The effect of brand personality on trust, attachment and brand commitment in the detergent industry

Dissertation to receive the degree of master "M.A"

Business Management, International Business Orientation

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to investigate the effect of brand personality on trust, attachment and commitment to the brand in the detergent industry, for this purpose, 385 people of detergent consumers who buy from chain stores in the city of Tehran were used as a sample. They chose and answered the standard questionnaire taken from the article of Lewis and Lombard (2010). At the end, the results obtained from the research questionnaires were analyzed with the help of bivariate linear regression test and the results showed that the personality of the brand has a significant effect (p<0.01) on trust, attachment and commitment to the brand in the detergent industry.

Keywords: brand personality, trust, attachment, commitment to the brand, detergent industry dir="RTL">1-1-     Introduction

Perhaps the most distinctive skill of professional companies is their ability to create, maintain, maintain and develop their trademarks (Kapferer, 2015). With the intensification of competition in business and rapid technological changes, as well as the increase in the power and right of choice of customers, success will belong to those companies that are able to understand and identify the expectations and values ??of customers in a more appropriate way and respond to them in a favorable way (Wang et al.[1], 2007).

Brand name as the pillar and basis of today's competitive game, is an element that must be carefully created, defined and managed so that organizations and companies can By relying on this pillar, make the most profit for your business. It is necessary to remember that the characteristics of brands or trade names have an effect on customer behavior and today's business world needs branding strategies (Jovanmard, 2018). Until a few years ago, the main concern of companies and institutions was to find and attract more customers. Currently, keeping and keeping customers satisfied is one of the most important activities of successful businesses. These companies have always spared no effort to improve customer satisfaction with their products/services. In this regard, concepts such as management based on customer satisfaction, comprehensive quality management, etc. It has been implemented in companies.

Always, these companies also regularly measure the customer satisfaction index while controlling and evaluating the performance of their programs, trying to win the hearts of customers and keep them satisfied with themselves. First, the main problem of the research was stated, and then the importance and necessity of the research was examined, and then the basic objectives of the research and the research questions, the theoretical framework of the research and the newness and innovation of the research, the scope of the research, the obstacles and limitations of the research were discussed, and finally the specialized words and terms of the research were defined. It tries to present its product or service in such a way that it does not lag behind the competitors, paying attention to other components that affect the choice of customers is of special importance. One of the most important factors affecting the customer's choice is the customer's mental image of the desired brand. The brand name is one of the intangible assets of companies that can play a major role in their growth and profitability in the long run. Especially since certain exclusive laws can also be used for the brand name.

In fact, the brand name acts as a legal field in which the product manufacturer or service provider can invest. In addition, branding and the use of a brand name can make it easier for consumers to make decisions and also be essential for creating loyalty to the company.

In general, a brand name plays important roles: it differentiates the product and service, communicates with the consumer, and acts as a legal area in which the manufacturer can invest. A suitable brand name gives satisfaction and confidence to the customers and employees of the company and can increase the market awareness of new products, the entry of products into the markets.A suitable brand name gives satisfaction and confidence to the company's customers and employees and can increase market awareness of new products, accelerate the entry of products into the markets and ultimately lead to an increase in market share. According to the definition of Philip Kotler and the American Marketing Association, a brand name is; A name, phrase or term, sign, sign, symbol, design or a combination of them whose purpose is to introduce the goods or services offered by a seller or a group of sellers, thereby distinguishing their products and services. From differentiating products and services to communicating with customers and creating market awareness and increasing market share. But what influences the customer's choice and, in other words, the success of a company's brand name, is actually the customer's mental image.

During the last two decades, the attention of many consumer behavior researchers has been drawn to the issue of how people choose from brands or brand names to describe their personality ideals.

Basically, humans want to understand the world around them and also communicate. Connecting with others, they use metaphors, one of which is the human metaphor. We always try to evaluate and express the characteristics of inanimate beings, using the human metaphor; attribute human traits to them.

Researchers believe; Customers attribute various personality traits and characteristics to products, which has caused a new topic to be defined as brand personality.

Brand personality is actually; All the human qualities we attribute to brands. Based on this, we may attribute to some brand names positive features such as smart, good-natured, loyal, funny and exciting, etc., or negative features such as bad taste, rude, deceitful, etc. Ms. Jennifer Aker (1997), expresses the five principles of brand personality as follows: sincerity, passion and excitement, competence, attractiveness and strength.

Various studies show; The more harmony there is between the personality traits of people and the brand, the more likely it is to be chosen by people.

David Acker (1996), considers the personality of the brand to be the central core and the closest variable in the customer's purchase decision. According to the explanations given and also the factors affecting today's business world, which is of particular importance to the customer, it is necessary for every organization to take advantage of the concept of brand personality in order to get to know its consumers more deeply and examine it in the minds of its customers.

Furthermore, in a world where health and wellness are considered one of the most important factors for development, the role of detergents and cleaners in people's lives and Raising the standard of living, well-being and health is becoming more apparent. According to this important point, companies and industries producing detergents are not sitting idle in this global market and with non-stop efforts, large investments, extensive advertising and marketing, branding and customer orientation, they steal the lead from others. They try to market products with the highest quality, reasonable price and beautiful packaging and finally make big profits from it. But we still haven't built a loyal consumer inside the country. Meanwhile, foreign companies give great importance to customer opinions and consumer suggestions and criticisms. Therefore, due to the variety of manufactured products, no research has been done in the detergent industry regarding the effect of brand personality on trust, attachment and commitment to the brand, and the necessity of conducting research in this field seems necessary, and we hope that the results of this research can be useful.

1-3-     The importance of research

Human personality is the starting point of research on brand personality. The concept of brand personality has important management benefits, one of which is influencing the relationship between the consumer and the brand and can explain consumer behavior. Therefore, such a concept can bring a new perspective for brand management and performance in the field of marketing (Lewis and Lombard, 2010: 115).