Developing a Multidimensional, Equal-Weighted Scale of Brand Equity for the Smartphone Segment

Abstract

The objective of this research is to perform a unique comparative analysis of the strength of top five brands in the smartphone segment. It also aims at providing a reliable and parsimonious quantitative alternative to qualitative approaches of understanding brand perception. The major challenge in this field is not only the definition of appropriate measures and their mutual relationships, but also the creation of measures that can be used across different product classes. In order to address these issues, we employed the Aaker’s Brand Equity Ten Model (Aaker 1996). This model defines ten dimensions that yield quantitative results across product classes. In addition, it allows for vertical specialization of dimensions, which can be useful in analyzing product-specific issues.The final results present the brand equity of each compared brand and their position in two ranking approaches, one based on equal-weighted average and another on a point based system. In both rankings, the brands’ positions, at the level of individual consumer level, remained unchanged. The iPhone brand led all 8 dimensions measured at the consumer level, followed by BlackBerry and Android (technically equalized), Nokia and Windows Mobile. The Brand Equity Ten demonstrated to be a relevant tool to measure brand strength, consistently track brand equity development and to gain useful insights on brand positioning.