Enhancing the Prospect of Corporate Sustainability via Brand Equity: A Stakeholder Model

Abstract

Given that brand equity is increasingly recognized as a measure of corporate sustainability, in the present study, we examine the relationships among stakeholder benefits, stakeholder trust and brand equity. Derived from a sample of 433 stakeholders from 115 companies in Thailand, the findings indicate that functional benefits improve brand equity indirectly and directly via stakeholder trust and psychological benefits. On the other hand, psychological benefits improve brand equity indirectly and directly via stakeholder trust. Psychological benefits create more direct, positive effects on brand equity than functional benefits. The effects of functional benefits on brand equity are enhanced through psychological benefits. Directions for future studies and practical implications are also discussed.