Analyzing the relationships among critical brand equity drivers and consumer behavioural intentions

In marketing literature, the studies on brand equity have interested academics for more than two decades (Farquhar, 1989; Aaker, 1991), analysing the added value of [comparative and competitive] signals provided by the firms to the customers and/or trade. Keller (1993) defined the concept of customerbased brand equity (CBBE) as “the differential effect of brand knowledge on customer response to the marketing of the brand”. The same Author (2001, 2003a) delineated the CBBE pyramid to manage consumer-brand relationship (Fournier and Yao, 1997; Fournier, 1998; Aggarval, 2004). In Bocconi School’s works (Vicari, 1995; Busacca, 2000; Busacca and Bertoli, 2002), Busacca (2000) built a framework to analyze the development of brand equity, adopting a relational perspective for measuring brand equity (Busacca and Bertoli, 2002) and subsequently studying some determinants of brand equity in extension strategies (Busacca et al., 2008; Busacca et al., 2007, 2010). Several studies analysed the role of critical brand equity drivers in the marketing strategies focusing specifically on experience-related (Schmitt, 1999, 2003), trust-related (Chaudhuri, Holbrbrook, 2001) and/or attachment-related dimensions (Thomson et al., 2005). Moreover, studying in depth the antecedents of consumer behaviour (East, 1997; Dalli, Romani, 2003; Solomon, 2004) allows giving more sustenance to brand relationships. Romani et al. (2009) explored the nature and the characteristics of individual emotions to brands as antecedent conditions which affect them. Instead, Busacca and Castaldo (2003) analyzed the role that satisfaction and trust play in the estimation of consumer response (i.e. behavioural consequences: Zeithaml et al., 1996). Therefore, the paper analyses the role of three critical brand equity drivers - brand experience, brand trust and brand attachment - to sustain brand equity in relational perspective, studying theirs influence on behavioural consequences of brand equity, such as word-of-mouth intentions and repurchase intentions (Cobb-Walgren et al., 1995; Netemeyer et al., 2004; Broyles et al, 2009). More in depth, we have selected these brand equity drivers as key determinants of brand relationship (Esch et al, 2006), not evaluating the role of determinants of brand knowledge (i.e. brand awareness, brand image, free association: Keller, 2003) more useful to study the consumer behaviour on first brand purchase. Coherently with others brand equity works (Yoo et al., 2000; Fornari, 2005; Oliveira-Castro et al., 2008; Moradi, Zerei, 2011), in the empirical study we analyse comparatively brand relationship about different product categories: two shopping goods (Smartphone and Sport Shoes) and two convenience goods (Chocolate Snack and Shampoo). We hypothesized that the higher is the level of consumer involvement in the purchase process (i.e. shopping goods), the higher is the critical role of relational brand equity drivers to estimate intentional behavioural consequences. The paper is organized as follows: first, there is a marketing literature review on critical brand equity drivers in consumerbrand relationships management to influence customer behavioural intentions; second, we illustrate the empirical research to evaluate the strength of relationships between critical brand equity drivers and consumer behavioural intentions; third, we put in evidence the managerial implications of the findings; finally, we present the limits and future research opportunities