• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.213-221
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• 2020

This study examines the relationship between brand authenticity, brand equity, and customer satisfaction. A total of 263 participants participated in this study. Participants rated a set of three brands: Apple, Starbuck, and Nike. Each participant rated the extent to which the items described his or her authenticity with the brands listed, the equity of the brands listed, and feelings of satisfaction toward the brands. This study employs confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. The results indicate that 1) brand authenticity positively relates to brand equity, and 2) brand authenticity effects to customer satisfaction. The findings suggest that marketers can use the brand authenticity for assessment, planning, and tracking purposes to understand the authenticity of their brands for their customers. Products of authenticity brand are better liked, viewed as higher quality, offer greater value and are more likely to be purchased than less authenticity brand. They can command a significant price premium. The findings provide useful support and evidence for brand management, as well as companies in other developing countries, to engage more in brand practices as a core element of their strategic and brand management. This means that managers should work to increase perceptions of authenticity for their offerings.

• Management & Information Systems Review
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• v.5
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• pp.61-79
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• 2000

This research suggests the strategic adoption methodology of Customer Relationship Management. The backgrounds of CRM is the business environment changing that Market power is shifting to the customer who has unprecedented powers of choice today. The strategic adoption of Customer Relationship Management determines the value, needs and preferences of each customer or customer segment. Customer Relationship Strategy is an explicitly defined plan for how a company has decided to connect with, relate to, and focus on its chosen customers to create value. Deliberate decisions must be made, often involving trade-offs, so that investments are aligned with customer needs and value. Plan defined in terms of target customers value proposition, role in value delivery, and risk/reward sharing. All customers are not created equal; specific customers and/or customers segments are more desirable/valuable to pursue. Key premise of CRM is that value can be created by changing company's business model to better connect with customers. Area of service of Customer Relationship Management are as follows. Portfolio strategy, Market Opportunity Assessment, Brand Equity, Market Positioning, Pricing, Channel Strategy, Market Segmentation. Target Market Identification, Customer LifeTime Value Analysis, Customer Profitability, Customer Connections Economics Analysis. The objects of CRM are maximizing customer service effectiveness, improving customer loyalty, increasing customer service efficiency, optimizing intelligence about customer behaviors and preferences.

• Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.61-86
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• 2006

The main purpose of this study is to conceptualize and investigate the relationships between the antecedents and outcomes of customer satisfaction and the linking variables of brand preference and repurchase intention in service industries. To achieve this objective, the study tries to validate the structural equation model and causal relationships among the model's elements involving antecedents to customer satisfaction(perceived quality, value, equity), consequences(brand preference, repurchase intention), and moderating variable/switching cost, customer loyalty). Empirical findings are as follows: First, the effect of two antecedents/perceived quality and value) on customer. satisfaction was accepted but perceived equity was rejected. Second, I found out that there were direct or indirect relationships between the mediating variables/switching cost, customer loyalty, brand preference) and repurchase intention. This means that the proper management concerned with indirect path is probably more important for the success of services industries. Third, the direct effects of customer satisfaction and switching cost on repurchase intention were not significant against the existing studies excepting brand preference. This implies that repurchase intention was mainly intensified by the indirect path, 'customer loyalty${\rightarrow}$brand preference${\rightarrow}$repurchase intention' and 'switching cost${\rightarrow}$brand preference${\rightarrow}$repurchase intention.' The service marketers make efforts not only to strengthen the direct casual linkage but also to consolidate the indirect connections leading to create repurchase intention. Finally, the proper management of these structural relationships will help clarify the role of service marketer resulting in increasing sustainable competitive advantage in service industries.

• Asia Marketing Journal
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.25-41
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• 2010

Customer participation is a strategic tool to facilitate the process of developing new products. This study distinguishes between two types of customer participation - customer codevelopment and contract development, and examines the benefits of customer codevelopment relative to contract development for firm value through an event study. The analysis of customer participation announcements in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries shows that the benefits of customer codevelopment relative to contract development on firm value are contingent upon firm- and relationship- level factors. Specifically, this study finds that the announcement of customer codveloplment contributes better to abnormal stock returns of a firm when the firm has a higher level of R&D relationship experience or when the customer codevelpment is complemented by formal contract terms, such as equity investment. The findings of this study provide important theoretical and managerial implications by revealing the boundary conditions for the benefits of customer codevelopment relative to contract development.

• Journal of the Economic Geographical Society of Korea
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.431-449
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• 2015

Motivated by the finding that place names are highly capable of acting as one of the most conspicuous brands in the economy, this study has explored the essential nature of the brand value of place names and has suggested possible methodology to evaluate this value. As the place name brand has multidimensional elements mirroring the attributes of place, its understanding should be framed in terms both of users of place names as a subject and of place as an object. In order to evaluate the brand value of place names, the possibility of adopting the concept of customer-based brand equity, which is centered on the perception and assessment of customers, has been reviewed and more detailed items of evaluation have been addressed. A few future research topics are suggested: the nature of brand value; its relevance to place identity; the influence of place marketing; the significance of exposing place names to the public; the effect of geographic indication on brand value; delineating the spatial boundary of geographic indication items.

• Asia Marketing Journal
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.99-121
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• 2004

Using Keller's customer-based brand equity framework, we attempt to understand and analyze marketing efforts that Pigeon has made to build the most valuable brand in the fabric softner marketing over the last 25 years. Our analysis revealed that first, Pigeon has developed and executed its brand system, brand elements, and marketing programs in a consistent and complementary way. Second, Pigeon's dedication to R&D as well as to customer needs has enabled it to offer a series of successful products with high quality and great value. Third, Pigeon has made good use of both scientific and intuitive approaches in the strategic management process. Lastly, the power leadership of the top management and its emphasis on personnel made a significant contribution to the success of Pigeon.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.12 no.8
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• pp.17-29
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• 2014

Purpose - The use of corporate social activities to implement the concept of corporate social responsibility enhances brand equity and attitude, and strengthens economic competitiveness. In areas such as mobile communications, companies take the responsibility of protecting customers and enhance the quality of the mobile communication service, helping to make an effort to obey the regulations of the public trade order and fair trade agreement, enabling a healthy society through communication with elderly living alone or youths without parents, and enhancing marketing strategies. Research design, data, and methodology - To test the hypothesis, a survey was conducted. The surveyed population includes people who use the big three mobile communication services. The survey was conducted from October 4th to October 14th, 2013. A total of 500 survey questionnaires were circulated and 483 were collected; out of these, 32 were excluded due to missing or incomprehensible information. The data was analyzed with SPSS 18.0 via frequency analysis, trust analysis, search factor analysis, relationship analysis, confirmation factor analysis using AMOS 18.0, and structural equation model analysis. Results - Research on corporate social responsibility has been frequently conducted recently. Companies are perceived as social constituents satisfying the social desires of people in addition to customer needs. Further, companies are returning profits to society to satisfy community needs, because there is greater emphasis on the social responsibilities of companies. Companies' social responsibilities should include marketing strategies and the identification of customer needs. This study shows that social service activities influence brand value, which influences customer attitudes; therefore, social service activities indirectly influence customer attitudes. In order to increase customers' purchasing intention, it is essential to improve brand image via social services and provide a distinctive quality of service. Conclusions - This research has used the purposive selection method in the empirical analysis to identify the effect of social services on brand value and customer attitude. Therefore, this study revealed that businesses, whose ultimate objective is to improve customers' purchasing intention, should promote their brand equity through corporate social responsibility activities and offer a distinct service quality. Limitations in the progress of research were found and future indications to overcome these limitations are suggested as follows. First, survey responders had a limited understanding of social responsibilities; therefore, this concept needs to be explained to people first. Second, the research was done on people who live in Daejeon; thus, it is not representative of the entire country. The research has to be repeated with people in other cities. Third, there is a limitation in the study because the purposive selection method was used on Daejeon customers. In the future, a more precise selection of the population is needed. Fourth, Daejeon has unique geographical and size characteristics. Thus, customers in Seoul and other areas may display different characteristics and research on them may reveal different findings. Therefore, again, this study has to be repeated in other areas.

• Asia Marketing Journal
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.249-264
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• 2011

Brand is the major enduring asset of a company and more valuable than the totality of specific products and facilities. Thus brands are powerful assets that must be carefully developed and managed. The company should design and implement marketing activities and marketing communication programs to build and grow the brand value. Strarbucks, Samsung Galaxy, and Nike brands get a price premium and generate strong customer loyalty. A power brand has high brand equity, which is the differential effect that brand knowledge has on consumer response to the marketing of that brand. Brand equity is created when brands have strong, favorable and unique brand associations with customers and high level of brand awareness. Therefore marketers in building a strong brand should ensure to develop the right type of customer experiences with products and effective integrated marketing communication(IMC) programs to create the brand equity. Since 2007 Sinhan card acquiring the LG card has developed the new brand identity and carefully managed the advertising campaign and other marketing communication mix tools to create the high brand awareness and differential brand image. In this case study we examine how Sinhan card with the goal of being No.1 brand in the credit card market has developed and implemented the IMC Strategy to build a high level of consumer brand awareness, unique brand image and strong customer relationship.

• Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.245-276
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• 2008

Brand equity is one of the most important concepts in business practice as well as in academic research. Successful brands can allow marketers to gain competitive advantage (Lassar et al.,1995), including the opportunity for successful extensions, resilience against competitors' promotional pressures, and the ability to create barriers to competitive entry (Farquhar, 1989). Branding plays a special role in service firms because strong brands increase trust in intangible products (Berry, 2000), enabling customers to better visualize and understand them. They reduce customers' perceived monetary, social, and safety risks in buying services, which are obstacles to evaluating a service correctly before purchase. Also, a high level of brand equity increases consumer satisfaction, repurchasing intent, and degree of loyalty. Brand equity can be considered as a mixture that includes both financial assets and relationships. Actually, brand equity can be viewed as the value added to the product (Keller, 1993), or the perceived value of the product in consumers' minds. Mahajan et al. (1990) claim that customer-based brand equity can be measured by the level of consumers' perceptions. Several researchers discuss brand equity based on two dimensions: consumer perception and consumer behavior. Aaker (1991) suggests measuring brand equity through price premium, loyalty, perceived quality, and brand associations. Viewing brand equity as the consumer's behavior toward a brand, Keller (1993) proposes similar dimensions: brand awareness and brand knowledge. Thus, past studies tend to identify brand equity as a multidimensional construct consisted of brand loyalty, brand awareness, brand knowledge, customer satisfaction, perceived equity, brand associations, and other proprietary assets (Aaker, 1991, 1996; Blackston, 1995; Cobb-Walgren et al., 1995; Na, 1995). Other studies tend to regard brand equity and other brand assets, such as brand knowledge, brand awareness, brand image, brand loyalty, perceived quality, and so on, as independent but related constructs (Keller, 1993; Kirmani and Zeithaml, 1993). Walters(1978) defined information search as, "A psychological or physical action a consumer takes in order to acquire information about a product or store." But, each consumer has different methods for informationsearch. There are two methods of information search, internal and external search. Internal search is, "Search of information already saved in the memory of the individual consumer"(Engel, Blackwell, 1982) which is, "memory of a previous purchase experience or information from a previous search."(Beales, Mazis, Salop, and Staelin, 1981). External search is "A completely voluntary decision made in order to obtain new information"(Engel & Blackwell, 1982) which is, "Actions of a consumer to acquire necessary information by such methods as intentionally exposing oneself to advertisements, taking to friends or family or visiting a store."(Beales, Mazis, Salop, and Staelin, 1981). There are many sources for consumers' information search including advertisement sources such as the internet, radio, television, newspapers and magazines, information supplied by businesses such as sales people, packaging and in-store information, consumer sources such as family, friends and colleagues, and mass media sources such as consumer protection agencies, government agencies and mass media sources. Understanding consumers' purchasing behavior is a key factor of a firm to attract and retain customers and improving the firm's prospects for survival and growth, and enhancing shareholder's value. Therefore, marketers should understand consumer as individual and market segment. One theory of consumer behavior supports the belief that individuals are rational. Individuals think and move through stages when making a purchase decision. This means that rational thinkers have led to the identification of a consumer buying decision process. This decision process with its different levels of involvement and influencing factors has been widely accepted and is fundamental to the understanding purchase intention represent to what consumers think they will buy. Brand equity is not only companies but also very important asset more than product itself. This paper studies brand equity model and influencing factors including information process such as information searching and information resources in the fashion market in Asia and Europe. Information searching and information resources are influencing brand knowledge that influences consumers purchase decision. Nine research hypotheses are drawn to test the relationships among antecedents of brand equity and purchase intention and relationships among brand knowledge, brand value, brand attitude, and brand loyalty. H1. Information searching influences brand knowledge positively. H2. Information sources influence brand knowledge positively. H3. Brand knowledge influences brand attitude. H4. Brand knowledge influences brand value. H5. Brand attitude influences brand loyalty. H6. Brand attitude influences brand value. H7. Brand loyalty influences purchase intention. H8. Brand value influence purchase intention. H9. There will be the same research model in Asia and Europe. We performed structural equation model analysis in order to test hypotheses suggested in this study. The model fitting index of the research model in Asia was $X^2$=195.19(p=0.0), NFI=0.90, NNFI=0.87, CFI=0.90, GFI=0.90, RMR=0.083, AGFI=0.85, which means the model fitting of the model is good enough. In Europe, it was $X^2$=133.25(p=0.0), NFI=0.81, NNFI=0.85, CFI=0.89, GFI=0.90, RMR=0.073, AGFI=0.85, which means the model fitting of the model is good enough. From the test results, hypotheses were accepted. All of these hypotheses except one are supported. In Europe, information search is not an antecedent of brand knowledge. This means that sales of global fashion brands like jeans in Europe are not expanding as rapidly as in Asian markets such as China, Japan, and South Korea. Young consumers in European countries are not more brand and fashion conscious than their counter partners in Asia. The results have theoretical, practical meaning and contributions. In the fashion jeans industry, relatively few studies examining the viability of cross-national brand equity has been studied. This study provides insight on building global brand equity and suggests information process elements like information search and information resources are working differently in Asia and Europe for fashion jean market.

• Asia Marketing Journal
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.141-157
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• 2013

Managing customers based on customer equity (CE) has emerged as the most effective way of doing business because of its ability to foster profitable customer relationship management (CRM) through appropriate marketing activities. Most research studies provide conceptual and empirical evidence of the positive link between CE and firm performance. However, regarding this possibility, it has been suggested by some researchers that this link may not hold true for other firms with different firmographic factors, such as firm growth rate, size, and resources. As previous research emphasizes that marketing managers should implement a strategy based on their unique business environment, our study addresses this issue by extending the framework to a different industry setting to investigate the impact of CE on firm performance. We develop a model for examining the relationship between the firm's estimated CE and firm performance by each time period using a distributed lagged model. Then, we investigate the effect of CE on the firm's profitability using a regression analysis. Finally, even though CRM is in increasing demand and firms are focusing on the customer as an asset, we conclude that there is a limited condition for this positive effect of CE. When the life cycle was divided by growth rate, CE was shown to have a distinctive effect on profit. In the case of a high-growth stage, the effect of CE on profit is positive because of its potential customer base, whereas the effect is not significant in a low-growth stage. That is, when the business environment is saturated and the firms are no longer competing in the market, CRM may not be effective. In other words, a long-term performance orientation may not be as effective as previously believed. This research contributes to the previous literature, providing a counterintuitive suggestion that firm managers should be cautious about implementing a CRM strategy and should allocate resources properly in terms of their resource capabilities and ability depending on their situation.