Brand loyalty concepts and consumer behavior

Aspara, J. (2009). Stock ownership as a motivation of brand-loyal and brand-supportive behaviors. Journal of Consumer Marketing. 26(6). Pp. 427-436. Retrieved from: http://www.yconomie.com/aspara/articles/aspara-2009_stock_ownership_brand_loyal_behaviors.pdf

In this work, Aspara investigates the psychological motivations underlying stock ownership and its influence on brand loyalty as well as finding empirical evidence to support the explication of these motivations. The author points out that, although consumption and investment psychologies, respectively, have been seen as separate realms, the study reveals that they can have a significant mutual influence. Indeed, the author has found that many individuals who become stockowners in a company also experience a positive and increased motivation towards brand loyalty for that company. Positive word-of-mouth has also been found among individuals becoming stock owners in a company.

What this means for the study to be conducted on brand loyalty among the youth in the United States and Kenya may not be considered in terms of stock ownership specifically among the young people being investigated, since it is unlikely that they will have the means to invest significant amounts of money in such stockownership. One might, however, consider the positive attitudes of the youth in terms of stockownership among their parents.

Bae, S. And Miller, J. (2009). Consumer Decision-making Styles for Sport Apparel: Gender Compraisons between College Consumers. Journal of Research. 4(1). Retrieved from: http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ903481.pdf

The authors of this study have focused their attention on the decision-making styles of college students as influenced by their gender. Specific areas of investigation included fashion, impulse, and brand consciousness. While significant differences were found in these areas, no significant differences were identified between college classifications or gender and college classifications.

This work can be significant in identifying important issues for potential present and future study. While many differentiating factors have been identified to determine the similarities and differences in brand loyalty among countries, gender can lend another interesting dimension to this.

Bang, Y.T. (2009). Image and Customer Loyalty. Retrieved from: http://www.wbiconpro.com/18.%20Yong-Korea.pdf

In order to determine the importance of brand image in relation to customer loyalty, Bang investigated Chinese wine consumers and their purchasing behavior at a hypermarket in Yentai, China. The variables in question were brand image, corporate competitiveness image, corporate social responsibility image, and location image. The image variables were found to positively correlate with customer loyalty.

Image is yet another interesting factor that can be applied to developed and developing countries when investigating brand loyalty. It is expected that different image factors will have different impacts on young consumers from the different environments.

Boyle, B.A. And Magnusson, P. (2007). Social Identity and Brand Equity Formation: A Comparative Study of Collegiate Sports Fans. Journal of Sport Management. 21. p. 497-520. Retrieved from: http://miha.ef.uni-lj.si/_dokumenti3plus2/196078/aaker_cmanagementr_1996.pdf

Boyle and Magnusson focus their attention on the way in which sports teams create a social identity with and for their fans, and how sports apparel marketers can use this identity to gain brand loyalty. To accomplish the study, Undderwood, Bond, and Baer's social identity -- brand equity (SIBE) model is used to investigate a university men's basketball team. According to the model, factors that would influence social identity to a team would include venue, team history, rituals, and social groups.

For the current study, social identity will necessarily be an important part of the investigation, relating to the differentiating social and cultural aspects between the countries being investigated.

Chien, P.M., Cornwell, T.B. And Pappu, R. (2011). Sponsorship portfolio as a brand-image creation strategy. Journal of Business Research. 64. pp. 142-149.

To investigate the nature of and correlation between sponsorship and brand image, the authors conduct two experiments to suggest that a categorical relationship between sponsor and sponsored event will enhance the image of the brand acting as sponsor. Indeed, there is an enhancement of brand meaning in terms of consistency and clarity when sponsoring events and service providers that correlate in terms of category.

In other words, if Speedo were to sponsor a university swimming event, its brand is highly correlated with the activity of swimming, which creates consistency and clarity in the mind of consumers. Sports apparel sponsors therefore need to consider carefully whether or not to sponsor certain events and/or clients.

Cho, H., Lim, Y. And Ryu, Su. (2009, Nov/Dec). An Apparel Brand's Channel Strategy: The Case of Oliver in Korea. Journal of Business Case Studies. 5(6). Retrieved from: journals.cluteonline.com/index.php/JBCS/article/viewFile/4728/4817

The authors describe a case by which a Korean children's apparel brand "BoKids" designed a channel strategy to distribute its brand efficiently. Although initially selling the brand trhough department stores, sales figures later obliged the brand to use discount stores as a channel of distribution. Finally, the Internet was used as a more profitable channel of distribution because of its increasing popularity in Korea.

The interesting factor in this document is that BoKids signed its initial contract with Oliver of USA, which means two companies from different countries worked together efficiently in terms of brand distribution. This can be applied to the present study in terms of offering insight into brand distribution not only within the U.S.A. And Kenya, but also between the two countries. The Internet is also a major factor that can be investigated in this regard.

Dwyer, B. (2011). Divided Loyalty? An Analysis of Fantasy Football Involvement and Fan Loyalty to Individual National Football League (NFL) Teams. Journal of Sport Management. 25. pp. 445-457.

Another interesting use of the internet in terms of enhancing the popularity of sports and its associated brands is fantasy football as described by Dwyer. The author notes that fantasy football involves the use of interactive elements to increase fans' enjoyment and experience of the sport. The important factor in terms of marketing, however, is that fantasy football is player specific rather than team-focused, which means that consumer behavior and the factors that mainly drive it could be influenced significantly.

In terms of the current study relating to the United States and Kenya, it would be interesting to investigate the ready availability of Internet access for each respective country and the influence of this on the brand loyalty of the country being investigated.

Franklin, D. (2013, Oct.). League Parity: Bringing Back Unlicensed Competition in the Sports Fan Apparel Market. Chicago-Kent Law Review. 86(18). Retrieved from: scholarship.kentlaw.iit.edu/

Franklin suggests that, although sports fan apparel bearing the logos and emblems of teams have become a highly licensed market, unlicensed competition should be reinstated in order to create fair competition among manufacturers as well as greater access to fan apparel by the general public. The author notes that licensing apparel bearing a sports team logo is not fair in terms of market value. As long as the manufacturer and underlying approval by the sports team in question are clarified, free competition should be allowed in terms of logo goods.

Fan apparel and the licensing that goes with it would be an interesting peripheral investigation along with brand loyalty among young sports apparel wearers. The current study should be careful to clarify what is meant by "sports apparel" and weather apparel worn by fans watching a certain sports team can be classified in the same category.