Using Double-Distal Mediators of Brand Perception and Brand Equity
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The Influences of Brand Innovation on Customer Value: Using Double-Distal Mediators of Brand Perception and Brand Equity Yung-Chieh Chien, Department of Business Management, Kao-Yuan University, Taiwan ABSTRACT The purpose of this study is to verify the situation of innovative activities held by a Japanese motor corporation in Taiwan versus customer value, using brand perception and brand equity as the mediators. A questionnaire-based survey was conducted on chiefs of sections (and higher-level) at a particular Japanese motor corporation in Taiwan. Simple random sampling was used to carry out the job of sampling to yield higher sample response rates. The overall model’s goodness-of-fit effect concerning the structural and measurement models were verified using linear Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Regarding the path coefficients for implicit/unobservable variables in the structural model, the MacKinnon PRODCLIN 2 program was employed to test how significant the model’s total effect, specific mediating effects and direct effects are. Research results showed that: (1) the overall model had a statistically significant total effect, which suggests a distal mediating effect in the model constructed by the author; (2) the brand innovation exerted a significantly direct effect on customer value; (3) both brand perception and brand equity exerted significant and almost the same specific mediating effects. Keywords: brand innovation, customer value, brand perception, brand equity, distal mediator INTRODUCTION Currently, Taiwan’s automotive sales industry has been confronted with extremely intense competition. As a result, it has been a crucial key to victory for business competitiveness in Taiwan’s automotive sales industry that brand equity must be formed to enhance customer value by continuous brand innovation created from professional knowledge, and accumulative brand perception. Therefore, any organizations will combine brand perception and accumulative brand equity on a basis of brand innovation for the purpose of creating customer value. Accordingly, the establishment of sustainability becomes a key factor for business success. Brand innovation has currently become the most important issue to brand management during the era of knowledge-based economy. Only continuity of innovation will maintain the vitality of a brand; therefore, businesses’ attention to consumer acceptance to brand innovation should give a demonstration. In addition, both Porter (1980) and Day (1990) stressed excellent customer value is a key factor to achieve business success. Only those businesses understanding customers’ requirement and expressing their concerns on customer value will have competitive advantage, which will be the key to achieve successful business operation. Furthermore, brand equity builds brand advantage in customers’ minds that lets the brand product build up its competitive advantage in the market, winning customers’ positive preference and impression on the brand product; moreover, customers will be increasingly aspired to purchase the product. However, Keller (2003) advocated it is necessary to strive a lot to build up a powerful brand; thus, applied effort will create a brand receiving consumers’ resonance and response. The Journal of Global Business Management Volume 9 * Number 2 * June 2013 issue, Special Edition 53 Apart from the above, marketing executives can strengthen the brand knowledge and image in consumers’ minds by using media advertising and others; and then, consumers’ brand perception will be enhanced to increase the brand customer value. Consequently, this author conducted a case study of a particular Japanese motor corporation in Taiwan and built a research model for analyses/verification in an attempt to understand the model’s goodness-of-fit. The specific purposes of this study were: 1. To verify and understand whether the brand innovation implementation has a distal mediating effect on customer value in a particular Japanese motor corporation in Taiwan; 2. To verify and understand whether the brand innovation implementation exerts a significant, positive and direct effect on customer value in a particular Japanese motor corporation in Taiwan; 3. To verify and understand whether the brand innovation implementation, mediated by brand perception, exerts a significant, specific and indirect mediating effect on customer value in a particular Japanese motor corporation in Taiwan; 4. To verify and understand whether the brand innovation implementation, mediated by brand equity, exerts a significant, specific and indirect mediating effect on customer value in a particular Japanese motor corporation in Taiwan; 5. To determine which of the two mediators (i.e., brand perception and brand equity) has a larger specific indirect effect. LITERATURE REVIEW The purpose of this study is to verify the effects of brand innovation implementation by a Japanese motor corporation in Taiwan on customer value, using brand perception and brand equity as the mediators. The relevant theories and studies are stated as follows: Brand Innovation Today, consumers have to deal with arrays of product items where mere brand building is not enough since the lapse of time will get consumers numb with brand perception and freshness; therefore, brand innovation aims to convey either direct or indirect experiences to consumers through every interaction of innovative concepts. This is the best promoter of the brand publicity to form the concept attitudes and ideas for the brand (Chang, 2011). Schultz and Barnes (1999) believed a brand can not only let consumers hold the ownership, but also give consumers market meaning, which represents what consumers are, and the belief in the brand to advance higher social position. A brand is not just a name, symbol, or icon; it is a relationship with consumers. Grant (2006) believed the brand innovation operational definition was: “A brand is just like a story, being a key to drive cultural logic, establishes the continuity and association to have every new concept added to a brand’s benefits and make the brand alive in the hearts of people.” Brand innovation poured innovative concept activities into an existing brand so that there are eight items of brand innovation: (1)Concept of New Tradition; (2) Faith; (3) Human Herd Instinct; (4) Connection; (5) Neo-Luxury; (6) Time; (7) Excitement; and (8) Control. From the aspect of cultural evolution, every new concept can be added to a brand’s benefits and make the brand alive in the hearts of people. To sum up, the perspectives of Grant (2006) were adopted in this study for the brand innovation operational definition and classification. 54 The Journal of Global Business Management Volume 9 * Number 2 * June 2013 issue, Special Edition Brand Perception Seringhaus (2002) agreed the concepts of fine brand perception mainly are subjective value decisions formed by the perceptions from individuals, relatively others or with regard to temperament. Tauber (1988) pointed out brand perception highly fits consumers that will easily transfer relevantly positive or negative association from parent brands to extensive products. The fit of brand perception is a decisive factor whether a brand would be successful or not. For consumers’ purchase process, the brand perception is a very important influential factor. Hoyer and Brown (1990) studied and manifested brand perception has great influence on consumers’ purchase selection; they believed brand perception is a basis for first priority while selecting a product. It shows the importance of the brand awareness. Vigneron and Johnson (2004) studied and manifested that measuring of perceived brands can be classified into: (1) Non-personal Perception (Conspicuousness, Uniqueness, Quality); and (2) Personal Perception (Pleasure, Extended Self). Brand perception is one of the connotations of brand knowledge. Keller (1993) validated that brand perception comprises brand recall and brand recognition. Brand recognition means consumer’s capability to identify a brand according to specific brand clues, and brand recall, a capability to recall specific brands according to different product categories. Therefore, consumers will recall the products with high brand perception when they recall one certain product category; and then, they will habitually purchase the products they are familiar with and famous brands. As a result, brand perception plays an extremely important role in consumers’ purchase decision making (Lu, 2008). From above, this study referred to the definition made by Seringhaus (2002), that is: the concepts of brand perception mainly are subjective value decisions formed by the perceptions from individuals, relative others, and quoted the view of Keller (1993) that (1) brand recall and (2) brand recognition are important factors in regard to the measurement perspective of brand perception. Brand Equity From the point of view finance, Simon and Sullivan (1993) believed that brand equity is financial brand value made of customer brand advantage, as well as defined by increments of corporate future cash flows; meanwhile, it represents the brand equity to own extra value beyond all tangible assets. From the point of view marketing, Tauber (1988) believed that brand equity has surmounted the added value of tangible assets owing to the market position achieved by the brand; consequently, the added value has created the corporate brand and the brand innermost value in consumers’ minds other than the functional value after consumers’