The brand personality dimensions of business-to-business firms: a content analysis of employer reviews on social media

ABSTRACT

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the brand personalities that employees are creating of their employer brands, in particular business-to-business (B-to-B) brands, when describing these brands on social media. We examine how the brand personalities, based on written online reviews, differ between high- and low-ranked, and high- and low-rated brands.

Methodology/Approach: 6,300 written employee reviews from a social media platform, Glassdoor, are used for content analysis in DICTION, to determine the brand personality dimensions they communicate (J. L). An independent B-to-B brand ranking data source, Brandwatch, is used as a reference to various brands’ level of ranking, while an ANOVA test is used to determine whether there is a difference in the brand personality trait means when comparing high and low-ranked, and high- and low-rated brands.

Findings: Our findings suggest that a strong social media presence does not equate to a strong employer brand personality perception among employees, since there are no significant differences between B-to-B firms based on their rankings.

Research Implications: Extant literature has mostly explored the impact of either critical reviews or favourable customer ratings and reviews on company performance, with very little research focusing on the B-to-B context. In addition, research employing DICTION for the purposes of content analysis of reviews is sparse. The methodology used in this study could thus be employed to further compare and contrast the reviews from a single company, dividing top and low starred reviews to compare discrepancies.

Practical Implications: The results of this study show how online shared employee experiences of employer brands contribute to the formation of a distinct employer brand personality. From a managerial viewpoint, engaging with current and past employees and being cognizant of the online narratives that they share on social media, may be an early indicator of where the firm is lacking (or showing strength) in its’ employee engagement. This would offer a way for firms to both understand their employer brand personality as well as gauge how they compare to top employers in a specific sector or industry.

Originality/Value/Contribution: The study attempts to grow the literature of employee brand engagement in a B-to-B context, by recognizing the important role that employees play in engaging with their employer brand online. Two main contributions are offered. The first contribution relates to the finding that employees perceive highly-rated B-to-B brands as being more competent, exciting, sincere and sophisticated than low-rated B-to-B brands. Second, the methodology used in this study proves to be a novel and accurate way of comparing employee reviews and perceived employer brand personality, with the employer-created intended brand image.     

Customer brand personality perception: A taxonomic analysis

Abstract

The brand personality concept has received considerable attention. However, researchers have paid little attention to how homogeneous consumer brand personality perceptions are. This study attempts to fill this gap by analysing survey data (n?=?603) collected from respondents evaluating seven mass-market consumer brands. Using cluster analysis, it identifies four typical brand personality constellations. The authors find variance among brand personality perceptions across brands, but more interestingly also within perceptions of individual brands. This result points to issues in implementing brand personalities in marketing practice. The article concludes with theoretical and managerial implications.     

Brand personality inference: The moderating role of product meaning

Abstract

This study draws on categorisation theory to investigate how consumers make brand personality inferences. Its purpose is to determine the basic category at which consumers make brand personality inferences and whether this level varies for functional and symbolic products. Experimental results show that the basic level of categorisation for brand personality inferences is the brand level for symbolic products and the product type level for functional products. These findings suggest that managers may have less latitude to adopt diverse personalities for functional than symbolic products. The study also demonstrates that, in contrast to prior work, future research on brand personality should consider a wider range of sources of personality.     

Brand Commitment Role in the Relationship between Brand Loyalty and Brand Satisfaction: Phone Industry in Malaysia

Abstract

To maintain a competitive advantage, the strategy of the creation and maintenance of brand loyalty plays a vital role. The main aim of this study is to examine the theoretical and empirical evidence on the causal relationships among different factors i.e., brand personality, image, experience, satisfaction, trust and commitment that have direct and indirect effects in the creation of brand loyalty. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) using Partial Least Squares (PLS) method was applied to test the relationships in this study. The findings indicate that brand personality, brand image and brand experience are key sources of brand satisfaction.     

Are we who we follow? Computationally analyzing human personality and brand following on Twitter

Abstract

In this study, we present a computational method for analyzing the congruence between personality of a brand’s Twitter account and the personality of their followers. We investigated attachment to brands on Twitter by computing personalities through a machine-learned computational analysis of Twitter postings rather than traditional personality tests. By studying three different brands, results revealed that on average, brand followers have personalities that are more congruent with the personality of brands they follow compared to users that do not follow those brands. Taking these findings into consideration, we discuss some considerations for advertising researchers and practitioners, as well as provide a new tool, the Brand Analytics Environment (BAE), to allow individuals without computer programming backgrounds to conduct this method themselves.     

Exciting on Facebook or competent in the newspaper? Media effects on consumers’ perceptions of brands in the fashion category

Abstract

Media investments are continuously shifting from traditional media like newspapers to digital alternatives like websites and social media. This study investigated if and how media choice between the two rival channels can influence consumers’ perceptions of a novel brand. 504 Swedish retail fashion customers participated in an experiment to evaluate the identical advertisement placed either in a national newspaper or on Facebook. The results revealed that advertising in a newspaper can have a positive effect on brand equity facets and purchase intention through brand personality perceptions of being competent, while advertising on Facebook have similar effects but through perceptions of being exciting. Besides some evidence that choice between traditional and new media affects brand personality this study is one of the first attempts to incorporate media channel choice into the broader customer-based brand equity framework. The results from this particular study suggest that media channel choice should be considered from a brand equity building perspective at least in the fashion category. This study shows that different media channels could complement each other strategically, as traditional media channels still can have valuable and unique contributions to brand building through brand personality perceptions, especially for brands striving to be perceived as competent.     

Creating brand personality with brand names

As the elemental building block of the brand, the brand name represents a potential starting point for creating brand personality. Drawing on theory and research from sound symbolism, this study investigates how brand names can be formed to create brand personality, as defined by Aaker's (1997) Brand Personality Scale. Results indicate that brand names with back vowels better create a Ruggedness personality, while brand names with front vowels better create Sophistication and Sincerity personalities.     

Are Consumer and Brand Personalities the Same?

Current discussions of brand personality refer to a personified brand image, that is, a brand image that can possess any attributes of consumers, rather than brand personality. From a conceptual and methodological critique of the literature, this paper applies the definition of personality to brand personality, and tests the idea using a peer‐rating methodology that focuses on each individual's perception of a brand (the brand × subject structure). The results reveal that consumers reflect their personalities by the brands they use, but the relationship between brand choice and symbolic dimensions (i.e., extraversion, agreeableness, neuroticism, and openness to experience) is much stronger than the relationship with functional dimensions (i.e., conscientiousness). Moreover, the pattern of this relationship remains consistent across symbolic and utilitarian products, which implies that consumers choose brands with similar personalities to theirs across various products. The study concludes that an abridged personality scale, based on the Big Five, can be applied to both brands and consumers. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Brand personality appeal,brand relationship quality and WOM transmission: a study of consumer markets in Vietnam

This study investigates the impact of brand personality appeal on both brand relationship quality and word-of-mouth (WOM) transmission in Vietnam. It also examines the role of consumer attitudes towards advertising and public relations on brand personality appeal as well as brand relationship quality. An empirical test with a sample of 477 consumers by means of structural equation modelling reveals that brand personality appeal has a positive impact on both brand relationship quality and WOM transmission and that brand relationship quality has a positive effect on WOM transmission. Furthermore, attitudes towards public relations have positive impacts on both brand personality appeal and brand relationship quality. Finally, attitudes towards advertising have a positive impact on brand personality appeal but not on brand relationship quality.     

How to Measure Alignment in Perceptions of Brand Personality Within Online Communities: Interdisciplinary Insights

Considerable research has been done on brand personality as a key factor in brand management, focusing mainly on how it is perceived by consumers, but without much attention to the managerial perspective. However, the latter is crucially important to ensure that the brand personality that consumers perceive actually corresponds to what a company intends to communicate. This study offers an innovative methodology to achieve this dual-perspective objective, integrating notions of marketing and linguistics to investigate brand personality alignment as it emerges from authentic and spontaneous digital environments. Textual data were collected from both company and consumer web communications across a sample of 100 + fashion brands, and then processed with software to extract sets of adjectives as the expression of brand personality. The adjectives were interrelated to calculate ratios that measure (a) the degree of alignment between company-defined vs. consumer-perceived brand personality, (b) similarity in personality between brands and (c) consumer perception of similarity in personality between brands. Varying degrees of alignment were identified, suggesting differences in how effectively the companies communicate their brand personality. The combination of the ratios derived from this research process can be utilized to evaluate the strength of brand differentiation and to redefine brand communication strategies.     

Consumer attitude towards brand-extension incongruity: The moderating role of need for cognition and need for change

Abstract

This paper integrates two contradictory predictions from the schema incongruity theory: a linear versus an inverted-U relationship between brand-extension incongruity and evaluation. It suggests two personality variables, namely, need for cognition and need for change that moderate the relationship. The major proposition that the relationship would be linear for individuals low in both personality dimensions and inverted-U for those high on both was supported by the data obtained through a questionnaire study. The highest evaluation was obtained for the moderately incongruent extension compared to the congruent and extremely incongruent brand extensions of an established brand for individuals high on both personality dimensions. Four innovative behaviour types identified on the basis of a combination of high and low categories of participants on the two personality dimensions also provided similar results. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings, limitations of the present study, and future possibilities are discussed.     

Comparing factor analytical and circumplex models of brand personality in brand positioning

Competition has never been greater, which means it is more important than ever that organizations assess their brand management strategies, including brand personality management. However, little empirical research addresses the brand personality concept, particularly its role in product evaluation. An exception, which views brand personality as a set of human personality characteristics associated with a brand, has been criticized for its use of a factor analytical approach. An alternative approach posits that the brand represents a relationship partner with which the consumer may choose to engage; it corresponds to the interpersonal circumplex approach to personality modeling. The present study compares these two approaches by developing brand positioning maps and predicting consumer outcomes. The results support the factor approach in a purely quantitative sense, but the circumplex approach offers both a richer qualitative explanation of the findings by encompassing a broad spectrum of traits and a more diagnostic prediction of consumer outcomes. The alternative conceptualization of brand personality contained in these results should be of interest to brand managers. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Servbrand Framework: A Business-To-Business Services Brand Equity Framework

ABSTRACT

Purpose: The research reported on here set out to develop a tailored branding model for business to business (B-to-B) services by applying the brand resonance pyramid to a selected B-to-B services context.

The brand resonance pyramid was developed based on research that was predominantly consumer product or individual brand oriented, though one of the objectives when the model was developed was that “the model had to be versatile and applicable to all possible kinds of brands and industry settings. As more diverse applications of branding continued to emerge for products, services, organizations, people, places, and so forth, the model needed to have far-ranging relevance”. The brand resonance pyramid therefore had to be applicable to any context, including B-to-B services contexts. However, consumer goods branding strategies are not directly transferable to B-to-B or services markets and there are documented differences between the B-to-B and business-to-consumer (B2C) markets and products and services contexts. There is also doubt regarding the validity of the contention that the brand resonance pyramid should be applicable to the B-to-B sector.

Methodology: Using an interpretivist qualitative research approach and an exploratory research strategy, the Servbrand framework was developed empirically by applying the brand resonance pyramid to a selected B-to-B services context. Fourteen useful in-depth interviews were obtained from appropriate and information rich participants that represented more than 14 of the 89 organization that were included in the selection frame. Some of the participants were responsible for the relevant decisions of more than one organization.

Findings: The results from the study reported on here (summarized as Figure 5) prompted the inclusion of a people dimension and elevated the importance of relationships in an amended B-to-B services brand equity framework. The people brand-building block includes the dimensions of attitude and demeanor, personality and values, personableness, product knowledge and client knowledge. Relationships, as the ultimate aim of the framework, concern both interpersonal relationships and partnerships.

The article presents a conceptual framework to guide effective brand building strategies in a selected B-to-B services context. Researchers can use the framework to test its applicability in other contexts, which will contribute to the amendment of a significant brand equity management framework.

The Servbrand framework can assist marketing practitioners to improve the effectiveness of strategic brand management for B-to-B services.

Contribution: The empirical research contributes to three areas of brand equity research, namely: 1) the offering type – by investigating service offerings rather than product offerings; 2) the brand level – by investigating organization-level brands rather than product-level brands; and 3) context – by investigating a B-to-B context rather than a B2C context. A revised brand resonance pyramid is proposed and called the Servbrand framework.     

Celebrity endorsement: How celebrity–brand–user personality congruence affects brand attitude and purchase intention

The present study provides and tests a conceptual framework aimed at comparing the relative effectiveness of celebrity–user, brand–celebrity, and user–brand personality congruence on brand attitude and brand purchase intention (BPI) thereafter. The data collection was done via an online survey of a representative group of consumers (n = 431) located across India. Hypotheses were tested using regression analysis with mediation approach. The results indicate that while user–brand and brand–celebrity personality congruence have a significant impact on brand attitude and purchase intention, celebrity–user congruence does not. Further, brand attitude is found to be a partial mediator on the relationship between the pair-wise personality congruence on BPI. The findings have major implications for marketers in understanding the significance of personality congruence among celebrity–brand–user in the formation of brand attitude and purchase intention that can be used in positioning and in increasing the advertising effectiveness of brands using celebrity endorsement. The present study is a pioneer in contributing to the celebrity endorsement literature by investigating the relative impact of three pairs of personality congruence: celebrity–brand, brand–user, and celebrity–user, on brand attitude and BPI, thereby supporting the applicability of McCracken's Meaning Transfer Model [McCracken (1989), The Journal of Consumer Research, 16 (3) 310–321) and the Hierarchy-of-effects model (Lavidge and Steiner (1961), Journal of Marketing, 25 (6) 59–62].     

Impact of Advertising Variability on Building Customer-Based Brand Personality in a Competitive Environment: Empirical Analysis with Reference to Mexico

ABSTRACT

Brand equity is built around brand personality as one of its core dimensions. The psychographic variables, such as emotions, associated with a brand's image constitute the brand's personality. Although consumers' experiences with the brand cultivate such a personality, advertising plays a dominant role in its creation. This paper attempts to explore the mechanism that builds brand personality through means of communication, such as advertising and word of mouth. The discussions in the paper integrate advertising variability concepts with brand personality and present viable propositions as managerial implications for building a brand's personality while taking the variables of marketing communication into consideration. The hypotheses set within the integrated framework lead to the construct of an advertising model that is cohesive to brand personality measures. In building this framework, analyses of the concepts of brand equity and advertising, communication, personality and loyalty have been critically examined and tested based on two separate studies conducted in Mexico.

RESUMEN. El valor de una marca se construye utilizando su propia personalidad como una de sus dimensiones intrínsecas. Las variables psicográficas, tales como las emociones asociadas a la imagen de la marca, son las que constituyen su personalidad. A pesar del hecho de que son justamente las experiencias que los clientes tienen con la marca las que crean dicha personalidad, la publicidad también desempeña un papel importante. Este documento trata de explorar el mecanismo utilizado para construir la personalidad de la marca a través de medios de comunicación tales como la publicidad, y los datos transmitidos verbalmente por las personas. Los argumentos utilizados en este documento integran los conceptos de la variabilidad publicitaria a la personalidad de la marca, y presentan propuestas viables como implicancias gerenciales para construir dicha personalidad al mismo tiempo que toman en consideración las variables del mercadeo comunicacional. La hipótesis trazada dentro del marco integrado nos llevó a construir un modelo publicitario coherente con las medidas de la personalidad de la marca. Al construir este marco, hemos analizado los conceptos inherentes al valor de la marca y su publicidad, comunicación, y lealtad críticamente, poniéndolos a prueba en dos estudios separados realizados en México.

RESUMO. O valor da marca-brand equity-é construído ao redor da personalidade da marca como uma de suas dimensões principais. As variáveis psicográficas, tais como emoções, associadas à imagem de uma marca constituem a personalidade da marca. Embora experiências dos consumidores com a marca cultivem tal personalidade, a propaganda desempenha papel dominante em sua criação. Este artigo busca explorar o mecanismo que constrói a personalidade da marca através dos meios de comunicação, tais como propaganda e boca a boca. As discussões apresentadas no artigo integram conceitos de variabilidade da propaganda com personalidade de marca e apresentam proposições viáveis de implicações gerenciais para a construção da personalidade de uma marca, ao mesmo tempo em que levam em consideração as variáveis da comunicação de marketing. As hipóteses levantadas no âmbito do arcabouço integrado levam à construção de um modelo de propaganda que é coerente com as mensurações de personalidade de marca. Construindo este arcabouço, análises dos conceitos de valor da marca-brand equity-e propaganda, comunicação, personalidade e lealdade, foram examinados criticamente, e testados baseados em dois estudos independentes conduzidos no México.     

Personality,person–brand fit,and brand community: An investigation of individuals,brands, and brand communities

Abstract

Brand communities have received considerable and warranted attention from marketing researchers and practitioners. Brand communities can be important sources of information for both the firm and other customers, and they play an important role in building and maintaining strong brands. Nevertheless, the antecedents of brand community identification, such as individual differences across consumers in the propensity to connect with brand communities, are not as well understood. We hypothesise that the enduring personality traits extraversion and agreeableness predict identification with the [brand] community, which in turn, and along with product attachment, will be related to brand trust and brand loyalty. Product attachment itself is hypothesised to be a function of person–brand congruity, the perceived fit between the person and the brand. Those relationships are tested and supported in data from a sample of 662 car enthusiasts attending a large brand community meeting or ‘brandfest’.     

An empirical comparison of two brand personality scales: Evidence from India

Aaker's (1997) brand personality scale has been widely used to measure the personality of brands. However, studies also show that Aaker's brand personality dimensions are not stable across cultures. In pursuance of this issue, we examine the structure of brand personality dimensions in India. This research presents the results of two studies conducted to develop a brand personality scale in Indian context, and to make an empirical comparison between Indian brand personality scale and Aaker's brand personality scale. Results reveal that brand personality in India can be described in six dimensions: sophistication, excitement, popularity, competence, trendiness and integrity. The findings empirically support the reliability and validity of the scale developed. The results also reveal that Indian brand personality scale is a suitable alternative to Aaker's brand personality scale in Indian context.     

Dodo Lé Là: how consumers promote a local iconic brand in postcolonial creole culture

ABSTRACT

This videography shows how consumers in the Reunion Island (France) promote a local Dodo beer towards an iconic status through their identity work. An alternative approach to Holt’s theorising on iconic brands is taken on two levels. First, the videography contributes by offering a non-American, postcolonial and creole aspect of a brand myth-making, as well as the ‘promotion’ of the brand by the local consumers and multi-ethnic community. Second, the consumers’ voice in citing the brand is examined (Nakassis, 2012. American Anthropologist, 114(4), 624–638.). Based on the findings, the citing of the brand happens in two different ways: when including it into personalised identity narratives and when producing new brand tokens, thus nurturing the brand ontology further.     

Brand personality: Exploring the potential to move from factor analytical to circumplex models

With the proliferation of products and brands in the marketplace, brand personality has emerged as an important means of brand differentiation and thus of increasing consumer preference. However, little research has investigated this important construct, with the significant exceptions of Aaker's (1997) work, which is based on a factoranalytical approach. In response to the limitations of the factor approach to brand personality, this study explores the potential for advancing understanding of brand personality through a circumplex model derived from the fields of social and personality psychology and interpersonal psychiatry. The model is based on relationships between interpersonal personality traits or emotions and can assist academics and practitioners in understanding the brand personality concept. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.