Brand Distinctiveness Research Articles

Food for Thought in Malaysian Borneo: Data Mining and Sentiment Analysis of Tripadvisor Reviews for Online Destination Branding

Unique destination branding in tourism is crucial to gaining a competitive advantage. Local food is a significant component of a destination brand which Destination Management Organisations (DMOs) must integrate into their official marketing efforts. DMOs must monitor the popularity and perception of their food promotions against the competition. Online promotion and management are challenging due to the rise of user-generated content. Automatic data mining techniques were used to determine the extent to which tourist food choices on TripAdvisor matched foods promoted by DMOs and how distinct these choices were from a rival DMOs’ promotion. We compared online food promotion between the Sabah Tourism Board and the Sarawak Tourism Board. We developed a software system to automatically extract food branding business intelligence from TripAdvisor restaurant reviews. The application of web crawling and scraping technology was applied to extract data and use Sentiment Analysis for interpretation. Online foods promoted by DMOs for each region were found to contain only a few common dishes, but these were more popular than region-specific foods. Significantly different distributions of food choices were found for each region. Some potentially useful differences between foreign and domestic tourists and locals were also identified. Sentiment analysis revealed hidden information in reviews useful for potential food destination branding. Findings from TripAdvisor confirm practical suggestions for improving brand distinctiveness found in the literature. This study is the first to develop an actual system that DMOs could use to estimate the online popularity of their promoted foods and those of their competition.

The Role of Edible Flowers in Enhancing Customer Experience in Luxury Hotels

Enhancing the dining experience for patrons, the use of edible flowers into culinary offerings has emerged as a unique trend in upscale hotels. The purpose of this study is to determine how edible flowers affect both the entire eating experience and client pleasure. The study investigates the aesthetic, tactile, and affective impacts of adding edible flowers to food and drink using a mixed-methods approach that includes surveys and interviews with hotel visitors and employees. According to research, edible flowers greatly increase the visual attractiveness and distinctiveness of dishes, which increases customer happiness and creates enduring eating experiences. The study also emphasizes how crucial employee education is to educating visitors about the advantages of edible flowers. Finding premium edible flowers has a significant upfront cost, but the benefits to the visitor experience and the possibility of more repeat business make it worthwhile. Additionally, good social media marketing and brand distinctiveness are aided by the visual appeal of food enhanced with flowers. In summary, the usage of edible flowers in upscale hotels improves the dining experience, encourages repeat business, and bolsters the reputation of the establishment. Subsequent investigations ought to delve into the enduring financial advantages and ecological consequences of this approach inside the hospitality sector. Keywords: Hotel, Flower food, Customer experience.

STUDY OF THE IMPACT OF BRAND AWARENESS OF ENTERPRISES IN THE LEISURE SNACK INDUSTRY ON CONSUMER PURCHASE INTENTIONS: USING PRODUCT EXPECTATIONS AS THE MEDIATING VARIABLE

With rapid economic growth, enterprises in the leisure snack industry have entered a phase of rapid development. Nowadays, it is crucial for leisure snack companies to focus on factors influencing consumer purchase intentions in order to better develop their businesses. When consumers make a purchase decision, factors such as brand awareness have an impact on their willingness to buy, extending beyond the influence of the product itself. Additionally, the internet's development has integrated online shopping into consumers' lives. Due to the inability of online consumers to physically interact with products, there are differences in how consumers perceive product brands. This study aims to investigate the influence of brand awareness, consumer purchase intentions, and product expectations in the leisure snack industry under two purchase scenarios: online and offline. We will test the hypotheses through a literature review, collect data using surveys, and validate the results using SPSS. The research findings indicate that, in both online and offline purchase scenarios, brand awareness of leisure snack companies positively influences consumers' purchase intentions. Specifically, in both online and offline settings, aspects of brand awareness such as "brand recognition, brand recall," and "brand distinctiveness" all have a positive impact on consumer purchase intentions. In the leisure snack industry, product expectations play a mediating role between brand awareness and consumer purchase intentions.

Luxury beauty products purchase behaviour of affluent consumers: the role of brand consciousness and brand distinctiveness in Zimbabwe

Luxury beauty products purchase behaviour of affluent consumers: the role of brand consciousness and brand distinctiveness in Zimbabwe

The Persuasion Effect of Cause-Related Marketing on Brand Preference and Repurchase Intention: The Mediating Role of Brand Distinctiveness and Credibility

The Persuasion Effect of Cause-Related Marketing on Brand Preference and Repurchase Intention: The Mediating Role of Brand Distinctiveness and Credibility

Presenting an Indigenous Model of Brand Loyalty in the Retail Industry

Objective: The main objective of this research was to "design a suitable marketing model based on brand loyalty in the retail industry," with the question posed as "what is a suitable marketing model based on brand loyalty in the retail industry?" Methodology: A mixed-method approach, combining qualitative and quantitative methodologies, was utilized to answer this question. Initially, key components of the marketing model based on brand loyalty were identified through sequential exploratory design (thematic analysis method) via interviews. Subsequently, the research questions were examined through the collection of quantitative data. Thus, the measurement tool in the qualitative method was in-depth and semi-structured interviews, and in the quantitative method, it was a questionnaire. The population studied in the qualitative method consisted of experts, and in the quantitative method, individuals knowledgeable about marketing and the retail industry. For sampling in the qualitative method, 21 experts were selected using purposive sampling, and for the quantitative method, 384 individuals were selected using cluster sampling initially, followed by stratified random sampling after selecting the cluster to be studied. Ultimately, thematic analysis was used to code the responses obtained from the interviews (as part of qualitative analysis), and exploratory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were used to extract and analyze the empirical data (as part of quantitative analysis). Findings: The findings from the qualitative analysis indicated that the majority of experts (18 individuals) mentioned "the absence of after-sales services," and (17 individuals) mentioned "the high price of the dollar." The findings from the quantitative analysis revealed that the model used in the current research had a satisfactory fit, and the researcher-developed questionnaire contained eight factors: brand heritage, customer satisfaction, brand reliability, brand's association with positive topics, brand belief, brand familiarity, brand distinctiveness, and brand loyalty. It was ultimately argued that brand heritage, with the mediating role of variables such as brand's association with positive topics (with an effect size of 0.69), brand familiarity (with an effect size of 0.41), brand belief (with an effect size of 0.37), customer satisfaction (with an effect size of 0.36), and brand distinctiveness (with an effect size of 0.27), effectively influences brand loyalty. Other variables, having an effect size of less than 0.2, were not significant. Conclusion: Given that no model for presenting an indigenous brand loyalty model in the retail industry has been provided in Iran so far, there are many gaps in various aspects for this industry. Based on conducted interviews, there are essential prerequisites for the formation and expansion of these products, without which marketing these products in this industry would be ineffective. Marketing in this industry requires a series of events and appropriate principles to create a connection between brand heritage and brand loyalty by the customer; otherwise, it would not be possible to loyalty customers through this industry.

The Current Status and Brand Image Communication Strategy of Changsha Jiu Ru Zhai, a Time-Honored Chinese Brand

Time-honored Chinese brands are expected to have a distinct traditional cultural background and a profound cultural heritage, along with a reputable brand. As one of Chinas first batch of key protected brands and a well-known brand among time-honored brands, Changshas first batch of Chinese time-honored brand, Jiu Ru Zhai, faces unprecedented challenges in the evolving era. The company lacks brand awareness and concepts for brand image communication, and still grapples with various issues such as a lack of uniqueness, outdated image, vague positioning, insufficient brand distinctiveness, and unclear adaptation to the innovative era. This paper utilizes a case study approach to analyze the current status of Jiu Ru Zhai and its brand image communication strategy, exploring how time-honored brands can upgrade their brand image to meet the personalized and diverse needs of consumers, thus increasing brand recognition and economic benefits.

What happens after product rebranding: understanding the interrelational effect of brand attachment, brand distinctiveness and consumer attitudes on brand loyalty

PurposeProduct rebranding is increasingly popular, but brand managers are sceptical about its implications on brand loyalty (BL). Given the limited empirical literature on the subject, this study examines the interrelational effect of brand attachment (BA), brand distinctiveness (BD) and consumer attitudes (CA) towards product rebranding on brand loyalty (BL).Design/methodology/approachThe study adopted the quantitative survey design and used questionnaire to gather data from 349 consumers of rebranded water, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Structural equation modelling was used to analyse the data. This study integrates psychology theories into brand management research to propose and test a holistic model.FindingsThe study found a significant effect of BA on CA toward product rebranding, and CA toward product rebranding fully mediates the relationship between BA and BL. Furthermore, BD has a significant effect on BL, and further moderates the relationship between BA and BL.Originality/valueThis study offers a fresh theoretical foundation, conceptual clarity and understanding of how rebranding specific brand elements affect the attitudes and BL of consumers who are emotionally connected to a brand. This paper offers practical insights into the implication of product rebranding on CA, BD and BL. It reveals a holistic guidance to brand managers on how to use their unique knowledge about their consumers to create distinctive brands and emotional affection, passion and connections to their brands.

Beyond employer brand content: The role of employer brand process attributes in understanding employees' reactions toward their employer

AbstractEmployees play a central role in organizational functioning and representation. HR managers thus strive to create an attractive employer image that stimulates employees' attachment and ambassadorship. However, presently, there is limited research about how employees perceive and react toward their organization's employer brand. More importantly, the studies available have focused on content attributes only (i.e., instrumental and symbolic image dimensions). This has resulted in limited (content‐based) understanding of the construct and failure to incorporate its branding‐related aspects (process attributes) which represent the crux of employer branding theory. Thus, using the HRM system strength theory and employer branding literature, this article examines three process characteristics (i.e., employer brand distinctiveness, consistency, and consensus) vis‐à‐vis instrumental and symbolic content attributes to understand employee reactions (i.e., employer attractiveness, organizational identification, and employee ambassadorship). Data were collected at two times through Prolific Academic with 254 UK and US employees. Results suggest that employer brand process attributes are valuable sources to enhance employees' identification with their organization. Moreover, distinctiveness and consistency seem especially instrumental in enhancing employees' attractiveness perceptions and display of positive ambassadorship. In addition, the process attributes explain significant incremental and unique variance beyond content attributes in employee reactions.

Multimedia Advertising and Marketing Methods in the Context of Digital Communication

This study uses a longitudinal multi-case study design and the objectives of the study are: 1. to explore the application of digital content marketing (DCM) strategies in the context of digital communication; 2. to identify the communication objectives used in their DCM strategies for social media using luxury car brands as a case study; 3. to assess the engagement (reactions, shares, views) of each brand on social media; 4. to use Facebook as a case study to examine the type of media used for his advertising content (text, links, photos, videos, hashtags). The analysis included identifying marketing communication objectives through media content types, social media content marketing strategies and social media indicators. The research results show that brand awareness, brand personality and brand distinctiveness are the most frequently used goals in multimedia advertising and marketing, which makes the focus of digital content advertising marketing used by brands on social media more visible and recognizable, and humanized features and attitudes are reflected on social media.

Role of Brand-Equity on Consumer Purchase Intention in Electronic Goods Industry

In the market for electronic goods, brand equity is a key factor in determining consumer buy intentions. Because it is related to the brand's long-term success, brand equity has attracted a lot of attention in the marketing concept. Brand equity is the value that a brand gives to a commodity that goes above and beyond its real advantages. A brand's distinctiveness and marketability are a result of the interaction between consumer perceptions, attitude, and beliefs about it. Consumers have access to a large choice of items with comparable features and functionalities in the fiercely competitive electronic goods market.Price premiums, customer loyalty, and purchasing decisions can all be influenced by a powerful brand with significant equity. To examine how brand equity affects customer purchase intentions in the market for electronic goods, as well as how other aspects of brand equity, such as brand recognition, marketing strategy, value perception, and brand loyalty, affect this market. Businesses can create efficient marketing plans that boost brand equity and boost sales by understanding the connection between consumer behavior and brand equity.

Role of Brand-Equity on Consumer Purchase Intention in Electronic Goods Industry

In the market for electronic goods, brand equity is a key factor in determining consumer buy intentions. Because it is related to the brand's long-term success, brand equity has attracted a lot of attention in the marketing concept. Brand equity is the value that a brand gives to a commodity that goes above and beyond its real advantages. A brand's distinctiveness and marketability are a result of the interaction between consumer perceptions, attitude, and beliefs about it. Consumers have access to a large choice of items with comparable features and functionalities in the fiercely competitive electronic goods market.Price premiums, customer loyalty, and purchasing decisions can all be influenced by a powerful brand with significant equity. To examine how brand equity affects customer purchase intentions in the market for electronic goods, as well as how other aspects of brand equity, such as brand recognition, marketing strategy, value perception, and brand loyalty, affect this market. Businesses can create efficient marketing plans that boost brand equity and boost sales by understanding the connection between consumer behavior and brand equity.

Managing brand equity in the brewing sector

PurposeThe paper analyzes the effect of country of origin (COO) image, word-of-mouth (WOM) and brand distinctiveness toward overall brand equity (OBE) and its dimensions (brand awareness/associations; perceived quality; brand loyalty) in the brewing sector.Design/methodology/approachA quantitative research has been conducted by adopting the survey technique and structural equation modeling based on a sample of 401 Italian beer consumers.FindingsResults corroborate a positive effect of (1) COO image and brand distinctiveness on brand awareness/associations, perceived quality and brand loyalty; (2) WOM on perceived quality and brand loyalty; (3) brand awareness/associations and brand loyalty on OBE. Findings also verify the mediating effects of the OBE dimensions on the relationships between the analyzed antecedents (COO image, WOM and brand distinctiveness) and OBE.Research limitations/implicationsAlthough the selection of a sample composed of Italian students guarantees good research internal validity, findings are not generalizable.Practical implicationsThe study offers valuable strategies for brewing firms to reach high levels of brand equity. In particular, it identifies the key role of COO image, WOM, brand distinctiveness and OBE dimensions in realizing careful brand management processes.Originality/valueThe paper focuses on analyzing the influence of COO image on brand equity in the brewing industry, thus enriching an area of investigation that requires further insights within an under-investigated sector.

A LITERATURE REVIEW ON DIMENSIONS OF BRAND EQUITY IN THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY OF SAUDI ARABIA

Branding is generally regarded as a unique approach for brand equity that enhances the corporate reputation of stakeholders. Insurance firms acknowledge and handle goods in a changing business environment as important assets. Brand is a system with multi-dimensional principles that satisfy consumers’ wants, expectations and needs, including practical and emotional elements. One of the branding goals is to distinguish the brand from its unique and valued characteristics. If the brand is an important element in every marketing effort, it must be recognized that its equity definition is appropriate. Insurance companies attempt to maintain brand resources and other methods by means of suitable brand distinctiveness. This paper attempts to describe the aspects of specialized literature. Since Saudi insurance is such a recent phenomenon, it has not undergone a critical analysis of whether it fulfils the requirements for takaful insurance or not.

News Media Brand Equity in a New Media Environment

Abstract Digitalisation has profoundly altered how media are distributed and audiences consume media information, reshaping the media environment and introducing new competitors to media brands. This new media environment deludes media brand associations, contributing to an environment where audiences care less about content sources or brands of media. The younger audience, Generation Z, is an even more platform-on-demand and experience-driven audience. They favour social media and global media and care less about national media brands. Media consumption trends among youthful audiences have become crucial as the sector recognises this audience as a significant portion of the market today and signalling media consumption trends after coming generations. This study examines the impact of news media attributes and perceived uniqueness on news media brand equity in the new media environment. The study emphasises media brand distinctiveness and its effect on news media brand equity. The decision tree method is applied to predict the most significant news media attributes contributing to news media brand equity and the perceived uniqueness of the news media brand. Research results demonstrate the influence of content-consumption-related brand attributes and uniqueness on media brand equity.

Promoting consumer loyalty and resilience to negative information through brand identity sub-components: an empirical investigation in the luxury electronics goods

PurposeThe strategic importance of brand identity management has been emphasized in the brand management literature, but studies that examine brand identity sub-components effects on customer resilience to negative information are very few. In this regard, this study aims to examine the effect of brand distinctiveness and prestige as sub-components of identity on young customers’ loyalty and resilience to negative information through the mediating variable of brand attractiveness in the luxury electronics market.Design/methodology/approachUsing a structured questionnaire, data were collected. Based on a five-point Likert scale were asked of consumers and owners of electronic products (mobile phone, tablet and laptop) to indicate their level of disagreement and agreement with series of statements. After an analytic process, 422 valid questionnaires were obtained. The hypotheses were tested by using structural equation modeling.FindingsThe results showed that brand prestige and distinctiveness have direct effect on brand attractiveness, which prestige had more influence than distinctiveness. The results indicated that brand loyalty was strongly affected by direct brand attractiveness, and that the effect of brand attractiveness on the resilience to negative information was not significant. Finally, the study results showed that resilience to negative information is affected by brand loyalty.Originality/valueThis study is significant because it is one of the few studies that examines the effect of brand identity on brand attractiveness and consumers’ extra-role behavior, which results in the development of branding literature in the field of luxury products.

Social capital and consumer happiness: toward an alternative explanation of consumer-brand identification

The purposes of this study are to integrate organizational social capital theory and consumer happiness in a prior brand identification model and test the antecedents and consequences of consumer-brand identification over time. In the context of professional football, we collected data from 374 panel registrants of an online research service firm throughout a season. The results indicated consumer-brand identification was impacted to a greater extent by two social capital factors: (1) social interaction ties and (2) shared vision, than by brand prestige and brand distinctiveness. Both social interaction ties and consumer-brand identification were also predictive of future behavioral loyalty and purchase frequency. Further, our moderation analysis revealed the impact of consumer-brand identification on behavioral loyalty was contingent on consumer happiness. The proposed framework and results reinforce the importance of consumer-to-consumer social capital and consumer happiness and add new insights into the dynamics of consumer-brand identification, consumer happiness, and enduring consumer loyalty.

STAKEHOLDER AND VISITOR REFLECTIONS OF SPORT BRAND POSITIONING IN SOUTH AFRICA

The purpose of this paper was to identify stakeholder and visitor perceptions of brand images of the South African destination brand in order to examine how sport is utilised as a catalytic agent for achieving brand positioning. Following a mixed method approach, in-depth semistructured interviews were conducted with 24 sport, tourism, and government stakeholders. Survey questionnaires were administered with 403 sport event visitors at major events across South Africa. The results show congruence between stakeholder and sport event visitor perceptions on the multi-layered brand images of South Africa. Uniquely defined city brand images raise challenges and opportunities for establishing a coherent national brand positioning. The utilisation of sport for brand positioning is greatly dependent on brand distinctive ness and dedicated stakeholder vision and policy. The study provides a framework of recommendations that practically guide key industry stakeholders on value propositions that underpin brand positioning strategies. This study also makes a contribution to existing brand positioning t heories and practice by exploring the value proposition construct to a unique sport environment while employing real-life destination brand scenarios.

Understanding the Role of Brand Salience in Brand Choice Decisions in the Charity Sector

Despite the importance of branding in customer acquisition, little is known about the extent to which brand salience influences brand choice intention of new customers. Drawing upon associative network memory theory, we propose that brand salience is composed of brand prominence and brand distinctiveness, which are linked to brand choice intention of new customers. Our theoretical contention was empirically examined in the context of monetary donation to international aid-related charities by new donors. A mixed-method approach was utilized with semi-structured interviews with practitioners and donors, and two cross-sectional surveys. The study offers a holistic view for understanding brand salience and, as such, advances recent work focusing on the breadth and depth of brand associations in the customer’s mind.

The effect of brand anthropomorphism, brand distinctiveness, and warmth on brand attitude: A mediated moderation model

AbstractBrand anthropomorphism is one of the most widely used marketing strategies, and numerous studies have confirmed the positive effect of anthropomorphism on consumers' brand attitude. However, anthropomorphism does not always produce positive effects in particular conditions. This study focuses on the interaction effect of brand anthropomorphism and brand distinctiveness on brand attitude and tests the mediating effect of warmth and competence using the Stereotype Content Model. The results of two experiments show that brand anthropomorphism positively predicts consumers' brand attitude, and brand position (distinctiveness vs. popularity) moderates this relationship. Anthropomorphism may improve consumers' attitudes when the brand is positioned to be popular but has no effect on consumers' attitudes when the brand is positioned to be distinctive. Additionally, warmth (not competence) mediates the interaction effect of anthropomorphism and brand position on brand attitude. This study expands the extant knowledge on anthropomorphism and stereotypes in the field of consumption psychology and provides marketers with more rational strategies when applying anthropomorphism in marketing campaigns.