Brand Awareness and Familiarity in the Secondary Brand Identity (SBI)
A manuscript: Journal of Design Works
Abstract: This study aims to investigate brand awareness and familiarity with the Secondary Brand Identity (SBI) among car brands beyond logo design or brand name. Although many studies have emphasized similar approaches to providing brand loyalty through marketing strategies, this research focuses on design attributes and characteristics as to how we respond to design attributes such as brand personality. Moreover, this study demonstrates the term of SBI as a significant brand entity to engages with design values in brand signature and design originality. Therefore, this study examined five hypotheses: 1) A brand awareness would be associated with SBI regardless of identifying a brand logo or mark, 2) A body silhouette would be more effective than product attributes in brand awareness, 3) Brand awareness would be different between gender and age, 4) A front grill of the car would be perceived as distinctive SBI effectively, and 5) SBI would be much more effective in a luxury brand rather than others. In the design method, a total of 10 brands (the top 5 best cars and the top luxury car brands in 2018 U.S. News & World Report) were selected to compare the effects/influences. A total of 106 participants responded to 20 survey questions which are comprised of two different parts for responding to a brand name of given examples of car images. The data value was collected as a correct answer to the brand name and preferences of the survey responses per each question. Overall, the result showed that participants were most effectively aware of brands with the front grill design. In this finding, the luxury brand showed more effective brand awareness in terms of the longevity of design originality. In the second part of the qualitative survey in a small group of only three luxury brands, the result appeared similar values with the large group. An additional finding through the exit interview, the front grill design was much more familiar with the headlight as a unified form when brand awareness occurs. This refers to the reason that the data value in showing a front grill was much lower in low and medium-priced brands. Therefore, the result of correct answers from showing the front grill with the entire front view was higher than showing only the front grill through all brands. This study will develop enhanced investigation with scientific evaluation by analysis of the statistical data through eye-tracking that explores how and what people interact with car design attributes in learning brands.
Research Method: This study conducted a quantitative survey to analyze the effectiveness of Secondary Brand Identity (SBI). The survey was distributed through Qualtrics to collect participants' responses. Survey questions were designed to measure the effectiveness of brand awareness based on the characteristics of the car brand. Brand confusion exists when consumers view a copycat design and mistakenly confused the copycat with the original. According to the comparative mode by Miaoulis & D'Amato (1978), Van Horen and Pieters (2012), consumers readily and spontaneously compare the products that are presented based on various attributes. Thus, the SBI features were comprised of two different parts in the survey questionnaire. Part 1- (Characteristic features): Front grill, headlight, rear light from Question 1 to Question 10. Part 2- (Body Silhouette): Front, side, and the rear view from Questions 11 to Questions 20. A total of 10 car brands (ranked among the top 5 best car brands and the top 5 best luxury car brands in the 2018 U.S. News & World Report) were selected to compare the effects/influence between brand values and brand awareness.
