| With digital and information-based era coming to us, the inter-firm competition becomes fiercer, the market environment becomes more complex, consumers become more rational, and market patterns are transformed from the type of product-oriented to the consumer-oriented. As consumers have taken up the core of market, the availability of products, that is, the size of the distribution density is playing an increasingly important role in the market environment. The impact of information technology and globalization allows a more detailed study on the brand equity. The researches on the dimensions of brand equity and relevant financial researches are both deeper and more specific. There are also more attentions on how to increase the value of brand equity, so as to enhance the business value. In the fierce market competition, building brand equity is an important strategy of maintaining competitive advantage for companies.For enterprises, how to increase corporate brand equity and transfer the brand information to consumers better depends on the implementation of marketing mix. The impact of marketing mix on brand equity has become a hot spot of foreign brand equity researches. Many scholars have begun to explore the impacts of marketing strategies such as advertising, promotions and public relations on brand equity. Compared to foreign brand equity researches, domestic researches are still in the initial stage. However, there are more and more scholars beginning to pay attention to brand and brand equity. Their main researches focus on the concept of brand equity, the measurement system of brand equity, and the areas of brand extension, while the researches on brand equity and its related fields are relatively less. There are short of empirical researches about the impact of marketing mix on brand equity, as well as how the distribution density in marketing mix affects brand equity. Although many scholars have done some analysis and researches about the relationship between marketing mix and brand equity, and affirmed the existence of the impacting relations between them, the empirical researches about the impact of distribution density on brand equity are still relatively less.Considering the actual national conditions in China, this study uses empirical research methods to investigate the impact of distribution density on brand equity and its dimensions. In this study, we build a conceptual model between marketing mix, brand equity and its dimensions, extracting the element of distribution density in Yoo model as the only independent variable, and increasing the degree of perceived value to other three dimensions of brand equity, which are brand association, perceived quality, and brand loyalty. In this study, we can observe the impact of distribution density on brand equity through its impact on the four dimensions of brand equity (perceived value, perceived quality, brand association, brand loyalty). We start from the empirical research to address the following two issues: How does the distribution density affect brand equity and its dimensions; how do various dimensions of brand equity express its concept. This paper combines the distribution density and brand equity, which can help to explore how corporate marketing activities affect brand equity and increase its value.Based on theoretical models, we bring out two assumptions on the relationship level, namely the relationship between distribution density and dimensions of brand equity, and the relationship between brand equity and its dimensions. The specific assumptions are: H1: There is a positive correlation between perceived value and brand equity; H2: There is a positive correlation between perceived quality and brand equity; H3: There is a positive correlation between brand association and brand equity; H4: There is a positive correlation between brand loyalty and brand equity. H5: There is a positive correlation between high distribution density and perceived quality; H6: There is a positive correlation between high distribution density and brand association; H7: There is a positive correlation between high distribution density and brand loyalty; H8: There is a positive correlation between high distribution density and perceived value; H9: There is a positive correlation between high distribution density and brand equity. After these assumptions, we wish to further explore the differences among the impacts of distribution density on perceived quality, perceived value, brand association and brand loyalty, which make a distinction from the studies of Yoo. Therefore, we make the following assumptions: H10: the impact of high distribution density on perceived quality is greater than those on brand association, brand loyalty and perceived value; H11: the impact of high distribution density on brand association is greater than those on brand loyalty and perceived value; H12: the impact of high distribution density on brand loyalty is greater than that on perceived value.This study uses quantitative survey method and facilitates random sampling method, selecting fast-moving consumer goods as subjects and students from Business School of Jilin University as survey samples. The questionnaire design of this study uses the existing scales of brand equity and distribution density, marking with the Likert Scales. The scales of distribution density, brand association, perceived quality, perceived value, brand loyalty and brand equity mainly form the questionnaire, with a total of 20 questions. We assigned 230 questionnaires, and 210 of them were recovered, with the recovery being 91.3%. The copies of valid questionnaires were 204, with its recovery being 88.7%. In this study, we collect data by sending questionnaires, using data analysis tool spss to execute factor analysis, correlation analysis and regression analysis. Through data analysis, we have made the following conclusions: There is a positive correlation between the four dimensions of brand equity which are brand association, perceived quality, perceived value, brand loyalty and brand equity; There is a positive correlation between distribution density and brand association, perceived quality, perceived value, brand loyalty; There is a positive correlation between distribution density and brand equity; The impact degrees of distribution density on the four dimensions of brand equity are different, with the impact on perceived quality being the largest.Most assumptions in this study have been put forward by appropriate authentication. Thus, in theory, this study broadens the horizons for domestic researches on brand equity and related fields, and makes a basis for the further studies on the relationship between marketing mix and brand equity. For enterprises, this study quantifies the relationship between them by empirical ways, so that managers can find theoretical basis for effective marketing campaigns in the practices in order to effectively build and manage brand equity. At the same time, it provides references for the brand managers on channels building. Business managers can enhance the design of distribution density and upgrade the availability of products for consumers, so that influence the judgments of consumers on brand association, perceived quality, perceived value, and brand loyalty, which can affect brand equity and enhance the value of brand equity. In practice, enterprises can focus on specific operation and construction of one or several dimensions to increase brand equity, thereby making them gain greater competitive advantages.In short, due to various reasons, this study has some limitations and shortcomings. However, there are a lot of theoretical and practical significances from the whole picture, which provides a good reference for future researchers. |
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