When do family brand personalities lead to brand loyalty? A study of family‐owned fashion retailers in Pakistan

Abstract

Despite the benefits that it can bring, family firms in emerging markets rarely take brand loyalty into account. Using self‐congruity theory and data from a sample of 381 customers of family‐owned fashion retailers in five major shopping malls in Lahore, this research sets out to answer the question, how do brand personalities help to generate a brand image, and ensure brand loyalty, for family firms in emerging markets? It focuses on the influence of three brand personalities—sincerity, competence, and excitement—on brand loyalty, and examines the mediating effect of brand image, and the moderating effect of brand sophistication. The results show that brand sincerity, competence, and excitement have a positive effect on brand image, which in turn positively influences brand loyalty, and that brand sincerity and brand excitement also have positive indirect effects on brand loyalty. The study highlights some avenues for future research and discusses the implications for managers working in family firms in emerging markets such as Pakistan.

Grocery retailer's brand performances from brand personalities and marketing offerings

“…In a comparative study of nostalgic and non-nostalgic brands, Youn and Dodoo (2021) found excitement, sincerity and competence as common dimensions. In a fashion retailing context, Sindhu et al (2021) also found excitement, sincerity, competence to be prominent dimensions. Thus, this study examines these three dimensions in a grocery retailing context and adds trustworthiness as a fourth dimension considering the importance of trust in buying foodrelated items.…”

“…Despite the widespread use of Aaker's (1991) CBBE sources, the model has been criticised for being generic, and lacking marketing and retailer-specific factors, such as the four-marketing offerings (Efanny et al, 2018;Niazi et al, 2021). Also questioned, are the contributions of a retailer's brand personalities to CBBE (Sindhu et al, 2021) and resultant outcomes (Buil et al, 2013;Uford and Duh, 2021).…”

“…Consumers patronize retailers, especially grocery retailers for their utilitarian marketing offerings (price, distribution, promotion and product quality) (Anselmsson et al, 2017;Niazi et al, 2021;Viet and Anh, 2021), as well as for metaphorical, symbolic and psychological brand attributes/positioning (e.g. brand personalities) (Kuo et al, 2022;Sindhu et al, 2021;Willems, 2022). For example, and for the brand equity success of distribution companies and retailers, S anchez-Gonz alez et al (2022) contend that sustainable marketing offerings are important.…”

“…Although Aaker's (1997) five brand personality dimensions have been widely studied, researchers (e.g. Kuo et al, 2022;Sindhu et al, 2021;Youn and Dodoo, 2021) warn that not all five dimensions are applicable for all product categories. For example, Willems (2022) reports that utilitarian grocery retailers score high in competence and sincerity, while symbolic retailers like fashion retailers score high in excitement and sophistication dimensions.…”

“…Brand excitement is a direct driver of retailers' brand equity (Willems, 2022). According to Sindhu et al (2021), a fashion retailer's brand competence, excitement and sincerity will first impact brand loyalty, a strong driver of brand equity. For a luxury brand and halal brand, Shetty and Fitzsimmons (2021) and Aji and Muslichah (2022) also found a direct relationship between brand personality and brand loyalty.…”