DOI QR코드

DOI QR Code

An Exploratory Study on Measuring Brand Image from a Network Perspective

네트워크 관점에서 바라본 브랜드 이미지 측정에 대한 탐색적 연구

  • Jung, Sangyoon (Information Systems, Graduate School of Business, Seoul National University) ;
  • Chang, Jung Ah (Associate of Marketing team, NAVER SNOW) ;
  • Rho, Sangkyu (Information Systems, Graduate School of Business, Seoul National University)
  • Received : 2020.08.31
  • Accepted : 2020.10.30
  • Published : 2020.11.30

Abstract

Along with the rapid advance in internet technologies, ubiquitous mobile device usage has enabled consumers to access real-time information and increased interaction with others through various social media. Consumers can now get information more easily when making purchase decisions, and these changes are affecting the brand landscape. In a digitally connected world, brand image is not communicated to the consumers one-sidedly. Rather, with consumers' growing influence, it is a result of co-creation where consumers have an active role in building brand image. This explains a reality where people no longer purchase products just because they know the brand or because it is a famous brand. However, there has been little discussion on the matter, and many practitioners still rely on the traditional measures of brand indicators. The goal of this research is to present the limitations of traditional definition and measurement of brand and brand image, and propose a more direct and adequate measure that reflects the nature of a connected world. Inspired by the proverb, "A man is known by the company he keeps," the proposed measurement offers insight to the position of brand (or brand image) through co-purchased product networks. This paper suggests a framework of network analysis that clusters brands of cosmetics by the frequency of other products purchased together. This is done by analyzing product networks of a brand extracted from actual purchase data on Amazon.com. This is a more direct approach, compared to past measures where consumers' intention or cognitive aspects are examined through survey. The practical implication is that our research attempts to close the gap between brand indicators and actual purchase behavior. From a theoretical standpoint, this paper extends the traditional conceptualization of brand image to a network perspective that reflects the nature of a digitally connected society.

스마트폰의 등장으로 우리는 언제 어디서나 쇼핑이 가능하고, 소셜미디어로 연결된 광범위한 인적 네트워크와 웹사이트를 통해 손쉽게 다양한 정보와 전문가들의 의견을 살펴볼 수 있게 되었다. 제한된 정보 창구로 인해 브랜드 인지도에 의존하였던 과거와는 다르게, 다양한 창구를 통해 제품과 서비스에 대한 정보를 손쉽게 얻을 수 있는 시대가 도래한 것이다. 그 결과, 디지털 시대의 소비자들은 과거와는 다르게 기업의 일방적인 의도대로 브랜드 이미지를 수용하는 것에서 벗어나, 소비자들 간의 소통을 통해 브랜드 이미지의 형성에 영향을 미칠 정도로 그 영향력이 증대되었다. 소비자들은 더 이상은 그 브랜드를 안다고 해서 혹은 그 브랜드가 유명하다고 해서 바로 구매를 하지 않는다. 따라서, 이렇게 변화한 시대에 전통적인 브랜드 측정 방법의 유효성에 대해 의문을 제시하게 되었다. 그러나 아직까지 변화한 사회환경을 반영한 측정 방법은 논의된 바가 없으며, 실무자들은 현재까지 전통적인 측정 방법을 이용해 오고 있는 것이 현실이다. 따라서 본 연구에서는 기존 브랜드의 정의와 측정방법에 대해 한번 살펴보고, 디지털 시대에 보다 적합하면서 직접적인 측정 방법을 제안하고자 한다. 본 연구에서 제안하는 측정 방법은 "친구를 보면 그 사람을 알 수 있다"는 속담처럼, 함께 구매되는 상품의 브랜드를 통해 해당 브랜드의 진정한 위치와 이미지를 파악하는 방법이다. 이를 위해 온라인 커머스 사이트인 아마존에서 함께 구매되는 화장품 데이터를 브랜드 단위의 네트워크로 구축하고, 이를 토대로 브랜드 이미지를 평가하는 방법을 제시하였다. 기존에는 소비자의 인식 혹은 인지적인 측면을 설문조사로 파악하거나 기업의 재무상태를 통해 브랜드를 측정했던 과거와는 달리, 본 연구에서 제시하는 방법은 실질적인 구매 데이터를 통해 구축된 제품의 네트워크를 분석함으로써 관련 브랜드 지표와 실질적인 구매 행동 간의 간극을 좁히고자 한 데에 의의가 있다. 또한 연결된 세상의 네트워크 관점을 바탕으로 전통적인 브랜드 개념을 보다 확장하였으며, 이를 통해 보다 현실에 적합한 측정도구를 제시하였다는 것에 의의가 있다.

Keywords

References

  1. Aaker, D. A., Managing Brand Equity:Capitalizing on the Value of Brand Name, Simon & Schuster, New York, 1991.
  2. Aaker, D. A., Building Strong Brands, Free Press, New York, New York, p. 150, 1996.
  3. Aaker, D. A., "Measuring Brand Equity Across Products and Markets," California Management Review, Vol. 38, No. 3, pp. 102-120, 1996. https://doi.org/10.2307/41165845
  4. Aaker, D. A., Kumar, V., Leone, R. P., and Day, G. S., Marketing Research (11th ed.), John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, New Jersey, pp. 635-654, 2013.
  5. Adjei, M. T., Noble, S. M., and Noble, C. H., "The Influence of C2C Communications in Online Brand Communities on Customer Purchase Behavior," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Vol. 38, No. 5, pp. 634-653, 2009. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-009-0178-5
  6. American Marketing Association, Marketing Definitions: A Glossary of Marketing Terms, AMA, Chicago, Illinois, 1960.
  7. "Brand Finance's Methodology," https://brandirectory.com/methodology (accessed 2020 Aug 23).
  8. Chang, J., "Measuring brand image based on network analysis: an exploratory study," Master's Thesis, Seoul National University, 2017.
  9. Christodoulides, G. and De Chernatony, L., "Consumer-based Brand Equity Conceptualization and Measurement: A Literature Review," International Journal of Market Research, Vol. 52, No. 1, pp. 43-66, 2010. https://doi.org/10.2501/S1470785310201053
  10. Da Silveira, C., Lages, C., and Simoes, C., "Reconceptualizing Brand Identity in a Dynamic Environment," Journal of Business Research, Vol. 66, No. 1, pp. 28-36, 2013. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2011.07.020
  11. Dall'Olmo Riley, F., Brand Definitions and Conceptualizations: the Debate. In: Dall' Olmo Riley, F., Singh, J., and Blankson, C., (eds.) The Routledge Companion to Contemporary Brand Management, Routledge, Abingdon, United Kingdom, pp. 3-12, 2016.
  12. De Chernatony, L. and Dall'Olmo Riley, F., "Defining a "brand": Beyond the Literature with Experts' Interpretations," Journal of Marketing Management, Vol. 14, No. 5, pp. 417-443, 1998. https://doi.org/10.1362/026725798784867798
  13. De Chernatony, L., Harris, F., and Christodoulides, G., "Developing a Brand Performance Measure for Financial Services Brands," The Service Industries Journal, Vol. 24, No. 2, pp. 15-33, 2004. https://doi.org/10.1080/02642060412331301232
  14. Deighton, J. and Kornfeld, L., "Interactivity's Unanticipated Consequences for Marketers and Marketing," Journal of Interactive Marketing, Vol. 23, No. 1, pp. 4-10, 2009. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intmar.2008.10.001
  15. Dirsehan, T. and Kurtulus, S., "Measuring brand image using a cognitive approach:Representing brands as a network in the Turkish airline industry," Journal of Air Transport Management, Vol. 67, pp. 85-93, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jairtraman.2017.11.010
  16. Dobni, D. and Zinkhan, G. M., "In Search of Brand Image: A Foundation Analysis," Advances in Consumer Research, Vol. 17, pp. 110-119, 1990.
  17. Etzel, M. J., Walker, B. J., and Stanton, W. T., Marketing (14th ed.), McGraw-Hill, New York, 2006
  18. Erdem, T., Keller, K. L., Kuksov, D., and Pieters, R., "Understanding Branding in a Digitally Empowered World," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Vol. 33, No. 1, pp. 3-10, 2016. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijresmar.2015.12.003
  19. Faircloth, J. B., Capella, L. M., and Alford, B. L., "The Effect of Brand Attitude and Brand Image on Brand Equity," Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, Vol. 9, No. 3, pp. 61-75, 2001. https://doi.org/10.1080/10696679.2001.11501897
  20. Farquhar, P. H., "Managing Brand Equity," Marketing Research, Vol. 1, No. 3, pp. 24-33, 1989.
  21. Gensler, S., Volckner, F., Liu-Thompkins, Y., and Wiertz, C., "Managing Brands in the Social Media Environment," Journal of Interactive Marketing, Vol. 27, No. 4, pp. 242-256, 2013. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intmar.2013.09.004
  22. Gobble, M. M., "Digitalization, digitization, and innovation," Research-Technology Management, Vol. 61, No. 4, pp. 56-59, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1080/08956308.2018.1471280
  23. Gurhan-Canli, Z., Hayran, C., and SarialAbi, G., "Customer-based Brand Equity in a Technologically Fast-paced, Connected, and Constrained Environment," AMS Review, Vol. 6, No. 1, pp. 23-32, 2016. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13162-016-0079-y
  24. Hao M. C., Dayal, U., Hsu, M., Sprenger, T., and Gross, M. H., Visualization of Directed Associations in E-commerce Transaction Data, In: Ebert D. S., Favre J. M., and Peikert R. (eds), Data Visualization 2001, Eurographics, Springer, Vienna, Austria, pp. 185-192, 2001.
  25. Hendler, J., "Web 3.0 Emerging," Computer, Vol. 42, No. 1, pp. 111-113, 2009. https://doi.org/10.1109/MC.2009.30
  26. Hennig-Thurau, T., Malthouse, E. C., Friege, C., Gensler, S., Lobschat, L., Rangaswamy, A., and Skiera, B., "The Impact of New Media on Customer Relationships," Journal of Service Research, Vol. 13, No. 3, pp. 311-330, 2010. https://doi.org/10.1177/1094670510375460
  27. Huang, Z., Zeng, D. D., and Chen, H., "Analyzing Consumer-product Graphs: Empirical Findings and Applications in Recommender Systems," Management Science, Vol. 53, No. 7, pp. 1146-1164, 2007. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.1060.0619
  28. Hyken, S., "How Quickly Do Your Customers Get The Answers They Want And Their Complaints Resolved?," available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/shephyken/2015/09/03/how-quickly-do-your-customers-get-the-answers-they-wantand-their-complaints-resolved/#412342e3eae5, 2015.
  29. Jalilvand, M. R. and Samiei, N., "The Effect of Electronic Word of Mouth on Brand Image and Purchase Intention," Marketing Intelligence & Planning, Vol. 30, No. 4, pp. 460-476, 2012. https://doi.org/10.1108/02634501211231946
  30. Kapferer, J. N., The New Strategic Brand Management: Advanced Insights and Strategic Thinking (5th ed.), Kogan page publishers, London, United Kingdom, 2012.
  31. Kasapi, I. and Cela, A., "Destination Branding: A Review of the City Branding Literature," Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, Vol. 8, No. 4, pp. 129-142, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1515/mjss-2017-0012
  32. Keller, K. L., "Conceptualizing, Measuring, and Managing Customer-based Brand Equity," Journal of Marketing, Vol. 57, No. 1, pp. 1-22, 1993. https://doi.org/10.2307/1252054
  33. Keller, K. L., "Reflections on Customerbased Brand Equity: Perspectives, Progress, and Priorities," AMS Review, Vol. 6, No. 1, pp. 1-16, 2016. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13162-016-0078-z
  34. Kim, H. K., Kim, J. K., and Chen, Q. Y., "A Product Network Analysis for Extending the Market Basket Analysis," Expert Systems with Applications, Vol. 39, No. 8, pp. 7403-7410, 2012. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eswa.2012.01.066
  35. Kim, H. K., Kim, J. K., and Ryu, Y. U., "Personalized Recommendation Over a Customer Network for Ubiquitous Shopping," IEEE Transactions on Services Computing, Vol. 2, No. 2, pp. 140-151, 2009. https://doi.org/10.1109/TSC.2009.7
  36. Kotler, P. and Armstrong, G., Principles of marketing, Pearson, Hoboken, New Jersey, 2018.
  37. Kotler, P., Armstrong, G., Saunders, J., and Wong, V., Principles of Marketing, The European Edition, Prentice-Hall, Hemel Hempstead, United Kingdom, p. 556, 1996.
  38. Labrecque, L. I., vor dem Esche, J., Mathwick, C., Novak, T. P., and Hofacker, C. F., "Consumer Power: Evolution in the Digital Age," Journal of Interactive Marketing, Vol. 27, No. 4, pp. 257-269, 2013. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intmar.2013.09.002
  39. Lassar, W., Mittal, B., and Sharma, A., "Measuring Customer-based Brand Equity," Journal of Consumer Marketing, Vol. 12, No. 4, pp. 11-19, 1995. https://doi.org/10.1108/07363769510095270
  40. Lavietes, M., "Tesla's move to online sales gives customers what they want: No car salesman," available at: https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/05/tesla-online-sales-givescustomers-what-they-want-no-carsalesman.html, 2019.
  41. Leonardi, P. and Treem, J. W., "Behavioral Visibility: A New Paradigm for Organization Studies in the Age of Digitization, Digitalization, and Datafication," Organization Studies, https://doi.org/10.1177/0170840620970728, 2020.
  42. Leuthesser, L., Defining, Measuring, and Managing Brand Equity: A Conference Summary, Marketing Science Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts, pp. 88-104,, 1988.
  43. Lim, H. A., Kwon, H. J., and Choi, J., "How the Strength of Parent Brand Associations Influences the User Acceptance of Extended brand: Internet of Things Perspective," Journal of Society for e-Business Studies, Vol. 23, No. 2, pp. 49-65, 2018. https://doi.org/10.7838/JSEBS.2018.23.2.049
  44. Malhotra, C., "Positioning Map-Cosmetics," Retrieved October 29, 2020, from https://www.slideshare.net/CherryMalhotra/positioning-map-cosmetics.
  45. Maurya, U. K. and Mishra, P., "What is a Brand? A Perspective on Brand Meaning," European Journal of Business and Management, Vol. 4, No. 3, pp. 122-133, 2012.
  46. Oestreicher-Singer, G. and Sundararajan, A., "Recommendation Networks and the Long Tail of Electronic Commerce," Mis Quarterly, Vol. 36, No. 1, pp. 65-83, 2012. https://doi.org/10.2307/41410406
  47. Oestreicher-Singer, G., Libai, B., Sivan, L., Carmi, E., and Yassin, O., "The Network Value of Products." Journal of Marketing, Vol. 77, No. 3, pp. 1-14, 2013. https://doi.org/10.1509/jm.11.0400
  48. Park, C. S. and Srinivasan, V., "A Surveybased Method for Measuring and Understanding Brand Equity and its Extendibility," Journal of Marketing Research, Vol. 31, No. 2, pp. 271-288, 1994. https://doi.org/10.2307/3152199
  49. Plumeyer, A., Kottemann, P., Boger, D., and Decker, R., "Measuring Brand Image: A Systematic Review, Practical Guidance, and Future Research Directions," Review of Managerial Science, Vol. 13, No. 2, pp. 227-265, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11846-017-0251-2
  50. Ramaswamy, V. and Ozcan, K., "Brand Value Co-creation in a Digitalized World:An Integrative Framework and Research Implications," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Vol. 33, No. 1, pp. 93-106, 2016. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijresmar.2015.07.001
  51. Shankar, V., Azar, P., and Fuller, M., "Practice Prize Paper-BRAN* EQT: A Multicategory Brand Equity Model and its Application at All State," Marketing Science, Vol. 27, No. 4, pp. 567-584, 2008. https://doi.org/10.1287/mksc.1070.0320
  52. Simon, C. J. and Sullivan, M. W., "The Measurement and Determinants of Brand Equity: A Financial Approach," Marketing Science, Vol. 12, No. 1, pp. 28-52, 1993. https://doi.org/10.1287/mksc.12.1.28
  53. Srinivasan, V., Park, C. S., and Chang, D. R., "An Approach to the Measurement, Analysis, and Prediction of Brand Equity and its Sources," Management Sci., Vol. 51, No. 9, pp. 1433-1448, 2005. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.1050.0405
  54. Stanton, W. J., Etzel, M. J., and Walker, B. J., Fundamentals of Marketing (10th ed.), McGraw-Hill, New York, New York, 1994.
  55. Swait, J., Erdem, T., Louvière, J., and Dubelaar, C., "The Equalization Price: A Measure of Consumer-perceived Brand Equity," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Vol. 10, No. 1, pp. 23-45, 1993. https://doi.org/10.1016/0167-8116(93)90031-S
  56. Trend Monitor, "More informations to consider than just 'brand', the fading of 'brand halo effect' " available at: https://www.trendmonitor.co.kr/tmweb/trend/allTrend/detail.do?bIdx=1507&code=0303&trendType=CKOREA, 2016.
  57. Wood, L., "Brands and Brand Equity: Definition and Management," Management Decision, Vol. 38, No. 9, pp. 662-669, 2000. https://doi.org/10.1108/00251740010379100
  58. Yun, A., Organic Media, 21centrybooks, Seoul, pp. 125-134, 2014.
  59. Yun, A., Organic Marketing, Organic Media Lab, Seoul, pp. 252-266, 2017.
  60. Zhang, Y., "The Impact of Brand Image on Consumer Behavior: A Literature Review," Open Journal of Business and Management, Vol. 3, No. 1, p. 58, 2015. https://doi.org/10.4236/ojbm.2015.31006
  61. Zhang, R. and Tran, T., Helping E-Commerce Consumers Make Good Purchas Decisions: A User Reviews-based Approach, In: Babin, G., Kropf, P., Weiss, M. (Eds.), E-Technologies: Innovation in an Open World. Springer, Berlin, Germany, pp. 1-11, 2009.
  62. Zhu, F. and Zhang, X., "Impact of Online Consumer Reviews on Sales: The Moderating Role of Product and Consumer Characteristics," Journal of Marketing, Vol. 74, No. 2, pp. 133-148, 2010 https://doi.org/10.1509/jm.74.2.133