Does brand social power mean market might? Exploring the influence of brand social power on brand evaluations

Abstract The importance of brand equity has been recognized in the marketing literature for years. Although researchers generally agree there is a social component to brand equity, empirical work in this area stops short of exploring the brand's ability to exert a social influence on consumers and their choices. The present manuscript attempts to address this deficit and extend the brand equity literature by proposing a new construct—brand social power. Drawing from research on social influence and perceived power, five bases of brand social power are identified and a conceptual attempt is made to integrate brand social power with existing brand equity frameworks. The impact of brand social power is also examined empirically at the level of individual power bases, for overall brand social power, and in terms of brand equity. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.