Exploration of brand equity measures : linking customer mind-set measure to product-market performance measure

• Main Author: Huang, Rong, 1973-
• Format: Others
• Language: en
• Published: McGill University 2008
• Subjects: Brand name products > Management.; Brand choice.
• Online Access: http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=115606

Motivation: Various brand equity measures have been proposed in extant literature. Few researches have explored the theoretical similarities, differences and relationship between different brand equity measures. In the thesis, I will explore two types of brand equity measures, namely customer mind-set measures and product-market performance measures. In particular, I will look at: 1) the correlation between the two types of measures; 2) which measure reflects the underlying brand equity construct better; 3) the impacts of marketing mix elements on the two types measures respectively; and 4) the prediction relationship between customer mind-set measure and product-market performance measure. === Theoretical Framework: My main theoretical framework will be brand equity literature. I draw upon the Brand Value Chain framework (Keller & Lehmann, 2(03) to explore the conceptual differences between two types of brand equity measurements, namely customer mind-set and product-market performance measurements. Furthermore, I also use Keller's (1993) Customer-Based Brand Equity concept to explore how specific marketing activities impact the brand equity theoretically. === Data and Methodology: This thesis measures brand equity by two methods: customer mind-set (Keller, 1993) and revenue premium (Ailawadi, Lehmann, & Neslin, 2(03). I use two types of data in the empirical analyses. Survey data, procured from a consumer-packaged product company 1, is used to measure customer mind-set brand equity. This unique data consists of proprietary equity scan surveys on 11 brands from 2004 -- 2006 in the United States. The measurement model of brand equity is rooted in Keller's customer-based brand equity concept (1993). The measurements include brand awareness, brand performance, brand image, brand judgment, brand feelings and brand resonance (Keller, 2(01). The second data is from commercial sources, including IRI and TNS, for the specific brands and time periods corresponding to the survey data and includes revenue premium, price, sales, distribution, promotion, and advertising information. Various techniques are employed for analyses including descriptive and reliability analyses, correlation analyses, multiple-regression, and cross-validation. === Contribution: The contribution ofthis thesis is threefold. Firstly, it sheds light on the underlying theory and relationship between two types of brand equity measurements and provides empirical test of the theory. Secondly, it provides a systematic exploration of the impact of marketing mix elements on brand equity using real market data and two different measurements. Third, it offers very practical guidance for managers on how to choose a specific brand equity measures and how to track the brand equity measures over time for their brands. === 1Because a confidential agreement with this company, the company name, brands name as well as product category will be disguised in the thesis.