Production and use of image data
Author: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Simeon Gelev, (UNWE - Sofia)
Keywords: Brand, brand image, brand image research
The brand image research has two major drawbacks. The first has a theoretical nature - it is not always clear what are the underlying theoretical assumptions that spur the interest in evaluation of the brand image and how different brand images are inter-related with other product categories related to brand positioning and market performance. The second drawback is of analytical nature and is a result of the descriptive approach applied in the analysis of the brand image data. This article presents several solutions addressing these drawbacks. First the article looks at the theoretical status of the brand image and then it presents an evaluation framework that facilitates the analysis of the brand image data and enhances the decision making process. The article displays how to approach and organize the brand image data in order to establish two interpretative patterns - the first one based on the strength of the brands, and the second one based on the prototypicality of image attributes.