A Mensuração do Valor da Marca

Abstract

The theme of the measurement of the brand equity has been attracting the attention of the academy community and business due to the strategic importance of brand management, for the companies. The brand equity can be measured under two different but complementary perspectives: the consumer or the company. In this research, the brand equity is measured based on the consumer, perspectives, constructs and scales of measurement are discussed. There are three models of measurement of brand equity, resulting from the application of the methodology of Structural Equations (SEM). Based on the revision of the literature the relevant constructs for the problem of the measurement of the brand equity in the consumer s mind are analysed: awareness and quality perceived, brand associations (of which stands out the brand personality and the attitudes of the consumer towards the brand), the brand loyalty and the price premium. The main originality of the obtained models is the separation of the constructs in perceptual constructs (inputs), that are explanatory of the brand equity in the consumers mind, and the behavioural constructs (outputs) of the brand equity. In this way, the models give answer to two important aspects of brand management: which are the explanatory variables of brand equity, and how they are translated into consumer s behaviour. Two samples are used for the estimate and validation of the proposed models, with 272 observations each. These samples are constituted by consumers of five brands of jeans clothing that have their own stores, in Portugal. The results show that the models are valid statistically and, that we should separate the perceptual aspects from the behavioural aspects, in the measurement of the brand equity in the consumers mind. The results also suggest that the attitude as a construct of perceptual evaluation can substitute the antecedents (quality and personality) of the brand equity proposed.