Title: Proposing a comprehensive and hierarchic framework for prioritising Isfahan brands using AHP and TOPSIS approaches

Authors: Arash Shahin; Masoud Pourhamidi

Addresses: Department of Management, University of Isfahan, Hezarjarib St., 81746-73441, Isfahan, Iran ' Department of Management, University of Isfahan, Hezarjarib St., 81746-73441, Isfahan, Iran

Abstract: In this paper, a comprehensive framework of assessing brands with a hierarchy of effective indicators has been developed and proposed. The proposed framework has been used in prioritising registered brands of Isfahan by the use of multiple criteria decision making techniques, based on the views of a team of experts. The team has determined the importance and weight of each indicator using AHP technique. Questionnaire, interview, brands' documents, and Delphi method have been used for data collection. Comparative analysis and multiple criteria decision-making (MCDM) are used for analysing the collected data. The survey process has been designed in six phases and by applying TOPSIS method on obtained data from organisations, 76 brands of Isfahan province have been ranked. Findings imply that steel companies have the highest ranks among the studied brands.

Keywords: brand assessment; branding; brand ranking; brand prioritisation; framework; Isfahan; MCDM; multicriteria decision making; AHP; analytical hierarchy process; TOPSIS; steel companies; Iran.

DOI: 10.1504/IJADS.2013.053272

International Journal of Applied Decision Sciences, 2013 Vol.6 No.2, pp.160 - 185

Received: 26 Mar 2012
Accepted: 29 Nov 2012

Published online: 28 Nov 2013 *

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