality are the primary determinants of brand equity, exerting both direct and indirect effects through the mediating role of brand loyalty. However, brand trust does not significantly influence either brand loyalty or brand equity. The study’s focus on a specific geographic region limits the generalizability of the findings to a broader population. Furthermore, the measurement instruments employed may not comprehensively capture the emotional and functional dimensions of brand trust, which could affect the validity of the results. This study contributes to the field of brand management and the fast-food industry by providing insights into the critical factors shaping brand equity. The findings offer valuable implications for both academics and practitioners seeking to enhance brand equity through strategic brand management initiatives.

The objective of this research is to explore the relationship between brand extension strategy, brand image, brand trust, and brand equity in the coffee industry of Indonesia. The research mainly discusses the effect of brand extension strategy on brand equity through brand image and brand trust in the coffee industry, i.e., Kapal Api as a leading coffee brand in Indonesia. Approximately 200 respondents of Kapal Api consumers participated on the survey by responding the questionnaire. Data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) by combining factor analysis and regression analysis. The results of the evaluation of the one step modification model show that the model is fit and tested for causality. This study shows that brand extension strategy affects brand trust but does not affect brand image and brand equity. Brand trust affects brand image and brand equity. In addition, the brand image also affects brand equity. Brand trust is able to mediate the brand extension strategy on brand equity while a brand image is not. This research is useful for businesses to evaluate marketing strategies in maximizing potential customers by understanding the factors that influence brand equity.

This study examines the influence of brand image, brand trust, and brand equity on customer loyalty for Wardah halal cosmetics at Counter Nikisae Tulungagung, Indonesia. Against the backdrop of rapid growth in the global halal cosmetics market, the research addresses gaps in understanding how these brand elements interact in offline retail settings. Using quantitative methods with accidental sampling (n=99), data was collected through validated questionnaires and analyzed via multiple linear regression. Results reveal all three variables significantly affect loyalty (p<0.01), with brand equity showing the strongest impact (β=0.343), followed by brand image (β=0.316) and brand trust (β=0.311). The model explains 35.1% of loyalty variance (R²=0.351), highlighting the particular importance of religious values in brand equity formation and the role of in-store experiences in building trust. These findings enrich the Customer-Based Brand Equity theory in halal contexts while providing practical insights for omnichannel strategy development in Indonesia's growing Islamic cosmetics sector.

The present study aimed to investigate the conducted effects of the Brand Country-of-Origin Image on The Formation of Brand Equity in the sports apparel industry. Method of this study is descriptive-correlative. The study investigated the effects among the research variables using structural equation model (SEM) with Lisrel software. The population of the study was the whole country's physical education students, alumni, which 805 subjects were selected based on the purposive sampling, using in person, and online questionnaires were collected from Iran. The results showed that the image of the country of origin has a positive relation to the brand equity dimension including brand loyalty, Perceived quality, and brand Awareness/associations, and there is a significant positive relation between brand equity dimensions and brand equity. Therefore, it is recommended to manufacturers in the apparel and sports equipment to try to promote brand's country of origin image to increase brand image in markets by using advertisements and other combined components such as personal sales and public relations.

Research suggests a close interrelationship between brand personality and brand equity. Companies have recognized the importance of brand personality in the development of brand equity. Therefore, a brand management strategy based on interrelationship between brand personality and brand equity is the need of the hour. The purpose of this study was to understand the influence of brand personality on brand equity through relational variables: brand trust, brand attachment, and brand commitment and to offer a model depicting the relationship among these variables. The data were collected from a survey of 220 respondents. Structural equation modeling was used to test the proposed model. The results of the study confirm the indirect influence of brand personality on brand equity via brand trust, brand attachment, and brand commitment. The findings yield implications for brand managers, which will help them in devising branding strategies.

This study aims to analyze how the brand storytelling strategy employed by the skincare brand Wardah influences brand image and the formation of brand equity. The research adopts a qualitative descriptive method, utilizing Roland Barthes' semiotic analysis to examine the denotative and connotative meanings in advertisements. The study focuses on how visual, verbal, and narrative signs used in brand storytelling strategies shape consumer perceptions of skincare brands. The findings indicate that semiotic elements such as colors, symbols, language, and narratives play a crucial role in creating a strong brand image and enhancing brand equity. This research also reveals that storytelling aligned with relevant values can strengthen the emotional bond between the brand and consumers, positively impacting consumer loyalty. Additionally, the advertisements emphasize that beauty comes from within-not only in terms of physical appearance but also in the form of self-confidence and personal comfort. Keywords: Semiotic Study, Brand Storytelling, Brand Image, and Brand Equity