Title: The effects of rebranding on customer-based brand equity

Authors: Marta Blazquez; Kurt Mattich; Claudia E. Henninger; Eva Helberger

Addresses: School of Materials, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK ' London College of Fashion, University of the Arts, 20 John Prince's St, W1G 0BJ, London ' School of Materials, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK ' London College of Fashion, University of the Arts, 20 John Prince's St, W1G 0BJ, London

Abstract: The luxury fashion market is predicted to continue to grow rapidly, as millennial are becoming the new luxury consumers. Differentiation from competitors, attracting new consumers, and continuously maintaining brand equity is more challenging than ever, especially for global brands. The purpose of this study is to explore the drivers and process of rebranding and its influence on brand awareness and customer-based brand equity within the luxury fashion market. This study adopts a multi-method qualitative approach, employing semi-structured interviews with practitioners, consumer-based focus groups, and semiotics - in order to measure the impact of rebranding processes on customer-based brand equity. The findings outline the most frequent drivers and the crucial steps of a rebranding process for the luxury market. Radical and moderate changes can be made to the brand image and further support customer-based brand equity, yet, it is vital to remain true to the original heritage and brand's DNA.

Keywords: customer-based brand equity; CBBE; rebranding; brand knowledge; brand awareness; brand image; brand associations; luxury fashion.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBG.2019.097391

International Journal of Business and Globalisation, 2019 Vol.22 No.1, pp.91 - 109

Received: 01 Mar 2017
Accepted: 31 May 2017
Published online: 21 Jan 2019 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article