MEASURING THE IMPACT OF BRAND POSITIONING ON CONSUMER PURCHASE INTENTION ACROSS DIFFERENT PRODUCTS

This study attempts to determine the combined impact of brand signaling variables: brand prestige, brand image and brand credibility; on consumer purchase intention. It also empirically examines the moderating role of product involvement in this brand positioning framework across high and low involvement product categories. This study targets not only students but also professionals and non-professionals within a wide range of demographic characteristics using random sampling technique. Overall 776 consumers have participated in the questionnaire based survey. Within the brand positioning framework lie four more latent (moderating) variables: perceived value for money, perceived quality, information costs saved and perceived risk. The complete model of overall eight constructs is tested with structural equation modeling (SEM). Results indicate that all the three brand signaling variables (brand prestige, brand image and brand credibility) positively influence consumer purchase intention; through perceived value for money, perceived quality, information costs saved, and perceived risk. The total impact of brand positioning variables is greater in case of high involvement product as compared to the low involvement product category. By extending the sampling frame to consumers from professional and non-professional fields an effort is made to make the results of this study more generalizable in all contexts and markets. This study may prove useful for marketers and advertisers for framing effective policies and enhancing profitability. Limited studies have analyzed the role of brand prestige, brand image and brand credibility as signaling variables in determining consumer purchase intention. The present study add value to existing literature by extending the framework of brand positioning by including and testing the impact of a new signaling construct, brand image, on consumer purchase intention. Furthermore, not much has been previously explored about whether the impact of these signaling variables upon consumer purchase intention may remain same across various product categories.