The Effect Of Brand Equity On Consideration Set

Brand Equity as one of the intangible assets of the enterprise, has played a very significant impact on consumer buying behavior(Ruble&Donthu,1995; Slotegraaf&Pauwels,2008), so how the enterprise using Brand Equity theory to affect consumers’ buying decision effectively has become a focus in practice field. However, most researches about Brand Equity and purchase decision focus on the influence of the final purchase decisions, and ignore of the first phase of purchase decisions. In order to improve the influence of Brand Equity on consumers’ purchase decision, this paper will research about Brand Equity and considering buying decision, to study the influence of Brand Equity on Consideration Set.Brand Equity is important, but also vulnerable. Its vulnerability reflects on that Brand Equity is vulnerable to consumers’ subjective influence, especially when consumers are in special situation, the Brand Equity’s effects may show different features (Siomkos&Kurzbard,1994). In the day which Product Harm Crisis occurs frequently, how Brand Equity affects Consideration Set? This problem is still lack of further empirical research.This article put Product Harm Crisis as a background, based on the food of KFC brand as the research object, to discuss the influence of Brand Equity on Consideration Set. First of all, on the basis of reading many related literatures, this paper explores connotation and dimension of Brand Equity and Consideration Set; Secondly, it puts forward research model and hypothesis under the background of crisis; thirdly, using the questionnaire survey research method and regression analysis to explore influence of Brand Equity’s five dimensions which namely Brand Awareness, Perceived Quality, Perceived Value, Brand Associations and Brand Loyalty on Consideration Set, and verify the research hypothesis and model. The results of the study show that, under the background of crisis.(1) Brand Loyalty has a positive impact on Consideration Set, and the effect is the most significant. The influence of Brand Loyalty on Consideration Set in terms of the significant positive influence on brand into Consideration Set and brand’s preference order in all brands which are included in Consideration Set, and from the order of entering in regression model and the size of the regression coefficient, Brand Loyalty is the most significant. This means that under the crisis background, the higher Brand Loyalty is, the more positive influence on Consideration Set, and in many factors, Brand Loyalty is the most significant.(2) Brand Awareness has a positive impact on Consideration Set. Under the background of crisis, the higher the brand awareness is, the more positive influence on Consideration Set.(3) Perceived Value has a positive impact on Consideration Set. Under the background of crisis, the higher the Perceived Value is, the more positive influence on Consideration Set.The influence of Perceived Quality and Brand Association on Consideration Set have not gotten verification, maybe under crisis, when consumers are considering buying a specific brand, they don’t think too much about the two factors. Therefore, Perceived Quality and Brand Association have not significant impact on Consideration Set.This paper studies the effect of Brand Equity on Consideration Set which based on the Product Harm Crisis, and makes the western theory used in the localization of consumer psychological research, not only expands the related fields of Brand Equity and Consideration Set, but also directs how the enterprises positive influence on consumer Consideration Set through the Brand Equity ascension, as for at-risk enterprises, they should carry on improvement ideas to implement effective crisis management, which has an important practical significance.