Building Brand Equity Research Articles

The impact of subjective norms, eWOM and perceived brand credibility on brand equity: application to the higher education sector

PurposeThe growing competitive environment in which higher education institutes are immersed has caused them to strengthen their competitive position of a brand and its equity in emerging countries. However, there are several contradictions between the empirically approved determinants and the dimensions of brand equity in higher education. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the structural relationship between subjective norms, electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM), perceived brand credibility and brand equity, taking cross-culturally comparisons between Sri Lanka, and Vietnam.Design/methodology/approachA survey was used to collect data from a sample of 800 undergraduates of private higher education institutions in Sri Lanka and Vietnam in 2019. These data were gathered using purposive sampling and analyzed using a structural equation model. A total of 768 questionnaires were considered valid. In testing the hypothesis and structure among the variables, structural equation modelling was used to determine the relationship between subjective norms, eWOM, perceived brand credibility and brand equity for the higher education institutes in emerging countries.FindingsFor the conceptual framework, the author found that this structural equation model complies with the empirical data. The structural equation model shows that subjective norms, eWOM and perceived brand credibility were significantly related to brand equity. Perceived brand credibility was found to be the mediating variable. Further, the location was found to moderate the relationship between perceived brand credibility and brand equity, highlighting that Vietnamese students are more relying on perceived brand credibility in creating brand equity than their Sri Lankan counterparts.Research limitations/implicationsThe study was conducted at private higher education institutes in Sri Lanka and Vietnam. Future research could benefit from perceptions of undergraduates in public higher education institutes. This study discusses the implications of developing branding strategies for higher education institutions.Originality/valueThe current research contributes to the services marketing and branding literature in the higher education context. The paper presents the crucial elements in building brand equity for higher education institutes to fill the existing gaps in higher education branding literature. The findings of the current study provide strategies to improve the higher education sector.

The Causal Effect of Corporate Social Responsibility and Corporate Reputation on Brand Equity: A Fuzzy-Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has become an international phenomenon, and while enterprises are engaging in related activities for the benefit of stakeholders, one might question whether CSR has a key driving role at establishing corporate reputation and brand equity. To address the issue, this research explores the causal impact of CSR and corporate reputation on brand equity by using structural equation modeling and fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis. The findings from structural equation modeling show that CSR has a positive effect on brand equity and corporate reputation. In addition, fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis identifies several causal configurations of CSR and corporate reputation in building brand equity. Overall, the driving factors of CSR and corporate reputation, depending on enterprise characteristics, have different impacts on brand equity. These results suggest that companies need to rethink their strategic actions for brand equity building.

Internal branding: conceptualization from a literature review and opportunities for future research

Recently, internal branding has gained relevance in the marketing literature because researchers recognize that corporate brand management not only implicates external actions but also an internal approach that involves employees. Despite the growing interest, there is no consensus among authors about antecedents, dimensions, and outcomes of internal branding. In this sense, this paper aims to explore the conceptualization of internal branding and to offer opportunities for future research. The study is a systematic literature review that uses a specific database. The contributions of each article were extracted, organized, and processed following systematic procedures. This review defines internal branding as a cross-functional process that involves both marketing and human resource departments. It focuses on managing the brand internally through brand-centered human resource management, internal brand communications, and brand leadership, with the aim of achieving brand outcomes among employees (brand understanding, brand identification, brand commitment, brand loyalty, brand citizenship behaviors) so they can build brand equity in front of external stakeholders. Although a lack of consensus had been established, the literature evidenced similarities that gave rise to the conceptualization proposed in this study. Nevertheless, the discussion about internal branding is still open because there are several issues to investigate in this field.

The use of branding strategies to increase the uptake of modern contraception among Kenyan youth

Building brand equity is a strategic process that can boost normative and behavior change campaigns. However, the use of brand equity within the social and health sciences remains an under-researched field in lower income countries. This work examines Shujaaz, a multi-channel communication platform that uses branding strategies to create positive associations with safe sexual and reproductive health (SRH) practices among Kenyan youth. This study has the following three goals: (1) define and measure Shujaaz brand equity and its components (i.e., loyalty, awareness, perceived quality, popularity and brand personality), (2) analyze if Shujaaz brand equity components are associated with changes in SRH practices among youth, and (3) explore if Shujaaz brand loyalty could be better defined as an outcome, not a component of brand equity. The study uses data from a survey among 450 Kenyan youth interviewed three times; in 2016, 2017, and 2018. The analytical sample includes only those participants who self-reported exposure to Shujaaz. Fixed-effect logistic regression models were used to analyze the association between measures of brand equity and SRH outcomes, and to measure the association between brand equity measures and brand loyalty. Regression estimates indicate that loyalty to the Shujaaz brand was significantly associated with ever using condoms ( OR = 1.79), ever using modern contraception ( OR = 1.95), and with the likelihood of recommending condoms ( OR = 1.88). Shujaaz brand personality was significantly associated with ever using a condom ( OR = 1.87). When analyzing brand loyalty as the outcome of interest, we observe that brand personality, brand awareness, and popularity are positively associated with loyalty. However, no significant association was observed for perceived brand quality. This study underscored the role of brand loyalty as a determinant of health behavior change. However, loyalty to the brand is strongly associated with popularity, awareness, and brand personality, highlighting the need for mediation models to further study the dynamics of brand equity.

When does an online brand community backfire? An empirical study

Purpose Although online brand communities (OBCs) are extensively demonstrated to be an important social media tool in building brand equity, they may have backfire effects under certain conditions. Drawing from the self–brand connection theory, the purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of group heterogeneity on brand commitment. The mediation effect of self–brand connection and moderation effect of brand symbolism has also been examined. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected using a survey of 498 users from a range of OBCs. Hierarchical regression and bootstrapping method were used to test the research model. Findings The findings indicate that group heterogeneity negatively affects brand commitment in which self–brand connection plays a role of mediation. Further, the negative effect is more pronounced for high-symbolic brands than low-symbolic ones. Practical implications Brand managers are advised to note the dark side of OBCs in general and alleviate the adverse effects of group heterogeneity in particular, especially for high-symbolic brands. Originality/value Previous research pays little attention to the adverse effect of OBCs. This study enriches the literature by revealing that the backfire effect of OBCs arises when users become heterogeneous and uncovering in what situations the negative effect is stronger.

Serena, Inc.: Using Instagram to build brand equity after a crisis

Serena Williams is one of the most successful athletes of all time. In addition to dominating the professional tennis circuit for decades, she has also built a massive business empire while becoming a first-time mother and wife. During this time of transition, Williams experienced a significant crisis moment during the 2018 US Open. Williams did not publicly acknowledge or apologise for the crisis and instead focused on a new sense of direction after living through the experience, much of which is documented and promoted on her Instagram account. This exploratory case study focuses on Serena Williams’s use of Instagram as a crisis communication strategy to repair her reputation and protect the value of her brand. The study centres on reputation repair in post-crisis communication, in particular on the rhetoric of renewal, which concentrates on the positive view of an organisation’s future instead of ongoing discussions about crisis and responsibility. An analysis of 421 of Williams’s Instagram posts over a two-year time span revealed that Williams used Instagram primarily to share private family moments, remind audiences about her legacy, and to build a business empire. The six themes that emerged suggest useful lessons for practitioners looking to use Instagram not only to mitigate a crisis but to build brand equity at the same time.

Looking at you: celebrity direct eye gaze influences social media post effectiveness

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to introduce and examine the effect of a celebrity’s eye gaze on self-celebrity connection. A celebrity’s direct (vs averted) eye gaze can be used as a tactic in social media posts to increase self-celebrity connection and behavioral intentions. Examining the effectiveness of a celebrity’s eye gaze is important, as celebrities regularly use social media to manage their brand image and to build a relationship with consumers.Design/methodology/approachStudy 1 examines the effect of a celebrity’s eye gaze (direct vs averted) on self-celebrity connection. Study 2 investigates the role of celebrity authenticity in explaining the effect of a celebrity’s eye gaze on consumer–celebrity brand relationships. Study 3 examines the moderating role of a non-Duchenne smile (fake, social smile) in diluting the effect of a celebrity’s direct eye gaze on self-celebrity connection and the downstream consequences on behavioral intentions.FindingsThe findings from Study 1 indicate that a celebrity’s direct (averted) eye gaze strengthens (weakens) self-celebrity connection. Study 2 provides evidence of celebrity authenticity as the explanation for stronger consumer–celebrity connection when a celebrity is featured with a direct eye gaze. The results of Study 3 show that a fake smile in a celebrity’s social media posts can weaken relationships with and behavioral intentions toward celebrities with a direct eye gaze.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper is limited, as it focuses only on eye gaze and smiles as non-verbal cues depicted in celebrity images on social media.Practical implicationsThis paper has important implications for celebrities, celebrity brand managers (including digital/social media marketing managers and public relations professionals) and advertisers. Celebrities, celebrity brand managers and advertisers should develop social media posts that can strengthen consumer–celebrity relationships and positively influence behaviors toward the celebrity through: 1) ensuring that photographs are taken with the celebrity looking directly into the camera at the target (audience); and 2) avoiding posting images of a celebrity’s direct eye gaze with a non-Duchenne (fake) smile.Originality/valueThis paper introduces and provides evidence of a celebrity’s direct eye gaze–self-celebrity relationship effect. Tactics, such as eye gaze, can strengthen consumer–celebrity relationships, which is crucial in building brand equity and in increasing financial value for the celebrity.

Building brand equity through communication consistency in luxury hotels: an impact-asymmetry analysis

PurposeThis paper examines the development of customer-based brand equity through communication consistency in a luxury hotel segment. Communication consistency is considered as a basic principle of the integrated marketing communications (IMC) approach.Design/methodology/approachThe empirical research was conducted among 223 guests during their stay in five-star deluxe luxury hotels in a Mediterranean country. Data are analyzed through the PLS technique and impact-asymmetry analysis.FindingsCommunication consistency is found to have a strong positive impact on all brand equity dimensions, especially on brand trust, brand image and perceived quality. The impact-asymmetry analysis further revealed negatively asymmetric relationships between communication consistency and six out of seven brand equity dimensions, except for affective commitment.Research limitations/implicationsSome restrictions related to the measurement scales should be mitigated in future research.Practical implicationsCommunication consistency is confirmed as a core management practice in luxury hotel business. Marketing professionals operating in this industry are therefore confronted with increasing challenges of efficient management of IMC.Originality/valueThis work addresses several research calls from the most recent marketing and hospitality literature. The analysis of the impact of communication consistency has extended our knowledge on the potential of IMC in creation of a strong brand. Obtained insights into the shape of the relationship between communication consistency and seven different brand equity dimensions help to better understand the process of brand equity building in a luxury hotel setting.

The Role of Marketing Mix Strategies on Brand Loyalty of Cable Products

This study was carried out with the intention of examining the role of the marketing mix on brand loyalty advertising and pricing play in building brand equity. The study focuses on a new cable brand (Belayab Cable) and attempts to find out the role of marketing mix elements on brand loyalty of Belayab Cable products. For this study, an accessible population of 62 Belayab Cable consumers who have used its products at least twice was selected randomly from stratified groups of three types of customers (Contractors, Traders, Electo Mechanical Engineers, and Government,). A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from respondents by using a self-administered data collection system. In addition to the questionnaire, semi-structured interview questions are prepared to get information from the organization which is analyzed qualitatively. The STATA is used to process the primary data which were collected through questionnaires. The findings showed that the role of product quality, price, and availability has a positive and significant role in brand loyalty. On the other hand, the price has no significant role in brand loyalty for the cable of a brand. Therefore, in order to maximize the effectiveness of marketing activities and have more loyal customers in cable industry companies should pay more attention to product quality, availability, and promotions.

The Impact of College and University Advertising Expenditures on Key Performance Indicators Using Business Analytics Modeling

The Impact of College and University Advertising Expenditures on Key Performance Indicators Using Business Analytics Modeling

Internationalisation and branding strategy

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to analyse how professional football clubs have attained success with internationalisation and branding strategies in foreign markets.Design/methodology/approachBased on an inductive approach, 27 semi-structured interviews were conducted to analyse the perceptions of Ghanaian fans of four English Premier League teams.FindingsThe findings of this study highlight that the strength of professional football brand equity is jointly determined by the level of brand awareness, brand loyalty and perceived quality. However, increasing competition in international markets require professional football clubs to clearly define their marketing strategies to improve how fans perceive them.Originality/valueThis paper is one of the few studies to use country-of-origin paradigm and signalling theory to explain football brand equity building, thereby extending the earlier work of Chanavat and Bodet (2009). Its empirical focus on Africa is also unique and provides evidence to suggest that global marketers have the opportunity to capitalise on market expansion opportunities in developing economies.

Leveraging secondary associations to build brand equity: theoretical perspectives and practical applications

One potentially valuable strategy for companies to build brand equity for their products and services is to actually link their brands to other people, places and things. By linking their brands to these other entities, consumers may change how they think, feel or act towards the company’s brands. To help understand how these secondary associations can transform brand knowledge, a comprehensive, cohesive model of brand building – the brand resonance model – is reviewed and applied. Theoretical insights are generated and practical issues are identified and discussed to aid brand planning and measurement.

Is Instgram is an effective Brand conversation Platform A Study among the young Instagram users in India

Instagram generally perceived to be a brand engagement than brand awareness medium. The research aimed at investigating the most influencing variable among various brand equity concepts such as brand awareness, brand association, brand loyalty and perceived quality of Instagram users in India. Though numerous researches explored Facebook and Twitter users on this context, there is little research on Instagram despite being the emerging visual communication medium. The result of this survey-based research indicates that young users perceive the brand circulated on Instagram as quality, followed by brand loyalty and brand association. The brand awareness had a subtle relationship with overall brand equity, and this result asserts that Instagram is perceived as better of brand engagement tool than brand awareness medium while building brand equity for a product.

Internal Branding: An Engine in Building and Sustaining Brand Equity – A Conceptual Paper

The 21st century business environment is very dynamic, competitive and complex due to unpredictable changing consumer behaviour, savvy customers, globalization and the impact of technology in general. Organization managers are struggling to think and rethink of the best competitive marketing strategies that can help them to survive in the game. One of the strategies effectively utilized is branding. Organizations are struggling to build appealing, and strong brands that can help to outlive in the game and make profit. Considering that, different strategies employed by managers to invest in building strong brand equity have been promoted in literature; conceptualization of the power of internal branding in building strong brand equity is not clearly established. Therefore, this paper aims at conceptualizing internal branding as an important instrument or strategy that can help an organization to build and sustain brand equity.

Brand equity in Caribbean financial services: the moderating role of service providers

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to develop an integrated model to represent how service experience (core, employee and service scale), customer satisfaction (transaction-specific and cumulative) and brand affinity influence brand equity in financial services, taking into account the moderating influence of financial service providers.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from 751 customers in three types of financial service providers (banks, insurance companies and credit unions), and analyzed with structural equation modeling and multi-group analysis.FindingsThe findings confirm the significant and positive influence of service experience, customer satisfaction and brand affinity on brand equity. Employee service experience has the strongest influence, but its impact is mediated by customer satisfaction. Brand affinity has the lowest influence on brand equity. The type of financial service provider moderates the influence of customer satisfaction on brand equity; transactional satisfaction is more important for credit unions and insurance companies, but cumulative satisfaction is higher for banks.Practical implicationsThe study is significant for three reasons. First, it reconciles branding strategies across different types of financial service providers. Second, it will help financial managers to develop and implement a more integrated approach toward building brand equity for financial service brands. Finally, it will identify specific service-related areas financial providers can target to increase customers’ preferential value.Originality/valueThe paper addresses previous concerns within brand equity studies by examining the drivers of brand equity formation in multiple financial institutions. It shows how different aspects of service experience and customer satisfaction affect brand affinity and preferential attitudes toward financial brands.

Social media brand engagement: dimensions, drivers and consequences

Purpose This paper aims to advance the current understanding of social media (SM) brand engagement. Specifically, it validates the dimensionality of SM brand engagement, examines its drivers and explores the impact of SM brand engagement on brand equity. Design/methodology/approach A survey was conducted with 433 Generation Y (Gen Y) SM users. Findings The study results validate SM brand engagement as a multidimensional construct comprising utilitarian, hedonic and social dimensions. Three categories of SM engagement antecedents were identified: social factors (social identity and tie-strength), user-based factors (service, product and price information, hedonic motives and prior experience with SM) and firm-generated information (personalized advertising, mass advertising, promotional offers and price information). Finally, SM brand engagement was positively related to brand equity. Research limitations/implications This study focused on Gen Y SM users in India. This study should be replicated in other contexts to establish the generalizability of the findings. Practical implications A better understanding of the dimensionality and drivers of SM brand engagement can help managers to enhance their SM strategies to build brand equity. Originality/value This is the first study to provide a comprehensive examination of the dimensions, drivers and consequences of SM brand engagement.

PENGARUH PERSEPSI KUALITAS DAN CITRA MEREK TERHADAP LOYALITAS MEREK DALAM MEMBANGUN EKUITAS MEREK

The purpose of this study is to analyze the influence of perceived quality and brand image on brand loyalty towards Reebok shoes brand equity. The population of this study is people who have used Reebok shoes, while the study sample is 80 people determined using non-probability sampling method specifically purposive sampling. The analytical tool used in this study is PLS (Partial Least Square). Based on the results of the analysis, perceived quality has a positive and significant effect on brand loyalty, brand image has a positive and significant effect on brand loyalty, and brand loyalty has a positive and significant effect on brand equity. To build brand equity, Reebok should focus on customer brand loyalty by paying attention to their customers’ perceived quality and image of the brand.
 Keywords: perceived quality, brand image, brand loyalty, brand equity

The brand language brief: A pillar of sound brand strategy

When carefully planned, language can be a strategic tool for managing a brand’s communication to target customers and for building brand equity. This paper explains how and why managers should conduct a brand language audit — a comprehensive inventory of the many and varied linguistic devices used by brands in the category — and then use the findings from the audit to develop a brand language brief. The brand language brief is like a blueprint for crafting a distinctive language for a brand. It ensures that a brand’s language aligns with a brand’s overall communications strategy; it guides development of the language that will be deployed throughout all of the brand’s marketing initiatives, including brand naming, claims, advertising, packaging, sales promotion, and even face-to-face and online interaction at the point of purchase. The authors argue that a strong brand language brief will help bring attention to a brand’s message, enhance message comprehension and memory, convey the desired brand personality and contribute to the formation of sustainable relationships with consumers. A brand language strategy will be a driving factor in a brand’s marketplace success.

A Structural Equation Modeling on Analysis of Preference Advertisement in Building Brand Equity

Preference advertisement is a promotional system in which marketer claims the superiority of their product or brand over competing product(s) or brand, directly or indirectly. Preference advertisement helps in comparing alternative brands on bases of features, price, and other distinctive information. Brand equity is the total worth of the brand. Brand equity can be measured in two different perspective i.e. cognitive psychology is the attribute perception that is related to the awareness regarding the brand features and associations whereas another information economics is associated towards strong brand name which is created through the quality of the product and good quality generates a premium prices for the brand. In the monetary terms it’s the value that the organization expects from the brand. Preference advertisement can either be transferred directly to the brand. The objective of this study is to analyze the impact of preference advertisement in building the brand equity. Therefore to achieve the objective, different analysis tools used in the study are: mean, confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling technique. The finding shows that preference advertisement has a significantly positive impact on building the brand equity.

Consumers’ implicit attitudes toward corporate social responsibility and corporate abilities: Examining the influence of bank governance using the implicit association test

In studying corporate association valence for two dimensions: corporate social responsibility (CSR) and corporate abilities (CA), this paper aims to investigate how corporate governance may contribute to brand equity. Using an experimental design, this research measures implicit consumers attitudes with two implicit association tests (IAT) to assess the potential moderating effect of banks governance. In study 1, we manipulated solidarity vs. non-solidarity concept (major meaning associated with CSR) by mobilizing 116 respondents. In study 2, we manipulated performance vs. non-performance concept (major meaning associated with CA) by mobilizing 96 respondents. Results reveal that the CSR association is more positive for member-owned banks than for investor-owned banks. Conversely, the CA association is more positive for investor-owned banks than for member-owned banks. These results emphasize the role of governance in building brand equity through its impact on the valence of the brand associations.