Study On The Formation Of Brand Preference

Brand preference, a tendentious attitude which was shown when consumers compared particular brand with other similar brands, is an important source to build, accumulate brand equity and form sustainable competitive edge. Now it becomes a central issue concerned by academic research and marketing practice. A clear internal formation mechanism of brand preference makes a significant contribution for marketers to design a marketing strategy at corresponding stage and make comprehensive brand management.On the basis of available research achievements, this paper combined with the theory of cognitive psychology, consumer behavior and brand management, proposed conceptual model and research hypotheses of brand preference formation process, then selected notebook PC and shampoo as objects of study, applied factor analysis, structural equation and hierarchical multiple regression methods to verify the model and hypotheses, main conclusions have drawed as followings:Firstly, brand preference is not a single dimension; it consists of cognitive preference, emotional preference and behavioral intention preference. These dimensions are not formed simultaneously, behavioral intention preference formed on the basis of cognitive preference and emotional preference.Secondly, the formation of brand preference advanced by steps, it should pass two stages:customer brand contact and the formation of brand knowledge. Brand contact influences brand knowledge and then promotes the formation of brand preference. As one of the brand knowledge's dimension, brand image boosts the formation of cognitive preference and emotional preference directly; the other dimension, brand awareness indirectly promotes the formation of brand preference through its significant effect on brand image.Thirdly, brand contact from different source has different influence to customer brand knowledge; furthermore, according to products with different involvement, brand contact's impact on brand knowledge is different. Notebook PC as a high involvement product, different type of brand contact's influence on brand knowledge shows the range in a diminishing sequence from acquaintance contact, experience contact, public contact to business contact; whereas shampoo, which is the typical product of low involvement, presents with experience contact, public contact, acquaintance contact and business contact.Fourthly, compared with shampoo sample, notebook PC sample has difference: its acquaintance contact, public contact' s effect on brand awareness exceed shampoo sample's effects; its acquaintance contact, business contact, experience contact's effect on brand image shows much higher. Notebook PC sample's emotional preference's effect on behavioral intention preference is greater than shampoo's; meanwhile its cognitive preference's effect on behavioral intention preference is weaker than shampoo's.Fifth, rival brand information would enhance the public contact's positive effect on brand awareness, and it would weaken the business contact's positive effect on brand awareness.