The Effects of Marketing Mix Elements On Brand Equ
The Effects of Marketing Mix Elements On Brand Equ
The Effects of Marketing Mix Elements On Brand Equ
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Edo Rajh**
Abstract
The structural model of the effects of marketing mix elements on brand equity is
defined in line with the existing theoretical findings. Research hypotheses are
defined according to the identified structural model. In order to test the defined
structural model and research hypotheses empirical research was conducted on the
sample of undergraduate students of the Faculty of Economics and Business in
Zagreb. Research results indicate that the structural model has an acceptable level
of fit to the empirical data. The estimated structural coefficients and indirect effect
coefficients indicate the direction and intensity of effects of each analysed element
of marketing mix on brand equity. Finally, implications of research results for the
theory and practice of brand management are analysed and discussed.
*
This paper was originally published in Privredna kretanja i eknomska politika (Economic Trends and
Economic Policy) No. 102, 2005, pp. 30-59.
**
Edo Rajh, Research Associate, The Institute of Economics, Zagreb.
The importance of brand equity consists in numerous benefits for companies that
own brands. Brand equity has positive relationship with brand loyalty. More
precisely, brand equity increases the probability of brand selection, leading to
customer loyalty to a specific brand (Pitta and Katsanis, 1995). One of the benefits
provided by high brand equity is the possibility of brand extension to other
product categories. Generally, brand extension is defined as the use of an existing
brand name for entry into a new product category (Aaker and Keller, 1990). When
compared to new brand names, brand extensions have lower advertising costs and
higher sales (Smith and Park, 1992). Successful brand extensions contribute to
higher brand equity of the original brand (Dacin and Smith, 1994; Keller and
Aaker, 1992), however, unsuccessful extensions may reduce the brand equity of the
parent brand (Aaker, 1993; Loken and John, 1993). Aaker and Keller (1990)
developed a model for consumer evaluation of brand extensions, and a number of
authors worked on generalization of this model (Barrett et al., 1999; Bottomley
and Doyle, 1996; Sunde and Brodie, 1993).
Currently, there are a large number of different definitions of brand equity, which
may lead to conceptual misunderstandings when researching this phenomenon.
An attempt to classify the different approaches to the definition of brand equity
(Feldwick, 1996) could be useful in clarifying different approaches to and
relationships involved in the complex concept of brand equity. Feldwick (1996) has
identified three different approaches to brand equity: (1) brand value (the total
value of the brand as a company’s intangible asset – financial approach), (2) brand
strength (the strength of consumer commitment to a particular brand –
behavioristic approach) and (3) brand description (associations and beliefs
consumers have about particular brands – cognitive approach). Brand strength and
brand description are customer-based aspects of brand equity, whereas brand value
is a financial aspect of brand equity.
This paper will adopt a behavioristic approach to brand equity, and brand equity
will be taken to mean the difference in consumer choice between a branded and an
unbranded product given the same level of product features (Yoo et al., 2000).
Despite the fact that brand equity attracts attention of both marketing scientists
and marketing practitioners, the way in which, and how intensively, individual
marketing mix elements affect the creation of brand equity has remained
unstudied, with the exception of a paper by Yoo et al. (2000). Given the
importance that brand equity has for companies operating under contemporary
conditions, it seems fully justified to explore how and with what intensity
individual marketing mix elements impact brand equity, with individual brand
equity dimensions used as mediator variables. Such findings may serve as guidance
to managers on the Croatian market as to how they can build and maintain the
brand equity of Croatian brand names, and certainly represent a scientific
contribution to a better understanding of the mechanisms, ways and intensity of
influence of individual marketing mix elements on brand equity.
The objective of the present paper is to explore how marketing mix elements affect
brand equity. Based on literature review and analysis of findings so far, Part 2 of
the paper defines a structural model of impact of marketing mix elements on
Endogenous variables will be the different brand equity dimensions and brand
equity itself. Variables that will be observed as brand equity dimensions will
include: (1) brand awareness and (2) brand image. Brand equity dimensions will be
viewed as mediator variables in the model. Mediator variables are those
endogenous variables that cause some other endogenous variables (in this case
brand equity).
All variables will be viewed as latent variables, whereas individual items from the
measurement scales measuring specific latent variables will be viewed as manifest
variables.
PD
Price
· Deals γ5
· ζ
·
Meaning of diagram elements:
The above structural model has been defined on the basis of theoretical and
empirical findings and the exploratory factor analysis of data collected in a survey
(the survey will be presented in more details in the following chapters).
Also, the following hypotheses can be defined on the relationships between brand
equity dimensions and brand equity itself:
H6 – the higher the brand awareness, the greater the brand equity (parameter
β1);
H7 – the more positive the brand image, the greater the brand equity
(parameter β2).
H8 – the higher the brand price, the greater the brand market value (parameter
α1);
H9 – the higher the intensity of marketing activities, the greater the brand
equity (parameter α2);
H10 – the more positive the image of stores in which the brand is sold, the
greater the brand equity (parameter α3);
H11 – the more frequent the price deals, the lower the brand equity (parameter
α4).
Hypotheses H1–H7 will be tested by evaluating parameters γ1-γ5, and β1 and β2.
α2 = γ2 × β1 + γ3 × β2
3 Research Methodology
3.1 Measurement Instrument
The exogenous and endogenous variables of the defined structural model have
been measured using measurement scales that contained items with which
respondents expressed their agreement/disagreement. For expressing respondents’
agreement/disagreement with the items, the five-point Linkert scale was used.
Shown below are exogenous and endogenous variables with the corresponding
items. It should be stressed here that this is an initial set of items that will be
additionally filtered through reliability and validity assessment methods.
Price:
• The price of this brand is high (pc1).
• This brand is expensive (pc2).
• The price of this brand is low (r)1 (pc3).
Store Image:
• The stores in which I can buy this brand sell well-known brands (si1).
• This brand can be bought only in high-quality stores (si2).
• The stores in which I can buy this brand carry products of high quality
(si3).
1
“ r” denotes negative items that will be recoded before analysis.
Advertising:
• Advertising campaigns for this brand are frequent (ad1).
• This brand is intensively advertised (ad2).
• Advertising campaigns for this brand are more expensive than advertising
campaigns for competing brands (ad3).
Price Deals:
• This brand is frequently promoted through price deals (pd1).
• This brand can often be bought at promotional prices (pd2).
• Frequent price deals are offered for this brand (pd3).
Sponsorships:
• This brand seems to invest more in sponsorship of various events than
competing brands (sp1).
• This brand frequently sponsors various events (sp2).
• Compared to competing brands, this brand sponsors various events more
frequently (sp3).
• I often notice this brand as a sponsor of various events (sp4).
• Compared to competing brands, I notice this brand more often as a
sponsor of various events (sp5).
Brand Awareness:
• This brand is very well known to me (ba1).
• I know this brand very well (ba2).
• This brand is not known to me (r) (ba3).
• I am acquainted with this brand (ba4).
Brand Equity:
• It makes sense to buy this brand instead of some other brand even if
these two brands are the same (be1).
• If another brand is not different from this brand in any way, it would
still seem smarter to buy this brand (be2).
• Even if another brand had the same characteristics as this brand, I would
rather buy this brand (be3).
• If there was another brand of the same quality as this brand, I would
rather buy this brand (be4).
Also, during the final selection of product categories attention was paid to
differences in products based on various criteria (e.g. price, frequency of purchase,
duration of use, situations of use, risk) so as to increase the possibility for
generalization of survey results through inclusion of different categories.
The survey was conducted among a sample of 2nd, 3rd, and 4th year
undergraduate students of the Faculty of Economics and Business in Zagreb, in
May and June 2003. The survey included a sample of 424 respondents.
The sample size issue is essential when applying the structural equation modelling
method. When using this method, two criteria need to be met in defining the
sample size (Kline, 1998):
In determining the sample for this survey both criteria were met. The sample
belongs to the group of large samples (N > 200) and the ratio between the number
of units and model parameters is larger than 10:1 (the ratio is 11:1).
The collected data have been analysed using different statistical methods. The data
analysis process in this survey was conducted in three stages: (1) assessment of
psychometric characteristics of applied measurement scales; (2) preparation and
The methods used for assessing the reliability and convergent and discriminant
validity of the applied measurement instruments were Cronbach’s alpha coefficient
and exploratory factor analysis.
For the purposes of preparation and data checking for application of the structural
equation modelling method the following analyses were made (Kline, 1998):
1. Data were checked for the existence of univariate outliers – outliers were
identified with the value of individual manifest variables outside the
range of ± 3 standard deviation from the respective mean;
2. Data were checked for the existence of multivariate outliers by calculating
Mahalanobis distances in relevant multiple regressions (three multiple
regression analyses were conducted – 1. brand image as a dependent
variable, brand price, intensity of marketing activities, store image, and
price deals as independent variables, 2. brand awareness as a dependent
variable, marketing activities as an independent variable, 3. brand equity
as a dependent variable, brand awareness and brand image as
independent variables); squared Mahalanobis distances are interpreted as
hi-square statistics, with the number of variables viewed as the level of
freedom; it is recommended to use a conservative significance level
(p<0,001); a multivariate outlier is a case in which the value of squared
Mahalanobis distance is greater than the critical hi-square distribution
value (with the corresponding level of freedom);
3. Univariate normality of distribution of manifest variables was tested by
checking their kurtosis and skewness, whereby the kurtosis index and
skewness index were calculated for each manifest variable, with the aim
to identify manifest variables with leptokurtic or platykurtic
distributions, and those with positively or negatively skewed
distributions; absolute skewness index values lower than 3 and absolute
In order to test the defined structural models of the effect of marketing mix
elements on brand equity, the collected data were analysed using the structural
equation modelling method. The general aim of the structural equation modelling
method is to determine causal aspects of analysed correlations. This method was
used to analyse the covariance matrix of analysed manifest variables.
4 Survey Results
4.1 Assessment of Psychometric Characteristics
of Applied Measurement Scales
The reliability of used measurement scales was tested using Cronbach’s alpha
coefficient, while convergent and discriminant validity of measurement
instruments was tested using exploratory factor analyses.
Also, the impact of specific items on Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of the respective
measurement scale was analysed in order to eliminate from further analysis those
items that result in the reduction of the reliability of respective measurement
scales. Based on such analyses, the following items were eliminated from further
analysis.
Price:
pc3 – The price of this brand is low (r).
Distribution Intensity:
di3 – This brand is distributed through the largest possible number of stores.
Advertising:
ad3 - Advertising campaigns for this brand are more expensive than
advertising campaigns for competing brands.
Sponsorships:
sp1 - This brand seems to invest more in sponsorship of various events than
competing brands.
pc – price; di –distribution intensity; si – store image; ad – advertising; pd – price deals; sp – sponsorships; ba– brand
awareness; bi –brand image; be –brand equity.
The results of the factor analysis indicate that measurement scales used for
measuring price, store image, price deals, brand awareness, brand image, and brand
equity exhibit features of convergent validity (the respective items have high factor
loading on the given factors) and discriminant validity (respective items have low
factor loadings on other factors).
Five univariate outliers were identified with values of individual manifest variables
outside the range of 3 ± standard deviation from the respective mean. All five
outliers were excluded from further analysis.
Also, two multivariate outliers were identified both of which were excluded from
further analysis.
A total of seven outliers were excluded from further analysis. After exclusion of
outliers, the sample for further analysis is N = 417.
From the results we can infer that both indices are within acceptability limits
(absolute values lower than 10 for kurtosis index, and absolute values lower than 3
for skewness index), and that collected data demonstrate an acceptable level of
univariate normality.
The table above shows that none of the multiple determination coefficients exceeds
a value of 0.9, which leads to the conclusion that there is no unacceptable level of
multivariate multicollinearity in collected data.
Levene’s test is non-significant for all tested variable pairs, which indicates that the
hypothesis on homoscedasticity of specific relationships is not to be rejected, i.e.
that the relationships between tested variables are homoscedastic.
All analyses conducted in the course of preparing and testing the collected data
indicate that the collected data meet all the basic preconditions for application of
the structural equation modelling method. Namely, (1) univariate and multivariate
outliers have been excluded from further analysis, (2) data shows a satisfactory level
of univariate and multivariate normality, (3) data shows no unacceptable level of
Since the relationship between sample size and number of parameters in the
structural model is one of the factors in successful implementation of the
structural equation modelling method, we first proceeded to define the possible
number of parameters in the model in relation to sample size (N=417). The ratio
between the number of units in the sample and the number of parameters in the
model should be at least 10:1. In this survey, the target for this ratio was set at 11:1
so as to exceed the recommended minimum threshold. The set target presupposes
a structural model with a maximum number of 38 parameters (417/11=37.91).
Since the model consists of seven latent variables, and also having in mind
measurement errors and disturbance parameters, it follows that each latent variable
could be assigned to maximum two manifest variables (this produces 14
parameters assessing the connection between manifest and latent variables, 7
parameters assessing the causal link among latent variables, 14 parameters assessing
the measurement error in specific manifest variables, and 3 parameters assessing
structural errors – a part of variance of endogenous variables not explained by
exogenous variables, making a total of 38 parameters). For each latent variable
those manifest variables were selected that have the highest correlation to the total
value of the respective measurement scale as a whole.
Figure 2 shows the above described structural model that was tested in this survey.
BA1
BA 2
PC1
δ2
Price ε5 ε6
PC2
δ3 γ1
BE 3
BE 4
Brand
Awareness
AD2
δ4 γ2 β1
Intensity of
Mark. Activities
SP4
ε3 ζ1
ε4
δ5 γ3
Brand
Equity
BI 1
BI 2
SI2
δ6
Store Image
SI3 ζ3
γ4 β2
δ7 Brand Image
PD2
δ8 Price Deals
γ5
PD3 ζ2
The next step is to determine whether the defined structural model can be
identified. In hybrid models (the defined model belongs to the group of hybrid
models), there are three criteria for model identification:
Since all three model identification criteria have been satisfied, we may conclude
that the defined model can be identified.
The values of analysed indices indicate that the level of fit of defined model to
data is satisfactory and that the defined model is acceptable for further analysis
(Hu and Bentler, 1999).
The next step in application of the structural equation modelling method is the
analysis of the structural model itself aimed at testing the set of hypotheses. Table
7 shows standardized structural coefficients that evaluate direct causal links among
latent variables, specified in the defined structural model (Figure 2).
• the higher the brand price, the more positive the brand image,
• the higher the intensity of marketing activities, the higher the brand
awareness,
• the higher the intensity of marketing activities, the more positive the
brand image,
• the more positive the image of stores in which the brand is sold, the
more positive the brand image,
• the more frequent the price deals, the more negative the brand image,
• the higher the brand awareness, the higher the brand equity,
• the more positive the brand image, the higher the brand equity.
After having identified and analysed the direct causal impacts in the analysed
structural model, we may proceed to identify and analyse the indirect causal
impacts of marketing mix elements on brand equity. This will allow us to test the
hypotheses H8 through H11.
α2 = γ2 × β1 + γ3 × β2
• the higher the brand price, the higher the brand equity,
• the higher the intensity of marketing activities, the higher the brand
equity,
• the more positive the image of stores in which the brand is sold, the
higher the brand equity,
• the more frequent the price deals, the lower the brand equity.
The research results also implicate that when allocating marketing budgets to
individual marketing mix elements attention must necessarily be paid to the
potential impact of a specific marketing mix element on the creation of brand
equity. This further means that the potential impact of individual marketing mix
elements on brand equity must be included as criterion in deciding on the
allocation of marketing budgets to individual marketing mix elements.
The research results point out to the need for careful selection of individual
marketing mix elements in order to avoid deterioration of the achieved brand
equity. This additionally emphasizes the importance of a strategic approach to
brand management as a means of avoiding that fulfilment of certain short-term
goals (e.g. short-term increase in sales) disrupts the possibility for long-term sales
growth and achievement of sustainable competitive advantages, undoubtedly
resulting from high brand equity.
Furthermore, the research results indicate that managers, in their efforts to build
the equity of the brands they are managing, should primarily focus on the creation
of brand awareness and a positive brand image. In the tested model, the said two
variables have been viewed as mediator variables that are affected by managers
through marketing mix elements, and these two variables have a direct impact on
brand equity. All activities aimed at positively impacting the brand equity should
The research results lead us to the conclusion that managers who are engaged in
strategic brand management may use the price level as an instrument for
improving the brand image. Namely, as supported by theoretical findings, this
research has shown that a higher brand price communicates a better brand image,
and through a more positive brand image indirectly leads to an increase in brand
equity. Furthermore, a particularly interesting finding is that managers may
contribute to an increase in brand equity through the very intensity of marketing
activities. Namely, the intensity of marketing activities, without considering their
quality, positively affects the creation of brand awareness and building of a more
positive brand image, which in turn results in an increased brand equity.
Presenting especially important implication for the practice of strategic brand
management is the fact that the image of stores in which a brand is sold has the
strongest positive impact on brand image, and through this variable also on brand
equity. This result underlines the importance of the brand manager’s active
approach in selecting and designing the distribution channels. In doing this,
special heed should be paid to the effect of the selected stores on brand image, as
well as that, when selecting the distribution channel members, the image of the
potential channel members and the potential impact of their image on brand
image, and thus the brand equity, is included as a criterion in the decision-making
process. The research results indicate that brand managers should be very careful
when applying price deals as a marketing mix element. Even though price deals
may lead to certain short-term financial gains resulting from a short-term sales
increase, in the long run a frequent use of this marketing mix element may cause a
reduction in brand equity because of the negative influence of price deals on brand
image, and thus may eliminate the short-term benefits that may arise from the use
of this method.
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