Understanding Consumer Perception of Brand Personality

Abstract

The ever-changing marketing dynamics and increased competitive scenario have amplified the role of brands to a great extent. Brand marketers seek ways to achieve growth while reducing the cost of new product introduction as well as the risk of new product failure. A popular way of launching new products has therefore been to leverage the brand equity of an existing brand into a new sector, market or product category. Brand extension today is an important strategic tool to rejuvenate and revitalize an existing brand. The success of brand extension depends on the strength of the parent brand personality and its brand equity. A strong brand equity is related to distinct brand personality. Before going for any brand extension, it is important to understand the parent brand personalities and thereafter attaching the desirable brand personalities to the extended brand. This paper aims at identifying the parent brand personalities as perceived by the consumer. To understand brand personality, Jennifer Aaker’s Brand Personality Scale (BPS) has been used. The validity of the scale is examined using factor analysis. Descriptive research, using stratified random sampling, is undertaken. The study also aims at identifying the distinct brand personality of the proposed brand and suggests the brand extension categories and strategies, with special reference to the brand ‘Dove’.