Influences of the spokes-character on brand equity antecedents

Purpose – To draw attention to the importance of the spokes-character to marketing communications and a company's branding strategy, this exploratory study attempts to suggest a scale for measuring the spokes-character perception and to explore the relationships among the spokes-character perception and brand equity antecedents, i.e. brand awareness, brand association, perceived quality and brand loyalty, in the context of a retail brand. The purpose of this paper is to encourage the discussion about spokes-characters’ functions in marketing and branding, particularly in the Asian market. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected through a survey among university students in Taiwan. The survey questionnaire was based on the literature on spokes-characters and on the available scales of consumer-based brand equity. Data were analyzed by using structural equation modeling. Findings – The results in this study show that the spokes-character perception is properly reflected by likability, relevance and expertise and likability is the most salient attribute. The spokes-character perception influences brand awareness/association and perceived quality, which in turn influence brand loyalty. Research limitations/implications – This study suggests that likability, relevance and expertise are proper constructs connoting the spokes-character perception and verifies the influence of the spokes-character, as a source of secondary association, on brand equity antecedents, i.e. brand awareness/association, perceived quality and brand loyalty. This study also finds that the spokes-character serves as a cue of perceived quality. Practical implications – The suggested scale provides marketers with an instrument for measuring consumers’ perception of a potential spokes-character. Besides, when the advertiser or the marketer designs a spokes-character, the character should not only be likable, but also be relevant and show expertise relating to the endorsed brand. Originality/value – This study hopes to encourage more discussions about the utilization of the spokes-character in the Asian market because the discussion about how the spokes-character works in this market is still scant. This study also provides empirical evidence for the influence of a secondary association, i.e. the spokes-character, on brand equity antecedents.