The primary research purpose is to better understand the influence of the Congruence between Brand Personality and Self-Image on Customer Reliability, Satisfaction, Consumer-Brand Relationship and Brand Loyalty.
Under the current business environment...
The primary research purpose is to better understand the influence of the Congruence between Brand Personality and Self-Image on Customer Reliability, Satisfaction, Consumer-Brand Relationship and Brand Loyalty.
Under the current business environment in which the firms' competition to satisfy the diversifying customer needs and demands and preferences is becoming increasingly intense, it is strategically critical to fortify the Consumer-Brand Relationship by creating an uniquely distinctive brand-image as well as corporate identity in such nature.
In order to establish a framework in defining the Congruence between Brand Personality and Self-Image on Consumer-Brand Relationship (both in qualitative & quantitative terms), this study investigated the consumer understanding of the two notions based upon the existing research results.
Following the investigation, this study sought to provide the fundamental groundwork in interpreting the Congruence between Brand Personality and Self-Image as well as the Consumer-Brand relationship.
There also is an investigation of the previous studies done on the topics of Brand Personality, Self-Image, Consumer-Brand Relationship, Customer Satisfaction, and Brand Loyalty. Of these subjects, the Brand Personality and Consumer-Brand Relationship have been reorganized in new 4 dimensions.
Furtherly, there shall be presented six different hypothesis for which the method of structural equation model was used to verify. In verifying the hypothesis, a questionnaire was given to buyers of Coffee Franchise Brand. The 668 questionnaires were analyzed via SPSS WIN 17.0 and Amos 7.0. The result of the analysis came out to be within the acceptable range of application model.
Our main findings are as followings:
First, in theory, there are 5 components consisting the Brand Personality -- 1. Sincerity, 2. Excitement, 3. Competency, 4. Sophistication, and 5. Ruggedness.
Second, this study considers elements in the Consumer-Brand Relationship quality in terms of Love/Passion.
Third, this study demonstrates that there is no correlation between the Self congruence and Customer Satisfaction. Such a result is derived from the mere problematic process of measuring Brand Personality.
Fourth, there seems to be imminent influence of the Congruence between Brand Personality and Self-Image to the Consumer-Brand Relationship Quality. This results does not rise from the effective correlative relationship to the Customer Satisfaction; nevertheless, it does affect the Consumer-Brand Relationship as well as the Brand Loyalty.
Also, it has been found that the Consumer-Brand Relationships Quality strengthened by having matching Brand Personality and Self-Image.
Fifth, the notion of Customer Satisfaction is critical to the formation of Consumer-Brand Relationship. It is because when the Consumer-Brand Relationship forms, the Customer Satisfaction from such brand can be fortified.
Sixth, the study finds the Congruence of Brand Personality and Self-Image has no effect on the Brand Loyalty. It is rather that the Congruence of Brand Personality and Self-Image first affects the Consumer-Brand Relationship Quality, then eventually stimulates the Brand Loyalty as an indirect path.
Seventh, the hypothesis formed upon the correlation between the Customer Satisfaction and Brand Loyalty is supported by the study, closely following the conventional research results. The Customer Satisfaction for a certain brand and the respective aftermath of it contributes enormously to the generation of profits to a business organization, not only in earned income but also the social impact from the firm to the rest of society. The purchasing behavior and posture of a shopper has not only an lasting effect on the future and re-purchases in a particular brand but also the shopper's influence upon other shoppers(word of mouth), thereby changing the firms profits in a long term.
Eighth, the study finds the stronger the Consumer-Brand Relationship Quality is, the stronger the Brand Loyalty becomes. It is safe to assume that such a positive relationship between brand and consumer can be antecedent of the Loyalty and this positive relationship will be a tool to gain the competitive advantage in the marketplace.
At the end, the limitations of this study and further research directions are suggested.