3.6 Brand equity

Aaker (1991, p. 15) defines brand equity as:

the set of brand assets and liabilities linked to a brand, its name and symbol, that add to or subtract from the value provided by a product or a service to a firm and/or to that firm’s customers.

A core aspect of brand equity relates to the name/symbol. In fact one of the first identification aspects of a brand is its name or symbol. The dimensions of equity revolve around the brand name and symbol, as shown in Figure 9.

Figure 9 (Source: Adapted from Aaker, 1991, p. 17)

Stop and reflect

How would you define and assess your organisation’s brand equity from the perspective of:

  • brand awareness
  • brand loyalty
  • brand associations
  • perceived quality
  • proprietary brand assets?

When you are ready, please move on to the final section – International marketing in turbulent times