브랜드개성이 브랜드동일시, 전환장벽, 몰입에 미치는 영향에 관한 연구

Abstract

Recently, the study on what the source to give long term competition predominance to the company within environment where the competition between companies is getting severe. Within such environment, the source that can give a long term competition predominance could be called a strong brand. Also, the brand personality that has given human characteristics to the brand along with importance of brand is being highlighted. In this study, what the effect of brand personality on brand identification, switching barrier and commitment are has been verified while the purpose of study is as follows. First, it has tried to clarify the relationship between brand personality and brand identification. Second, it has tried to analyze the effect of brand personality and brand identification on commitment. Third, it has tried to verify how the switching barrier is related to the behavioral commitment. For a study on the effect of brand personality on brand identification, switching barrier and commitment, the empirical analysis has been performed targeting 300 university students who are part of universities in Jeju Island area and megapolis universities nationwide. For the empirical analysis, the SPSS 15.0 for Windows which is a social science statistics program has been used. The analyzed results of this study are as follows. First, the brand personality was classified as toughness, sincerity, great interest and cuteness. Because these brand personality were shown as giving positive (+) effect on brand identification, the fact brand personality acts as a factor having effect on brand identification that can show self image has been proven. Second, the brand personality has positive (+) effect on switching barriers and emotional commitments such as switching cost, attractiveness of alternative plan and personal relationship. The toughness and sincerity of brand personality had greatest effect on switching barrier while the great interest, toughness and cuteness factors of brand personality were shown as having greatest effect. Third, the brand personality through parameter of brand identification had positive (+) effect on switching barrier and commitment while the effect of switching barrier on commitment was also shown as having positive (+) effect. Especially, the switching barrier and commitment formed by emotional and behavioral aspects were shown as having quite high correlation. Based on the results above, the following strategic suggestions could be presented. First, looking from the fact that the brand having brand personality which matches with one's self image has positive effect on the relationship between consumer and brand, a powerful brand distinguished from competing brand could be made if the brand personality in which the self image of consumer and brand identification of targeted could be felt through marketing activity. Second, the establishment of strategy for the brand personality formed over long period of time through harmony of various marketing mixes to strengthen the relationship with consumers even more as well as raising brand identification and switching barrier to be connected with commitment is necessary. Also, it is necessary to wipe out the attraction of competing brand by making customers recognize the costs triggered as switch of purchase and highlighting the relative competing strength after continuing to search for the competing brands by consolidating the related marketing so that the personal relationship between employees and company with customers. Third, in order to verify the efficiency of business competitiveness and marketing, the relationship between consumer and brand as well as precise understanding on brand commitment are essential. Fournier and Yao(1997) has also pointed out that the misunderstanding and limitations exist in applying practical suggestions of the study in case the definition on behavioral loyalty of consumers toward the brand is not clear. In other words, measuring brand loyalty through superficial method based on repurchase activity or satisfaction index of customers is showing limitations in managing environment of today where the consumer standard has become higher and the change of environment became faster. In order to understand the mentality of customers correctly and derive an effective marketing strategy, the brand management tool which is appropriate for environment has to be used. Fourth, the brand managers set their goal as highly intense loyalty such as passion and commitment of consumers. If the scenario of various crises that might be faced anytime, raising the commitment based on strong brand attractiveness is indeed an effective method to continue relationship and raise profitability. Fifth, it has been clarified that commitment has high relationship with the degree of brand identification in this study. Accordingly, I think giving motive to possess the brand by establishing brand image pursued by consumers would be important. The limitations of study and future study objectives in terms of this study are as follows. There might be a typicality problem because the study could not be performed on various classes of people because the study was performed based on university students in selecting the sample. Therefore, the organization of sample to secure typicality of sample is necessary in future studies. Also, the study to clarify existence of other parameters such as customer satisfaction, shopping cost and shopping time, etc could be performed between brand personality and commitment while a more in-depth follow up study is required on cause and effect relationship between the degree of brand identification and brand commitment. In this study, the brand personality was shown as having effect on brand identification, switching barrier and furthermore on commitment while the study applying various parameters such as brand awareness, quality perceptivity and brand satisfaction, etc would have to be performed actively in future studies.