Driving Role Of The Family Relationship Strength On Inter-generation Heritage Brand Equity Research

This paper selected the college students and their parents as the object, studied on the effect of strength of family relationship on brand equity transmission between two generations of inheritance role. This research embarks from the family perspective to explore the driving factors of brand equity construct, broaden the sources of brand equity building.The author reviewed the definition of brand equity、driving factors and the effect of family factors on consumer socialization, provided a reliable theoretical source for understanding the relationship between family factors and brand equity, and also provided the theory support for the research framework. Cultural background of Chinese characteristics is set to provide the local characteristics of the study, to increase the pertinence and reliability of empirical results, and it makes the research results can be applied to the construction of China’s own brand.This paper based on the theory of consumer behavior and consumer psychology. Author used consumer socialization theory, selected the pairing sample data of parent and offspring. The results showed that there are different effects among the three dimensions of brand equity which is perceived quality, brand loyalty and brand awareness/brand imagination. The strength of family relationship has strongest influence on the intergenerational transmission of perceived quality; while the influence on brand loyalty is least. This result refined the theory of factors and mechanism about brand equity of intergenerational transmission, had certain innovation significance.In addition, this study also confirms culture value putting influence on the intergenerational brand equity inheritance. The stronger tendency of offspring s individualism, the less possibility of intergenerational effect. However, the stronger tendency of offspring s collectivism, the more possibility of intergenerational effet. For different product category, intergenerational influence is reflected in a quite big difference. In the last part of the study, the author put forward several managerial suggestions according to the product category and the different dimensions of brand equity.