본 연구에서는 소비자의 브랜드 체험을 측정하여 브랜드 체험 유형에 따라 브랜드 자산인 브랜드 개성, 브랜드 감정 및 브랜드 충성도가 달라 질 수 있는지 파악하고자 하였다. 이 과정에서 제품에 대한 소비자의 관여도와 제품 관여도 및 제품 카테고리인 실용적, 쾌락적 제품 여부에 따른 조절효과를 검증하고자 하였다. 연구모형 검증을 위해 서울시에 소재하는 대학생과 직장인 1800명을 대상으로 설문조사를 행하여 구조방정식 모형으로 실증분석을 하였다. 분석 결과 첫째, 브랜드에 대한 4가지 체험 유형 중 감각적, 감성적, 지적체험이 많을수록 브랜드 개성 중 성실성, 활기, 역량 및 세련성이 촉진되는 것으로 나타났다. 이에 비하여 행동적 체험은 브랜드 역량에는 유의한 영향을 미치지는 않아 브랜드 개성을 촉진하기 위해서는 행동적 체험보다는 감각적 체험, 감성적 체험 및 지적 체험을 활성화하는 것이 유효하다는 것을 시사하였다. 브랜드 체험이 브랜드 감정에 미치는 영향을 보면 감각적, 감성적 체험 및 지적 체험만 브랜드 감정에 유의한 영향을 미쳐 브랜드에 대한 긍정적 감정을 도모하기 위해서는 감각적, 감성적 체험과 더불어 지적 체험을 유발시켜야 할 필요가 있음을 시사하고 있다. 브랜드 개성 차원에 따라 브랜드 감정 및 브랜드 충성도에 대한 영향도 다르게 나타났다. 둘째, 다중집단 분석 결과 제품에 대한 소비자의 관여도와 제품군에 따라 브랜드체험-브랜드 충성도 간의 관계가 다르게 나타나 조절효과가 검증되었다. 조절효과 검증 결과, 브랜드 체험이 브랜드 개성에 미치는 영향에서는 관여도가 높은 제품군인 패션제품과 화장품 및 휴대폰과 관여도가 낮은 제품인 커피전문점 및 음료수 간에 그리큰 차이가 나타나지 않았다. 그러나 브랜드에 대한 감정과 브랜드 개성과의 관계에서는 고관여 제품군인 휴대폰, 패션제품과 저관여 제품인 커피전문점, 음료수 간에는 차이가 뚜렷하게 있는 것으로 나타났다. 이러한 연구결과를 바탕으로 브랜드 관리에 대한 실무적 제언을 하였다.
Consumers strongly tend to choose products based on not only their functional benefits but also brand experiences. Because of this trend, both scholars and marketers express high interest in brand experiences, and emphasize the importance of them in developing strategies for products and services. Nevertheless, research in brand experience and which sub-dimension of experiences affect brand equity and brand loyalty have not been carried out extensively. Even though the research has dealt with brand experience, it has had limitation, as they have not measured brand experience with a systematized scale.
In this study, the researcher investigated the causal relationship between brand experience, brand equity like brand personality and brand affect, and brand loyalty; brand experience was measured by the scale which Brakus et al.(2009) developed whereby reliability and validity were proved. Brand experience is divided 4 sub-dimensions: sensory, affective, behavioral, and intellectual. The researcher hypothesized that product type and product involvement and consumers's involvement would make a moderating role in the relationship between brand experience, brand personality, brand affect, and brand loyalty.
1519 questionnaires were distributed to a sample group of people aged between 20-40. The data were analyzed with a structural equation model using the AMOS 18.0 program. The results of this study are summarized as follows.
1. Reliability of items used in this study were proved by Cronbach's alpha value, CR(construct reliability), and AVE(average variance extracted) value. Discriminant validities of constructs were also verified by correlation value, comparision between squared correlation and ave value, and others. These two validities were based on the values through the results of CFA(Confirmatory Factor Analysis).
2. Brand experiences affected brand personality, brand affect, and brand loyalty. The strength of influence varied according to the sub dimension of brand experience. Brand personality and brand affect are accelerating by sensory, affective and intellectual brand experience not by behavioral experience of brand. In the relationship between brand personality and brand affect, brand affect is promoted by sincerity, excitement, sophistication, and indulgence of brand personality except brand capability personality. In the relationship between brand personality and brand loyalty, only brand capablilty factor of personality affected on brand loyalty.
3. Brand personality, brand attachment, brand image, brand attitude, and brand affect that the researcher set up as brand equity elements affected brand loyalty both directly and/or indirectly. As a result, their mediating roles of them were supported; previous researches have rarely dealt with.
4. The relationship between brand experience, brand equity, and brand loyalty was different according to consumers' involvement. To the consumers who have low personal involvement, brand sincerity, excitement, capability tend to be accelerated when sensory experience of brand is promoted. Not like low personal involvement consumers, positive brand affect is facilitated when brand sophistication is stressed to the high personal involvement consumers.
5. The relationship between brand experience, brand equity, and brand loyalty also differed according to whether the products are high involvement products or low involvement products, and whether they are functional products or hedonic products. These results imply that products type and involvement make moderating role in the relationship between brand experience, brand equity, and brand loyalty. Their moderating roles are identified for the first time in the research field of brand experience.
In the final session, academic and managerial implications are discussed and the limitation of this study and the future research directions are suggested.