Brand Awareness

2.1 Brand Awareness

Awareness is a key ingredient identified in almost all brand equity models (Aaker 1991, Kapferer 1991, Keller 1992, 1999). Keller (2003) defines awareness as the customers’ ability to recall and recognize the brand as reflected by their ability to identify the brand under different conditions and to link attributes of the brand such as logo, name, symbol and so forth to certain associations in mind. Brand awareness is the ability of a potential buyer to recognize or recall that a brand is a member of a certain product category, a link between product class and brand (Aaker, 1991).

Brand recognition is consumers’ ability to confirm prior exposure to the brand as a cue. (Keller, 1997). And it is more important for new or

Aaker (1991) defines brand loyalty as the attachment that a customer has to a brand that leading to consistent purchasing of the brand over time. Two different approaches to the study of brand loyalty have been in the centre of marketing literature. The first, behavioural approach to brand loyalty is, consistent purchasing of one brand over time is an indicator of brand loyalty measuring by the continuance or proportion of purchases. Repetitive buying behaviour is assumed to reflect enhancement and strong link with the brand loyalty but such behaviour may lack commitment to the brand and reflect repeat buying based on apathy. The second approach in the marketing literature is cognitive approach to brand loyalty. In which, behaviour solely does not reflect brand loyalty and can’t be measured by just its repetitive buying habit. A slight change in price might direct the customer into another product or service (Assael 1992, Samuelsen 1997). Brand loyalty has the power to impact on customer decision to purchase the same product or service and decline to change to competitors’ brand (Yoo,

At the bottom, non-loyal buyer who is indifferent to the brand. They can be named as switchers or price buyer and each brand perceived to be adequate and brand name plays small role on purchasing decision. The second level involves buyers who are satisfied with the product or at least not dissatisfied and can be named as habitual buyer. The third level involves of those who are also satisfied and in addition, have switching cost either in time or money form. The fourth level involves with customers who truly likes the brand. Their preferences might be brand name, logo, a set of experiences or a perceived high quality. The fifth and top one involves with committed customers. They feel pride in being users of a brand and is very important to them either functionally or as an expression of who they are. Their confidence is such that they will recommend the brand to