Brand Strength Research Articles

Salvinorin A content in legal high products of Salvia divinorum sold in Mexico

Salvia divinorum (Lamiaceae) is a herb native to Mexico where it is used by Mazatec shamans for spiritual and divination purposes. S. divinorum products are easily available to consumers and are used worldwide as legal highs because of the hallucinogenic effects caused mainly by salvinorin A. Highly popular videos and websites on the internet depicting the use of S. divinorum products have contributed to an increase in their consumption. Recent reports have highlighted the potential of these products to induce psychosis in consumers. In Mexico, dried leaf extracts of S. divinorum are sold in different strengths, claiming to correlate with increasing amounts of salvinorin A. In order to determine the variability of salvinorin A content between brands and to investigate possible correlation between brand strengths, this study sought to quantify salvinorin A in commercial products available in Mexico using an HPLC method. The HPLC analytical method showed a correlation coefficient R2>0.99, with LOD of 0.44μg/mL and LOQ of 1.34μg/mL. The retention time for salvinorin A was 23.09±0.95min and the measured concentrations ranged between 8.32±0.65 and 56.52±3.77mg/g dried leaf. The results for brand c did not show an agreement between the declared and the calculated amount of salvinorin A. Additionally, the emergence in Mexico of high strength salvia products (100×), the lack of regulation and the observed variability of salvinorin A content between brands of commercial legal highs products of S. divinorum could result in a health problem for consumers.

Interview with Wolfgang Gaertner on “Digitalization in Retail Banking: Differentiation and Standardization Through IT”

BISE: Mr. Gaertner, digitalization has massively impacted many industries in the recent years. Recent studies have also stressed the importance for the retail banking sector. What is your point of view? Gaertner: Financial advice becomes even more important in the digital age. Advice can go even beyond financial advice and does not have to be in person. This is why we are looking for new opportunities to offer products and services to our clients focusing on simplification and convenience by taking care of their financial and nonfinancial needs in daily life. A key differentiator among the competitors within the banking sector will be the client experience. Besides, brand strength has been and will be a key asset and differentiator, and strong brands will attract clients in the digital world. BISE: Historically, banks have followed a tailor-based software development approach emphasizing the importance of differentiation through individualized IT solutions. Recently, the potential of standardized product software has also been identified in the financial services industry. Do you leverage standard product software? If yes, why and where? Gaertner: First of all, we decided to use our own technology roadmap based on industry standards. For example, to date we have already achieved benefits in a double-digit million range per annum and reduced time to market by more than 70 % for the provision of infrastructure through our standardization of Database Servers on a private cloud solution. The usage of standard software is a vital part of our strategy. In the last decade, standardization of processes has been a major trend. Also driven by regulations and implementations of standards like SEPA in the financial industry, standard software is available especially for core banking and reporting systems. Deutsche Bank has a strategic partnership with SAP and is transforming the core systems for our retail banking platform in Germany including Deutsche Postbank. For client facing applications like online or mobile banking, we rely on proven industry standards and integrate standard products wherever they add value. However, the front end to the client is where we want to differentiate ourselves from the competition and where our different A. Madche (&) Chair of Information Systems IV and Institute for Enterprise Systems, University of Mannheim, Schloss, 68131 Mannheim, Germany e-mail: maedche@es.uni-mannheim.de

The impact of brand strength on satisfaction, loyalty and WOM: An empirical examination in the higher education sector

This study examines the effects of brand strength on satisfaction, loyalty and positive word-of-mouth (WOM) behavior. We employed systematic sampling involving 948 respondents from a top-ranked and mid-ranked university in Australia. Brand Strength is found to be a multi-dimensional construct consisting of Brand Familiarity, Brand Remarkability and Brand Attitude. All three dimensions of Brand Strength are significantly related to WOM through the partial mediating effects of satisfaction and loyalty. In addition, the analysis reveals that the inter-construct relationships involving Brand Familiarity, Brand Attitude and satisfaction are stronger among those enrolled at the mid-ranked university than those at the top-ranked university.

Properties of modified dry masonry mixtures for effective masonry units

The paper is devoted to the problem of the development of dry light-weight mixtures with hollow ceramics microspheres (CMS) for masonry works. For the one-layer fencing structures including effective masonry units, the use of "warm" masonry mortars is necessary. The used light-weight masonry mortars do not provide the brand strength and thermal uniformity of the fencing structures because of high average density. The CMS are effective light-weight aggregate for such mortars. The influence of the dosage of CMS on the physics- and-mechanics parameters and the technological properties of the masonry mortars has been studied. The optimal mixture compositions have been obtained and their main properties have been determined. The influence of an air-entraining admixture and redispersible polymer powders on the average density and physics-and-mechanics parameters of the masonry mortars have been studied. The optimal compositions of light-weight dry masonry mixtures with CMS have been suggested. It has been established that the mortars, obtained from such mixtures, have the requisite average density, the water retention capacity more than 95 %, high homogeneity and high strength characteristics. The application of the proposed mixtures enables to reduce the construction material costs and to improve the energy efficiency of the fencing structures.

Drivers of B2B Brand Strength — Insights from an International Study Across Industries

This study analyzes the effect of brand associations and marketing-mix instrument perceptions on brand strength for B2B firms. Although B2B brands may contribute substantially to firm profit, only little research has been directed at them. We close this research gap by analyzing a unique data set that spans across three countries and seven industries. We find that the brand-associations ‘sustainability and corporate governance” as well as ‘innovation and expertise” drive brand strength in B2B markets across all countries and industries. For marketing-mix instruments, product and distribution perceptions shape brand strength. However, the effects of marketing-mix instrument perceptions vary by industry and country.

Assortment Structure, Prior Knowledge and Brand Choice

在进行初次购买之时,商品陈列方式（基于属性与基于利益的陈列方式）和先验品牌知识（强势与弱势的品牌强度）如何影响消费者的品牌选择决策？研究发现,商品陈列方式显著地影响了消费者的品牌选择决策。这是因为商品陈列方式能够影响消费者处理信息的解释水平。由于解释水平的不同,商品陈列方式引发了消费者对商品多样性感知和产品质量感知的差异,最终影响了消费者的品牌选择决策。研究还发现,由于影响了消费者搜索和获取产品信息的动机,先验品牌知识（品牌强度）调节了这一影响关系。具体表现为,在弱势品牌的条件下,商品陈列方式显著地影响了消费者的品牌选择决策;但在强势品牌的条件下,商品陈列方式对消费者品牌选择决策的影响效应不再显著。

Design Innovativeness and Product Sales' Evolution

In the last decade, design innovation has gained increasing prominence in the marketplace, with a growing number of firms innovating not only through technology but also through novel product forms (i.e., design). However, while the effect of technological innovation on product sales is a heavily studied topic, a defining theory of how design innovation influences product sales is still missing. This paper provides demand- and supply-side theories to formulate a set of coherent hypotheses about the effect of design innovativeness, i.e., the degree of novelty in a product’s design, on sales' evolution over time. The hypotheses are tested in two different samples. In the first, car models introduced in the United States from 1978 to 2006 (for a total of 2,757 model-year data) are analyzed. In the second, motorcycle models introduced in the United States from 1980 to 2008 (for a total of 2,847 model-year observations) are analyzed. I find that design innovativeness diminishes initial sales' status but increases sales' growth rates. Furthermore, design and technological innovativeness have a negative interaction effect on sales' initial status, but a positive effect on sales' growth rates. Finally, brand strength and brand advertising expenditures worsen the negative effect of design innovativeness on initial sales' status, but boost its positive effect on sales' growth rates.

Painful Barbie in a Global Marketing Perspective

The essay discusses the American doll, Barbie within a global marketing perspective. It will summarize the main points of the case and explain how the material in the global marketing review relates to the case. The issues to be discussed will involve Mattel’s global marketing strategy for Barbie and its success. This will be negotiated with its brand strength as well as its icon status and how to create more marketing opportunities and turn the sales around in the US. These issues will also be taken from the perspective of the local Middle East culture when Mattel goes global in search for a befitting cultural nuance from its customers as well as seeking the perfect media response. The essay will also highlight the future suggestions for the product and the company.

"The Influence of University Brand Strength on Student Satisfaction, Loyalty, and Word-of-Mouth"

This study examines the effects of brand strength on satisfaction, loyalty, and positive word-of-mouth (WOM) comments. We employed systematic sampling involving 948 respondents from a top-ranked an...

Competition between Asian Network Airlines and Low-Cost Carriers

Asia Pacific is increasingly at the forefront of world aviation, and low-cost carriers (LCCs) there now have 26% of all seats. This amount rises to 57% in Southeast Asia and 56% in South Asia. Clearly, Asian network airlines are very exposed to LCCs, and there are many consequences, such as lower financial performance from inadequately meeting the expectations of customers, offering insufficient value for money, and customer dissatisfaction. It is crucial that Asian network airlines respond expeditiously and appropriately to LCCs. This paper looks at the strategic capability of 22 Asian network airlines in competing with LCCs on the basis of analyzing questionnaire data from these airlines with respect to the level of importance and difficulty of 37 competitive responses across six response categories. Fundamentally, this paper concerns only their capability in competing with LCCs and does not consider their overall strength. This paper also identifies the importance and difficulty of all 37 responses and how the response categories vary by airline, while linking strategic capability with profit margins. The results show that strategic capability varies widely, with Vietnam Airlines possessing the strongest strategic capability and SilkAir, the weakest. Of airlines that compete heavily with LCCs, Garuda Indonesia has strong capability, while Thai Airways and Philippine Airlines do not. For all 22 Asian network airlines, quickly introducing changes, leveraging brand strength, and increasing aircraft use are the most important responses, and there is a reasonably strong correlation between strategic capability and margin, suggesting that those airlines with strong capabilities should achieve higher margins.

New Product Development and Performance in the Banking Industry

In this competitive environment, the path to create and develop new products is a series of difficult trials. Considering the potential cascading effect that new product development could have on an organisation’s performance, previous researches may have under-estimated the impact of new product development on organisation performance. The main objective of this article is to hypothesise the impact of new product development on organisation performance. Two hundred and fifty banks’ customers voluntarily participated in this study. SmartPLS 2.0 (M3), also known as partial least squares (PLS), was applied to test the hypotheses that comprised of firm image, brand strength, market sensing capability, product innovativeness and new product quality on new product performance, and subsequently bootstrapping was conducted to investigate the standard error of the estimate and t-values. The findings revealed that four types of new product development factors, namely, firm image, brand strength, product innovativeness and new product quality were found to be positively related to new product performance. Potential limitations of the study and directions for future research are discussed further.

Emerging market consumers’ country of production image, trust and quality perceptions of global brands made-in China

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to explore the country of production (COP) image, trust and quality perceptions of Turkish consumers for well-known global brands that are produced in China. Design/methodology/approach – Using the mall-intercept survey method from the 17 largest cities in Turkey, 3,373 consumers were interviewed about their thoughts on the COP images, trust and quality perceptions of well-known global brands. Findings – Study findings show that the COP had a significant negative effect on brand image, brand trust and perceived quality of the global brands when consumers learned that China was the COP. Product type also influenced the intensity of the negative perceptions. Quality perceptions, image and trust were found to be highly correlated with purchase intentions. Research limitations/implications – Consumers’ levels of involvement with the products used in this study might be different in different countries. Different variables (such as lifestyles and personality) could provide additional explanation for the strength of the relationships identified between the COP information and quality perceptions. Global brands with different brand strength levels could be evaluated differently by the consumers. Practical implications – When a consumer product is manufactured in a country with unfavorable perceptions, well-known or recognized brands are not immune to the negative influences of the COP effect on brand image, quality and purchase intentions. Originality/value – The study used large-scale representative data collected from consumers in the actual shopping environment and examined the influence of the COP on perceived quality and purchase intentions of global brands in an emerging market.

Geographical brand and country-of-origin effects in the Chinese wine import market

The effect of origin on consumer choice, which is a pivotal topic for wine and food products, has not been fully explored in relation to the strength of geographical brands. This research provides new insights into geographical brand and country-of-origin (COO) effects in China. It focuses on the power of geographical brands in catalysing consumer expenditure, and the effect of COO in competition with Protected Designations of Origin (PDOs) and Protected Geographical Indications (PGIs) as specific typologies of geographical brands in the EU wine industry. With the help of the Restricted Source Differentiated Almost Ideal Demand System model, the study analyses Chinese still bottled wine imports. The main findings highlight the dual effect of geographical indications as umbrella brands and quality cues, depending on the level of aggregation. PDOs, PGIs and COO are found to have the same expenditure elasticity, and the European PDO policy played an important role to support the competition with the geographical indications of New World countries. The study sheds light on the opportunities and constraints for existing businesses and new entrants operating in the emerging Chinese wine market. The findings may also interest other industries seeking to deepen their COO brand management in China.

Žižek’s Brand of Philosophical Excess and the Treason of the Intellectuals: Wagers of Sin, Ugly Ducklings, and Mythical Swans

ZIZEK's BRAND OF EXCESS AND LA TRAHISON DES CLERCS No one who has tried to work in from a perspective which is even conscious of global hegemony of neo-liberalism and its social consequences can fail to be dismayed by atmosphere of complete disengagement which seems to infuse so much cultural studies and related areas of thought ... (Bowman and Stamp 77) I heard recently Oliver Cromwell's address to rump parliament in 1653 (online, I'm not a Time Lord) where he bawls out whole of House of Commons as whores, virtueless horses and money-grabbing dicklickers. I added last one but, honestly, that is vibe. I was getting close to admiring old Oliver for his calls it as he sees it, balls-out rhetoric till I read about him on Wikipedia and learned that beyond this brilliant 8 Mile-style takedown of corrupt politicians he was a right arsehole; starving and murdering Irish and generally (and surprisingly for a Roundhead) being a total square. The fact remains that if you were to recite his speech in parliament today you'd be hard pushed to find someone who could be legitimately offended. (Brand) Through his inimitable use of philosophical excess in form of frequently offensive examples and dirty jokes, Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Zizek has risen to either academic celebrity status or notoriety depending upon one's personal taste. The briefest survey of his work reveals serious philosophical points conveyed through jocular descriptions of sphincters, interracial threesomes, and Hegelian nature of shit. This paper uses specific case of Zizek and his use of filthy humour to explore wider questions about viability of excess as a compensatory strategy for today's version of la trahison des clercs--the intellectual pusillanimity and lack of engagement with social and consequences of neoliberal ideology, a problem recognised above by even one of Zizek's fiercest critics. This lack of engagement has produced an intellectual climate in which most basic critical concepts have become decaffeinated. Ironically, this is not because critical theory's insights have proved inaccurate, but rather opposite. Pragmatic accommodations by academics with capitalist realpolitik have plumbed such quotidian depths that familiarity has bred, not contempt, but consent. For example, instead of constituting a cautionary concept, Adorno and Horkheimer's deliberate oxymoron the culture industry has become smoothly co-opted into such new capitalism-acquiescent fields of study as creative and industries, and in today's UK university sector, scholars scrabble indecorously to prove to funding councils real world and commercial impact of their work. This paper argues that within such a depressingly acquiescent environment, comedic excess can serve a valuably uplifting corrective and countervailing role--in terms of advertising slogan for Heineken beer, it can still refresh parts that other forms of political analysis no longer reach. The second quotation above comes from a guest editorial by comedian Russell Brand for British political magazine, The New Statesman. Whilst calling for a revolution in way we think about our current political situation, Brand does so in a manner that shares Zizek's strategic use of ribald humour's excess as an ideological tool with which to critique contemporary mediascape. Shortly before publication of his article, Brand appeared on a BBC flagship news programme Newsnight questioned by doyen of aggressive British TV political interviewing, Jeremy Paxman. By end of interview, due to a combination of Brand's strength of feeling, radical nature of his views and paradoxically earnest nature of his defence of right to be facetious, Paxman (despite being widely referred to in press as a Rottweiler) appears to be visibly chastened and video of encounter went viral (Paxman). …

The Quest for Persuasive Advertising

Much of what is described as advertising pretesting is better viewed as an incomplete and imaginative attempt to measure steps along a surmised hierarchical process that is only indirectly related to the purposes for which the advertising is created. This paper reviews design weaknesses in current advertising pretesting and highlights prevalent misconceptions. Elements that, when present, contribute to enhanced brand feelings are identified. It finds a link between how people feel towards the brand and the way they react to its advertising but strength of brand has no affect on gaining attention.

Push-out bond strength of different mineral trioxide aggregates.

Objective:This study was aimed to evaluate and to compare the push-out bond strength of different brands of mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) with a calcium enriched mixture cement (CEM).Materials and Methods:Fifteen extracted, single-rooted human teeth were used. The middle-third of the roots were sliced perpendicular to the long axis into 1.00 ± 0.05 mm thick serial slices (15 root × 4 slice = 60 specimen). The specimens were then divided into three groups (n = 20). The standardized root discs were filled with white CEM, ProRoot MTA, MTA-Angelus and wrapped in a serum-soaked gauze. After 3 days at relative humidity, the push-out bond strengths were measured with a universal testing machine. Data were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance and post hoc Tukey tests.Results:The mean push-out bond strength value of the ProRoot MTA group (12.7 ± 2.5 MPa) was the highest and statistically significant difference was recorded between ProRoot MTA and other groups (P < 0.001). There was no significant difference between the mean bond strength of CEM cement (4.6 ± 1.1 MPa) and MTA-Angelus (4.5 ± 1.5 MPa) (P = 0.982).Conclusion:The push-out bond strength of MTA was changed with the brands and ProRoot MTA had the highest push-out bond strength.

Examining the drivers and brand performance implications of customer engagement with brands in the social media environment

A key issue for marketers resulting from the dramatic rise of social media is how brand pages can be leveraged to engage customers and enhance relationships with brands. The article examines the role of gratifications consumers derive from brand pages together with customer-brand relationship characteristics influencing customer engagement (CE) with Facebook brand pages. Data was gathered via a survey of 404 consumers of brand pages and analysed using structural equation modelling. The findings show that co-creation value, social value, usage intensity and brand strength influence CE with brand pages. CE was also found to influence brand performance outcomes of CE behaviours directed at the brand page and brand loyalty. The findings are of value to brand managers of social media sites and focus on how managing critical user gratifications together with customer-brand relationship variables acts as a mechanism for unlocking CE with brand pages. In addition, the study examines CE effects on both behaviours central to the brand page and brand loyalty outcomes in the research framework.

The Effect of Incongruence Between CEO and Corporate Brand Personality on Financial Analysts’ Attitudes and Assessment of a Company’s Performance

This research assesses the role of two types of nonfinancial information in investor relations: The personality of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and the personality of the corporate brand. As both personalities determine the identity of a company and the relationship with its stakeholders, we investigate their relevance and the effect of incongruence between these two personalities on financial analysts. Eleven semistructured interviews were conducted to answer the theoretically derived research questions. Empirical findings show that both personalities are relevant to analysts and that perceived incongruence between these personalities can cause adverse effects. Company size, stage of company development and strength of the corporate brand emerge as influencing factors. The findings point to the importance of integrated communication concerning a company’s relevant personalities when relating to stakeholders.

Pricing by intuition: Managerial choices with limited information

In making pricing decisions, managers can chose from several pricing strategies. To ensure long-term business success, pricing choices need to balance numerous requirements, from revenue streams to keeping customers happy. The complexity of pricing decisions and time pressures that often accompany them prompt the need for fast, simplified decision algorithms. The present exploratory study examines the ways in which considerations of price fairness and competitive strategy combine in managers' decisions regarding the price level.Results of a survey of 116 brand managers provide no evidence of complex, compensatory decision algorithms. Cluster analysis of managers' responses to hypothesized pricing scenarios shows that with limited information available, decision-makers tend to simply charge consistently higher, lower, or equal prices compared to their competitors irrespective of the quality of their products. Descriptive profiles of the clusters suggest that brand strength has the strongest impact on managers' pricing choices, suggesting a brand heuristic as the main decision tool. Competitive intensity, organizational culture, and strategic orientation are also related to particular patterns of pricing decisions.

Position matters when we stand together: a linguistic perspective on composite brand extensions

Composite branding extensions, wherein two existing brands ally themselves to create a composite brand name and enter a different product category, have become a common way to introduce a new product. An important managerial issue is deciding how to position the two brand names within the expression to communicate this alliance to consumers. Drawing on linguistic theories, this research explores how consumers may interpret different composite brand expressions relative to the positions of the two brand names in the expressions. We find that the brand in the initial position of most expressions is perceived as more closely associated with, and more responsible for the extension product than the other brand in the alliance. This perceived responsibility is also influenced by the perceived relative brand strengths, or the marketing abilities of both brands.