Does brand awareness influences purchase intention? The mediation role of brand equity dimensions

Abstract

This paper aims to identify the antecedent role of brand awareness in other dimensions of consumer-based brand equity (CBBE) and its impact on purchase intention. It is a quantitative study based on a survey conducted with 622 smartphone users. The theoretical hypothesis test was performed by structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and ordinary least squares (OLS) regression to analyze the mediation effect. The results demonstrate that brand awareness does not directly impact purchase intention. This effect is only observed when it is mediated by the three dimensions of CBBE - perceived quality, brand associations, and brand loyalty. This investigation makes two major contributions. First, it demonstrates that knowing a brand is not enough to generate consumers' purchase intent. Second, it uses the mediating effect of the other dimensions of CBBE (associations, loyalty, and perceived quality) to demonstrate that brand awareness acts as a first step in building brand value for consumers.