Mar'22
The IUP Journal of Brand Management
Focus
The second paper, "The Effect of Voluntary Disclosure Language and Memory in Social Media Posts on Select Customer Outcomes", by Joji Alex N and Harish B, explores the influence of disclosure language in social media communications on purchase intention, brand attitude and intention to spread through e-word of mouth. By disclosure language, one refers to using disclosure terms such as "sponsored" or "paid advertisement", so that consumers are clearly informed that the advertorial, blog or other forms of communication are not entirely independent, but are paid for in some way. The study, carried out through an experimental design, finds that use of disclosure language leads to improved advertisement recognition and higher level of trust towards the brand.
This is followed by a review of literature on consumer buying behavior and brand choice in the context of Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV). The paper, "Consumer Buying Behavior and Brand Choice in Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) Segment: A Literature Review", by Kapil Malhotra and Kavita, looks at how personality traits, such as extraversion, agreeableness and imagination, and also social factors have an effect on attitude towards advanced automobile technology and design, which in turn influences the willingness to pay for vehicles with superior design features and technology.
This issue concludes with a short paper, "Strategic Brand Considerations and M&A: Ten Research Propositions", by Henrik Uggla, on strategic considerations involved in the context of increasing trend in brand acquisitions and mergers across the world. It identifies ten strategic considerations, including holistic brand portfolio strategy, integration of business strategy with the brand strategy, and objective evaluation of the brand value, among others
Consulting Editor
The Effect of Consumer-Centric Brand Equity Parameters on the Brand Loyalty of FMCG Consumers: A Study in Gorakhpur District, Uttar Pradesh
The study is based on the widely acclaimed concept of brand equity proposed by Aaker (Shocker and Aaker, 1993). Consumer-centric brand equity in the Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) industry comprises four elements: awareness concerning the brand, associations with the brand, loyalty rendered and quality perceived. While many exploratory efforts in this regard have recognized the relevance of various brand equity facets, very few have examined the construct in the FMCG context. For achieving this objective, a purposed framework was prepared, comprising brand-centric parameters, to study the repercussion of Brand Trust and Satisfaction on the loyalty intent of customers. A stratified sampling technique was employed to obtain data from 200 consumers from Gorakhpur district through a structured questionnaire. The data was statistically examined using IBM SPSS 21 software. Cronbach's alpha, mean and SD were estimated. Regression analysis was employed to analyze and validate the conceptual framework propounded. The outcome of this research effort could be used by brand managers to develop and improvise policies concerning consumer-centric brand equity issues with regard to Indian FMCG brands.
The Effect of Voluntary Disclosure Language and Memory in Social Media Posts on Select Customer Outcomes
The study gains significance in a market like India with no regulatory guidelines for disclosure language in social media postings (promotion). The impact of disclosure memory, an outcome triggered by use of disclosure language, on advertisement recognition was studied using an experimental design. When the disclosure language is unambiguous, disclosure memory is high, and it results in high advertisement recognition. Contrary to the stated hypothesis, the study found that in an unregulated market, advertisement recognition is positively related to brand awareness and purchase intention. Intention to spread through electronic Word-Of-Mouth (e-WOM) is negatively related to advertisement recognition as per the hypothesis, is confirmed. Voluntary disclosure of intention behind the social media posts makes customers more likely to develop trust in the post and the brand.
Consumer Buying Behavior and Brand Choice in Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) Segment: A Literature Review
India is no longer a small car market, but Indians are in love with Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs). SUVs have been rapidly expanding in the global automobile industry due to their ruggedness and aggressive designs with dynamic consumer perceptions. In the past few years, the Indian automobile industry has grown enormously, contributing 7.1% to the country's GDP and 49% to the manufacturing GDP. This paper explores how SUVs are perceived in developing nations in the context of economic and social diversity in order to extract existing knowledge and also understand consumers' buying behavior and brand choice in the SUV segment in automobile industry. The current study, through a literature review, finds that a majority of the studies focused on consumers' purchase decision in the automobile industry as a whole. In the present study, consumer buying decision is associated with rational brand choice in the SUV segment. Additional reviews of literature on the automobile industry, including two-wheelers, three-wheelers, Multi Utility Vehicles (MUVs), sedans, and hatchbacks, are carried out. Finally, the foremost barriers and challenges faced by SUV car owners are identified and presented.
Strategic Brand Considerations and M&A: Ten Research Propositions
The paper offers a response to the increased wave of Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) and brand acquisitions on a global scale, by offering ten strategic propositions, relevant to pre-, under and post-M&A brand strategy. By considering and modifying the propositions for individual firm use, businesses and brand managers may find a more common strategic language, and researchers might find inspiration to operationalize some of them for improved research in the nascent field of strategic brand management and M&A.