BRAND AUTHENTICITY: A STUDY ON ITS IMPACT ON BRAND LOYALTY THROUGH BRAND RELATIONSHIP QUALITY IN THE LOCAL FOOTWEAR INDUSTRY
Keywords:
Brand Authenticity, Brand Relationship Quality, Brand Loyalty, Local Footwear Industry
Abstract
This study investigates the impact of brand authenticity (BA) on brand loyalty in the local footwear industry, using brand relationship quality as a mediating factor. Building on Lee and Chung's (2020) framework, the research identifies key attributes of brand authenticity (BA)—product authenticity, communication authenticity, brand originality, and price authenticity—and examines their impact on brand loyalty through brand relationship quality, specifically brand satisfaction, trust, and commitment. A mixed-methods approach was employed. The study first conducted a quantitative analysis using an online survey and PLS-SEM to examine the relationships between the brand authenticity attributes, brand relationship quality, and subsequently, brand loyalty. This was followed by qualitative semi-structured interviews, analyzed through thematic coding, to validate and elaborate on the quantitative findings and confirm the key BA attributes in the local footwear context. The study confirmed that product authenticity, encompassing design newness and product originality, enhances brand satisfaction, trust, and commitment. Communication authenticity, encompassing advertising authenticity and company authenticity, positively affects satisfaction and trust, while brand originality impacts satisfaction and commitment. Price authenticity enhances satisfaction and trust but does not significantly influence long-term commitment. The results indicate that brand satisfaction and commitment mediate the relationship between BA and brand loyalty, while brand trust does not. The research offers practical insights for local footwear brands to enhance authenticity and build stronger consumer relationships by focusing on original product designs, transparent communication, a distinctive brand story and image, and fair pricing practices. Theoretical implications include validating and adapting Lee and Chung's (2020) framework for the footwear industry, contributing industry-specific insights into the role of brand authenticity in shaping consumer loyalty within the local Indonesian footwear sector, guiding future research and brand management strategies.
References
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Adams, W. C. (2015). Conducting semi-structured interviews. In Handbook of Practical Program Evaluation (pp. 492–505). doi:10.1002/9781119171386.ch19
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Blackston, M. (2003). Observations: Building brand equity by managing the brand's relationships. Journal of Advertising Research, 32(3), 79-83.
Bloemer, J., & Odekerken-Schroder, G. (2002). Store satisfaction and store loyalty explained by customer- and store-related factors. Journal of Consumer Satisfaction, Dissatisfaction and Complaining Behavior, 15(1), 68-80.
Calantone, R. J., Chan, K., & Cui, A. S. (2006). Decomposing product innovativeness and its effects on new product success. Journal of Product Innovation Management, 23(5), 408–421. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-5885.2006.00213.x
Casaló, L. V., Flavián, C., & Guinalíu, M. (2008). The role of satisfaction and website usability in developing customer loyalty and positive word-of-mouth in the e-banking services. International Journal of Bank Marketing, 26(6), 399-417.
Cooper, T., Stavros, C., & Dobele, A. R. (2019). The levers of engagement: An exploration of governance in an online brand community. Journal of Brand Management, 26(3), 240-254.
Darke, P. R., & Ritchie, R. J. B. (2007). The defensive consumer: Advertising deception, defensive processing, and distrust. Journal of Marketing Research, 44(1), 114–127. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmkr.44.1.114
Delgado, E., Munuera, J. L., & Yagüe, M. J. (2003). Development and validation of a brand trust scale. International Journal of Market Research, 45(1), 35-54.
Dick, A., & Basu, K. (1994). Customer loyalty: Towards an integrated conceptual framework. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 22(2), 99-113.
Dwyer, F. R., Schurr, P. H., & Oh, S. (1987). Developing buyer-seller relationships. Journal of Marketing, 51(2), 11-27.
Eggers, F., O’Dwyer, M., Kraus, S., Vallaster, C., & Guldenberg, S. (2013). The impact of brand authenticity on brand trust and SME growth: A CEO perspective. Journal of World Business, 48, 340-348.
Eskafi, M., Hosseini, S., & Yazd, A. (2013). The value of telecom subscribers and customer relationship management. Business Process Management Journal, 19(4), 737-748.
Fornell, C., & Larcker, D. F. (1981). Evaluating structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error. Journal of Marketing Research, 18(1), 39–50. https://doi.org/10.2307/3151312
Garber, L. L. (1995). The package appearance in choice. In F. R. Kardes & M. Sujan (Eds.), Advances in Consumer Research (Vol. 22, pp. 653-660). Provo, UT: Association for Consumer Research.
Gilmore, J. H., & Pine, B. J. (2007). Authenticity: What consumers really want. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Hair, J. F., Sarstedt, M., Ringle, C. M., & Gudergan, S. P. (2023). Advanced issues in partial least squares structural equation modeling. Sage Publications.
Hayes, J. B., Alford, B. L., Silver, L., & York, P. R. (2006). Looks matter in developing consumer-brand relationships. Journal of Product & Brand Management, 15(5), 306–315.
Hiscock, J. (2001). Most trusted brands. Marketing, March 1, 32-33.
Holmes, C. (2015). Brand authenticity rules. Retrieved November 5, 2018, from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/brand-authenticity-rules-craig-goldblatt/.
Ilicic, J., & Webster, C. M. (2014). Investigating consumer–brand relational authenticity. Journal of Health Brand Management, 21(4), 342-363.
Jacoby, J., & Kyner, D. B. (1973). Brand loyalty vs. repeat purchasing behavior. Journal of Marketing Research, 10(1), 1–9.
Kim, K., Park, J., & Kim, J. (2014). Consumer–brand relationship quality: When and how it helps brand extensions. Journal of Business Research, 67(4), 591–597.
Kleinschmidt, E. J., & Cooper, R. G. (1991). The impact of product innovativeness on performance. Journal of Product Innovation Management, 8(4), 240–251.
Knox, S., & Walker, D. (2001). Measuring and managing brand loyalty. Journal of Strategic Marketing, 9(2), 111–128. doi:10.1080/713775733
Kolar, T., & Zabkar, V. (2010). A consumer-based model of authenticity: An oxymoron or the foundation of cultural heritage marketing? Tourism Management, 31(5), 652-664.
Kotler, P., & Armstrong, G. (2012). Principles of Marketing (14th ed.). Boston: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Kuzel, A. J. (1999). Sampling in qualitative inquiry. In Crabtree, B. F., & Miller, W. L. (Eds.), Doing Qualitative Research (2nd ed., pp. 33-45). Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks.
Lambert, S., & Loiselle, C. (2008). Combining individual interviews and focus groups to enhance data richness. Journal of Advanced Nursing.
Lavery, M. R., Acharya, P., Sivo, S. A., & Xu, L. (2017). Number of predictors and multicollinearity: What are their effects on error and bias in regression? Communications in Statistics - Simulation and Computation, 1–12. doi:10.1080/03610918.2017.1371
Lee, H. J., & Jee, Y. (2016). The impacts of brand asset of domestic screen golf playing systems upon brand trust and brand loyalty. International Journal of Sports Marketing and Sponsorship, 17(4), 320-332.
Lee, J., & Chung, L. (2020). Effects of perceived brand authenticity in health functional food consumers. British Food Journal, 122(2), 617-634.
Liu, F., Li, J., Mizerski, D., & Soh, H. (2012). Self congruity, brand attitude, and brand loyalty: A study on luxury brands. European Journal of Marketing, 46(7/8), 922-937.
Mabkhot, Hashed, Shaari, Hasnizam, & Md Salleh, Salniza. (2017). The influence of brand image and brand personality on brand loyalty, mediating by brand trust: An empirical study. Jurnal Pengurusan, 50. https://doi.org/10.17576/pengurusan-2017-50-07
Miranda, R., & Klement, J. (2009). Authentic trust in modern business. Journal of Wealth Management, Spring, 11, 29-47.
Mishra, A., Dash, S. B., & Cyr, D. (2014). Linking user experience and consumer-based brand equity: The moderating role of consumer expertise and lifestyle. Journal of Product & Brand Management, 23(4/5), 333-348.
Mody, M., & Hanks, L. (2020). Consumption authenticity in the accommodations industry: The keys to brand love and brand loyalty for hotels and Airbnb. Journal of Travel Research, 59(1), 173-189. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047287519826233
Morgan, R. M., & Hunt, S. D. (1994). The commitment-trust theory of relationship marketing. Journal of Marketing, 58(3), 20–38.
Namin, A. (2017). Revisiting customers’ perception of service quality in fast food restaurants. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 34, 70–81.
Nguyen, T. D., Barrett, N. J., & Miller, K. E. (2011). Brand loyalty in emerging markets. Marketing Intelligence and Planning, 29(3), 222-232.
Odin, Y., Odin, N., & Valette-Florence, P. (2001). Conceptual and operational aspects of brand loyalty: An empirical investigation. Journal of Business Research, 53, 75–84.
Oh, H., Prado, P. H. M., Korelo, J. C., & Frizzo, F. (2019). The effect of brand authenticity on consumer–brand relationships. Journal of Product & Brand, 28(2), 231-241. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPBM-09-2017-1567
Pappu, R., & Quester, P. G. (2016). How does brand innovativeness affect brand loyalty? European Journal of Marketing, 50(1/2), 2-28.
Park, S., & Lee, E. M. (2005). Congruence between brand personality and self-image, and the mediating roles of satisfaction and consumer-brand relationship on brand loyalty. Asia Pacific Advances in Consumer Research, 6, 39-45.
Pring, I. (2007). Going underground: How ethnography helped the tube tunnel to the heart of its brand. International Journal of Market Research, 49(6), 693-705.
Rizwan, M., Javed, P., Aslam, J., Khan, R., & Bibi, H. (2014). The relationship of Brand Commitment, Brand Credibility, Perceived Quality, Customer Satisfaction and brand loyalty: An empirical study on Stylo shoes. Journal of Sociological Research, 5. https://doi.org/10.5296/jsr.v5i1.6572
Robinson, O. C. (2014). Sampling in interview-based qualitative research: A theoretical and practical guide. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 11(1), 25–41.
Runco, M. A., & Charles, R. (1993). Judgments of Originality and Appropriateness as Predictors of Creativity. Personality and Individual Differences, 15, 537–546.
Sargeant, A., & Lee, S. (2004). Trust and relationship commitment in the United Kingdom voluntary sector: Determinants of donor behavior. Psychology and Marketing, 21(8), 613–635.
Schallehn, M., Burmann, C., & Riley, N. (2014). Brand authenticity: Model development and empirical testing. Journal of Product & Brand Management, 23(3), 192–199.
Smit, E., Bronner, F., & Tolboom, M. (2007). Brand relationship quality and its value for personal contact. Journal of Business Research, 60(6), 627–633. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2006.06.012
Sondoh, S. L., Omar, M. W., Wahid, N. A., Ismail, I., & Harun, A. (2007). The effect of brand image on overall satisfaction and loyalty intention in the context of colour cosmetics. Asian Academy of Management Journal, 12, 83-107.
Thiele, S., & Mackay, M. (2001). Assessing the performance of brand loyalty measures. Journal of Services Marketing, 15(7), 529–546.
Trost, J. A. (1986). Statistically non-representative stratified sampling: A sampling technique for qualitative studies. Qualitative Sociology, 9(1), 54–57.
Uncles, M., & Dowling, G. (1998). Consumer Loyalty Marketing in Repeat-Purchase Markets. University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
Valta, K. S. (2013). Do relational norms matter in consumer-brand relationships? Journal of Business Research, 66(1), 98–104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2011.07.028
Veloutsou, C. (2015). Brand evaluation, satisfaction and trust as predictors of brand loyalty: the mediator-moderator effect of brand relationships. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 32(6), 405-421.
Verganti, R. (2006). Innovating through Design. Harvard Business Review, 84(12), 114–122.
Warell, A. (2001). Design Syntactics: A Functional Approach to Visual Product Form: Theory, Models, and Methods (Doctoral Dissertation). Chalmers University of Technology.
Yoo, S. W. (2013). The effect of authenticity. Korean Journal of Journalism & Communication Studies, 57(6), 7-34.
Zhao, X., Lynch, J. G., & Chen, Q. (2010). Reconsidering Baron and Kenny: Myths and truths about mediation analysis. Journal of Consumer Research, 37(2), 197-206.
Adams, W. C. (2015). Conducting semi-structured interviews. In Handbook of Practical Program Evaluation (pp. 492–505). doi:10.1002/9781119171386.ch19
Akbar, M. M., & Wymer, W. (2017). Refining the conceptualization of brand
Anderson, E., & Weitz, B. (1992). The use of pledges to build and sustain commitment in distribution channels. Journal of Marketing Research, 29(1), 18-34. https://doi.org/10.2307/3172740
Blackston, M. (2003). Observations: Building brand equity by managing the brand's relationships. Journal of Advertising Research, 32(3), 79-83.
Bloemer, J., & Odekerken-Schroder, G. (2002). Store satisfaction and store loyalty explained by customer- and store-related factors. Journal of Consumer Satisfaction, Dissatisfaction and Complaining Behavior, 15(1), 68-80.
Calantone, R. J., Chan, K., & Cui, A. S. (2006). Decomposing product innovativeness and its effects on new product success. Journal of Product Innovation Management, 23(5), 408–421. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-5885.2006.00213.x
Casaló, L. V., Flavián, C., & Guinalíu, M. (2008). The role of satisfaction and website usability in developing customer loyalty and positive word-of-mouth in the e-banking services. International Journal of Bank Marketing, 26(6), 399-417.
Cooper, T., Stavros, C., & Dobele, A. R. (2019). The levers of engagement: An exploration of governance in an online brand community. Journal of Brand Management, 26(3), 240-254.
Darke, P. R., & Ritchie, R. J. B. (2007). The defensive consumer: Advertising deception, defensive processing, and distrust. Journal of Marketing Research, 44(1), 114–127. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmkr.44.1.114
Delgado, E., Munuera, J. L., & Yagüe, M. J. (2003). Development and validation of a brand trust scale. International Journal of Market Research, 45(1), 35-54.
Dick, A., & Basu, K. (1994). Customer loyalty: Towards an integrated conceptual framework. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 22(2), 99-113.
Dwyer, F. R., Schurr, P. H., & Oh, S. (1987). Developing buyer-seller relationships. Journal of Marketing, 51(2), 11-27.
Eggers, F., O’Dwyer, M., Kraus, S., Vallaster, C., & Guldenberg, S. (2013). The impact of brand authenticity on brand trust and SME growth: A CEO perspective. Journal of World Business, 48, 340-348.
Eskafi, M., Hosseini, S., & Yazd, A. (2013). The value of telecom subscribers and customer relationship management. Business Process Management Journal, 19(4), 737-748.
Fornell, C., & Larcker, D. F. (1981). Evaluating structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error. Journal of Marketing Research, 18(1), 39–50. https://doi.org/10.2307/3151312
Garber, L. L. (1995). The package appearance in choice. In F. R. Kardes & M. Sujan (Eds.), Advances in Consumer Research (Vol. 22, pp. 653-660). Provo, UT: Association for Consumer Research.
Gilmore, J. H., & Pine, B. J. (2007). Authenticity: What consumers really want. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Hair, J. F., Sarstedt, M., Ringle, C. M., & Gudergan, S. P. (2023). Advanced issues in partial least squares structural equation modeling. Sage Publications.
Hayes, J. B., Alford, B. L., Silver, L., & York, P. R. (2006). Looks matter in developing consumer-brand relationships. Journal of Product & Brand Management, 15(5), 306–315.
Hiscock, J. (2001). Most trusted brands. Marketing, March 1, 32-33.
Holmes, C. (2015). Brand authenticity rules. Retrieved November 5, 2018, from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/brand-authenticity-rules-craig-goldblatt/.
Ilicic, J., & Webster, C. M. (2014). Investigating consumer–brand relational authenticity. Journal of Health Brand Management, 21(4), 342-363.
Jacoby, J., & Kyner, D. B. (1973). Brand loyalty vs. repeat purchasing behavior. Journal of Marketing Research, 10(1), 1–9.
Kim, K., Park, J., & Kim, J. (2014). Consumer–brand relationship quality: When and how it helps brand extensions. Journal of Business Research, 67(4), 591–597.
Kleinschmidt, E. J., & Cooper, R. G. (1991). The impact of product innovativeness on performance. Journal of Product Innovation Management, 8(4), 240–251.
Knox, S., & Walker, D. (2001). Measuring and managing brand loyalty. Journal of Strategic Marketing, 9(2), 111–128. doi:10.1080/713775733
Kolar, T., & Zabkar, V. (2010). A consumer-based model of authenticity: An oxymoron or the foundation of cultural heritage marketing? Tourism Management, 31(5), 652-664.
Kotler, P., & Armstrong, G. (2012). Principles of Marketing (14th ed.). Boston: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Kuzel, A. J. (1999). Sampling in qualitative inquiry. In Crabtree, B. F., & Miller, W. L. (Eds.), Doing Qualitative Research (2nd ed., pp. 33-45). Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks.
Lambert, S., & Loiselle, C. (2008). Combining individual interviews and focus groups to enhance data richness. Journal of Advanced Nursing.
Lavery, M. R., Acharya, P., Sivo, S. A., & Xu, L. (2017). Number of predictors and multicollinearity: What are their effects on error and bias in regression? Communications in Statistics - Simulation and Computation, 1–12. doi:10.1080/03610918.2017.1371
Lee, H. J., & Jee, Y. (2016). The impacts of brand asset of domestic screen golf playing systems upon brand trust and brand loyalty. International Journal of Sports Marketing and Sponsorship, 17(4), 320-332.
Lee, J., & Chung, L. (2020). Effects of perceived brand authenticity in health functional food consumers. British Food Journal, 122(2), 617-634.
Liu, F., Li, J., Mizerski, D., & Soh, H. (2012). Self congruity, brand attitude, and brand loyalty: A study on luxury brands. European Journal of Marketing, 46(7/8), 922-937.
Mabkhot, Hashed, Shaari, Hasnizam, & Md Salleh, Salniza. (2017). The influence of brand image and brand personality on brand loyalty, mediating by brand trust: An empirical study. Jurnal Pengurusan, 50. https://doi.org/10.17576/pengurusan-2017-50-07
Miranda, R., & Klement, J. (2009). Authentic trust in modern business. Journal of Wealth Management, Spring, 11, 29-47.
Mishra, A., Dash, S. B., & Cyr, D. (2014). Linking user experience and consumer-based brand equity: The moderating role of consumer expertise and lifestyle. Journal of Product & Brand Management, 23(4/5), 333-348.
Mody, M., & Hanks, L. (2020). Consumption authenticity in the accommodations industry: The keys to brand love and brand loyalty for hotels and Airbnb. Journal of Travel Research, 59(1), 173-189. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047287519826233
Morgan, R. M., & Hunt, S. D. (1994). The commitment-trust theory of relationship marketing. Journal of Marketing, 58(3), 20–38.
Namin, A. (2017). Revisiting customers’ perception of service quality in fast food restaurants. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 34, 70–81.
Nguyen, T. D., Barrett, N. J., & Miller, K. E. (2011). Brand loyalty in emerging markets. Marketing Intelligence and Planning, 29(3), 222-232.
Odin, Y., Odin, N., & Valette-Florence, P. (2001). Conceptual and operational aspects of brand loyalty: An empirical investigation. Journal of Business Research, 53, 75–84.
Oh, H., Prado, P. H. M., Korelo, J. C., & Frizzo, F. (2019). The effect of brand authenticity on consumer–brand relationships. Journal of Product & Brand, 28(2), 231-241. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPBM-09-2017-1567
Pappu, R., & Quester, P. G. (2016). How does brand innovativeness affect brand loyalty? European Journal of Marketing, 50(1/2), 2-28.
Park, S., & Lee, E. M. (2005). Congruence between brand personality and self-image, and the mediating roles of satisfaction and consumer-brand relationship on brand loyalty. Asia Pacific Advances in Consumer Research, 6, 39-45.
Pring, I. (2007). Going underground: How ethnography helped the tube tunnel to the heart of its brand. International Journal of Market Research, 49(6), 693-705.
Rizwan, M., Javed, P., Aslam, J., Khan, R., & Bibi, H. (2014). The relationship of Brand Commitment, Brand Credibility, Perceived Quality, Customer Satisfaction and brand loyalty: An empirical study on Stylo shoes. Journal of Sociological Research, 5. https://doi.org/10.5296/jsr.v5i1.6572
Robinson, O. C. (2014). Sampling in interview-based qualitative research: A theoretical and practical guide. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 11(1), 25–41.
Runco, M. A., & Charles, R. (1993). Judgments of Originality and Appropriateness as Predictors of Creativity. Personality and Individual Differences, 15, 537–546.
Sargeant, A., & Lee, S. (2004). Trust and relationship commitment in the United Kingdom voluntary sector: Determinants of donor behavior. Psychology and Marketing, 21(8), 613–635.
Schallehn, M., Burmann, C., & Riley, N. (2014). Brand authenticity: Model development and empirical testing. Journal of Product & Brand Management, 23(3), 192–199.
Smit, E., Bronner, F., & Tolboom, M. (2007). Brand relationship quality and its value for personal contact. Journal of Business Research, 60(6), 627–633. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2006.06.012
Sondoh, S. L., Omar, M. W., Wahid, N. A., Ismail, I., & Harun, A. (2007). The effect of brand image on overall satisfaction and loyalty intention in the context of colour cosmetics. Asian Academy of Management Journal, 12, 83-107.
Thiele, S., & Mackay, M. (2001). Assessing the performance of brand loyalty measures. Journal of Services Marketing, 15(7), 529–546.
Trost, J. A. (1986). Statistically non-representative stratified sampling: A sampling technique for qualitative studies. Qualitative Sociology, 9(1), 54–57.
Uncles, M., & Dowling, G. (1998). Consumer Loyalty Marketing in Repeat-Purchase Markets. University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
Valta, K. S. (2013). Do relational norms matter in consumer-brand relationships? Journal of Business Research, 66(1), 98–104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2011.07.028
Veloutsou, C. (2015). Brand evaluation, satisfaction and trust as predictors of brand loyalty: the mediator-moderator effect of brand relationships. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 32(6), 405-421.
Verganti, R. (2006). Innovating through Design. Harvard Business Review, 84(12), 114–122.
Warell, A. (2001). Design Syntactics: A Functional Approach to Visual Product Form: Theory, Models, and Methods (Doctoral Dissertation). Chalmers University of Technology.
Yoo, S. W. (2013). The effect of authenticity. Korean Journal of Journalism & Communication Studies, 57(6), 7-34.
Zhao, X., Lynch, J. G., & Chen, Q. (2010). Reconsidering Baron and Kenny: Myths and truths about mediation analysis. Journal of Consumer Research, 37(2), 197-206.
Published
2024-09-27
How to Cite
Marshella Tristandinata, & Nurrani Kusumawati. (2024). BRAND AUTHENTICITY: A STUDY ON ITS IMPACT ON BRAND LOYALTY THROUGH BRAND RELATIONSHIP QUALITY IN THE LOCAL FOOTWEAR INDUSTRY. Journal of Social and Economics Research, 6(1), 2180-2198. https://doi.org/10.54783/jser.v6i1.541
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Articles
