BRAND CONSISTENCY AND CLARITY - THE PROGRESS OF DR. MARYAM VAZIRI’S RESEARCH IN GREITM

What is clarity and consistency for a brand?   

Brand clarity is the absence of information ambiguity and activities associated with marketing mix strategies, influences the consumer expected utility, and improves consumer behavior (Erdem and Swait, 1998). Brand consistency is the degree of harmony, balance, and convergence among the marketing mix elements (Erdem and Swait, 1998; Erdem et al., 2006). It is defined as how consumers feel the brand has a rich heritage with a coherent, consistent and positive image (Netemeyer et al. 2004). Further, in corporate branding, brand consistency is crucial for managing internal stakeholders and when they experience brands at brand contact points (Burmann and Schallehn 2008; Hatch and Schultz 2001; Kärreman and Rylander 2008). Consistency plays an essential role in brand equity management and marketing principles such that it is considered the first icon in the brand signal process (Park and Zaltman, 1987; Erdem and Swait, 1998; Pecot et al., 2018). Both concepts are considered the first icon in the brand signal process (Park and Zaltman, 1987; Erdem and Swait, 1998; Pecot et al., 2018). Brand consistency and clarity as the brand signals increase consumer purchase intention through higher perceived quality (Erdem and Swait, 1998). 

On the other side, the degree of consumer perception of perceived brand globalness (PBG) and perceived brand localness (PBL) can define the level of brand competitiveness by creating a consumer-brand relationship and consumer-brand identification (Sichtmann et al., 2019). Thus, based on the informational asymmetry between the firm and consumers (Pecot et al., 2018) and the predictive role of PBG and PBL in the signaling theory (Erdem and Swait, 1998), we will develop a conceptual model to explain the role of brand consistency, brand clarity and perceived quality in the relationship between PBG and PBL and consumer purchase intention. In this study, we investigate whether PBG and PBL can favor brand consistency and clarity and thus increase the perceived quality and consumer purchase intention for local and global brands.

Why brand consistency an clarity are important for marketing managers?

Global and local brand managers need to realize that their brands are appreciated not only for their quality (Xie et al., 2015) but also for their ability to create a consistent and clear signal to facilitate customers' decision-making process and their willingness to purchase. Consumers are more likely to purchase products from a brand they trust, and trust is built through consistent messaging and branding; it is indicated that brand consistency increases the firm's growth by nurturing brand trust (Eggers et al., 2013).

From a practical point of view, companies deliver brand signals of localness and globalness to consumers and create brand consistency with their marketing mix strategies (i.e., product quality, price, promotion, and distribution channels). When marketing managers introduce brands with higher consistency in terms of quality, image, price, distribution, and promotional activities, in other words, the whole package of their marketing mix components, consumers perceive brands with higher quality and higher purchase intention. The findings provide further support that how positive consumer perceptions of brand globalness and localness can be transferred into perceived quality, consistency, and clarity. It recommends that managers who want to enhance their brands with higher consistency and quality should pay more attention to localness and globalness signals. This study is the first attempt to analyze PBG and PBL as antecedents of brand consistency and clarity and will be presented on September 33rd at International Marketing Conference AEMARK 2022 in Valencia. 
 

Maryam Vaziri, PhD. 

Innova Institute; La Salle - Ramon Llull University; Sant Joan de La Salle, 42; (Barcelona), Spain.
Phone: +34 932 902 400 
Email:  maryam.vaziri@salle.url.edu

Maryam Vaziri is a member of research group in Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management (GREITM) in LaSalle International School of Commerce and Digital Economy; Ramon Llull University, Barcelona, Spain. She holds a PhD on “International Entrepreneurship and Management” with Strategic Marketing specialization in Business Department of the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB). 

Authors: Maryam Vaziri, GREITM editorial team