Brand Strength’s Nomological Net and Dimensional Dynamics: An Abstract

Abstract

This study contributes to the literature on brand strength in three ways. First, it examines a variety of antecedent influences on brand strength. Second, it examines the inter-dimensional influences among brand strength’s three dimensions. Third, it examines brand strength’s influence on word-of-mouth (WOM) behavior, and brand preference’s mediation influence on this relationship. To attain these contributions, an empirical research study was conducted. Data were collected using an online survey approach (N = 449) and analyzed using a structural equation modeling (SEM) methods. The results reveal that all but one of our proposed antecedents had a significant influence on our target brand strength dimensions. We found that brand familiarity has an antecedent influence on brand attitude and brand remarkability, which covary. We found that brand strength’s influence on WOM is partially mediated by brand preference. Favorable marketing outcomes like brand preference and WOM are influenced by brand strength but are distinct from, and should not be conflated with, brand strength. Brand strength is determined by the perceptions of one’s target market or group. Increasing brand strength, then, is achieved by favorably influencing the target segment’s perceptions of one’s brand. These perceptions are developed over time by information about the brand from all sources received by the target market or group as well as their experiences with the brand. In the case of brand attitude, brand experiences exert the greatest antecedent influence. To attain a strong brand, the brand object should be perceived to be excellent. It should be perceived as the best among its competitors or peer brands. This can be achieved by ensuring that the target brand performs in a superior manner (compared to other brands) with respect to the brand attributes that the target market or group considers to be important. In effect, a brand should be made to be extraordinary, excellent, and superior first. Then, brand familiarity can be increased through an ongoing communication program. Because consumers receive communications about a brand from different sources, managers should take measures to ensure that brand experiences are consistently favorable over time.