CREATING BRAND LOYALTY THROUGH UNDERSTANDING AFFECTIVE AND COGNITIVE RESPONSES OF CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR

Abstract

Central to developing effective marketing strategies understanding consumers’affective reactions and cognitions towards the product, can help to create a positive brand image, and ultimately brand loyal customers. An effective marketing strategy also takes the environment into consideration. For instance, the same strategy may not be effective in both a supermarket and boutique context. The study focused on powdered milk and compared supermarket and boutique consumers in terms of brand image and loyalty. The impact of affect, cognition, and brand loyalty on brand image were also examined. A structured questionnaire was used to gather data from 150 consumers in the Kandy area. Results revealed that the brand image of supermarket and boutique customers were different and that these market segments showed different profiles in terms of brand loyalty. Affect and cognition were significant predictors of individuals’ brand image, and brand loyalty significantly affected brand image, affect, and cognition. Implications of these results for marketing knowledge management are discussed.

Keywords: Affect, Brand Image, Brand Loyalty, Cognition, Marketing Knowledge Management.