Abstract:
The relationship between corporate image and consumer behavior is a well-recognized field of study, irrespective of the limited empirical studies conducted to this accord. In the wake of a more competitive global landscape, brands enter into strategic partnerships with downstream and upstream collaborators to take their products to the market. The purpose of this research was to investigate the role of specific product brandsÕ customer-based brand equity within the relationship between the corporate image of a wholesaler and the purchase intention of the product brandsÕ products by consumers.
The approach for the study was quantitative and conducted amongst motor vehicle drivers in South Africa. Adequate data was collected through online survey questionnaires from 360 respondents. This data was studied through covariance based structured equation modelling with mediation analysis, utilizing AMOS version 25.
The findings of the research indicated that the corporate image of the distributor, influences the brand loyalty, brand associations and perceived quality of the product brands positively. It further indicated that corporate image does not directly influence the purchase intention of the product brands, however brand association and perceived quality mediate the relationship between corporate image and purchase intention. An interesting finding was the lack of mediation of brand loyalty on the relationship between corporate image and purchase intention.
The key findings of this research will assist marketeers and strategists alike in determining how they could best leverage corporate images in their brand building activities. It also contributes to the body of knowledge on the antecedents and consequences of customer-based brand equity and provides the impetus to study this field further.
