One of the first references in the realm of
branding was presented by Robinson (1933), who maintained that it is
possible to sell to different target audiences a variety of brands of
the same product that are similar to one another. The reason is that
they are different in quality, have different names, and bear different
labels. Since this historical reference, branding has become a major
marketing domain. In recent years, branding has been transformed from a
means of identifying merchandise into a main element in the strategy of
organizations. The changes in the perception of branding and the
recognition of the importance of the new perspective were slow. Until
recently, many organizations in the world tended to analyze marketing
problems from a broad perspective of product perception. However, today
the business viewpoint has changed and is more focused on than in the
past, and is guided by the brand perception. The recognition of the
importance of branding in the realm of marketing management has become
very significant in recent years.
The objective of this paper is to explore the relationships between
brand equity and the loyalty of young customers at different
involvement levels. The present research initiates an integration of
the multiple extant streams of research in brand equity, consumer
loyalty, and products purchasing involvement. It proposes the
incorporation of consumer loyalty theories into models of brand equity
measurement and the analysis of the target group that is mostly
affected by branding, namely young people. The research objective is to
enable the marketers how to understand better the parameters that
effect the re-purchasing decision, and to evaluate whether the factor
of level of involvement change the results from previous researches.
The research used a correlation research design. The type of sample
used in this research was a convenience sample. The research population
consisted of young men and women aged 18-25 who were considered the
target audience influenced by the strength of the brand. The researcher
located the population of the sample through the distribution of
questionnaires in shopping centers (where there are concentrations of
population). The sample was chosen so that it appropriately represented
the research population in the different demographic aspects.
The research examined the level of loyalty, involvement, and
relationship to the strength of the brand in three product categories:
Low level of involvement – Deodorant a leading brand in the deodorants
category in Israel.
Medium level of involvement – fashion clothes the strongest fashion
brand among youths and adolescents in Israel
High level of involvement – Cellular Phones brand designed for young
people.
The present research added to the information on the different factors
that influence the decision making process of consumers in the young
age group, in the purchase of products / brands and on how it is
possible to influence the young consumers and transform them into loyal
consumers of the brand so as to understand the influence of the brand
equity on their willingness to purchase.
The research examined the different variables and the degree of
influence of the level of consumer involvement, the level of loyalty,
and the relationship to the strength of the brand in the three product
categories. The results show that:
1.On low levels of involvement, the consumer loyalty is not
significantly influenced by the perceived product quality and the
purchase decision process is influenced by other parameters.
2.As the consumer more highly evaluates the brand equity and strength,
his loyalty increases. This relationship is weakened as the level of
product involvement rises.
3. In brands with a low level of involvement in purchase, there is a
strong influence between the brand strength and loyalty and purchase
and in products of high level of involvement the consumer will not
necessarily evince loyalty to the brand. In other words, the impact of
the brand strength on the loyalty is weakened as the level of
involvement increases.
Practical outcome:
A set of assets that adds to the value provided by a product or service:
1.Brand Equity
2.Perceived quality
3.Brand loyalty
4.Product category
The aforementioned aspects of branding are powerful sources for
companies to create and maintain competitive advantages.
The more successful a firm is when it comes to brand loyalty, the
greater the impact on marketing expenditures. Since a powerful brand
enjoys a high level of consumer brand awareness and loyalty, the
company will incur lower marketing costs relative to revenue.
Article Source:
http://www.articlesbase.com/marketing-articles/
the-relationship-between-the-brand-strength-and-the-loyalty-of-young-
customers-at-different-involvement-levels-72171.html About the Author
Dr. Erez Manhaimer is a senior managing partner of
BBDO Consulting – Israel (www.bbdo-consulting.co.il) |
