A CONCEPTUAL MODEL OF THE INFLUENCE OF BRAND TRUST ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CONSUMER & COMPANY IMAGE

The theoretical issue of image congruence is an area of the academic literature which has received great interest over the years. However, to date most of the research regarding image congruity is based on the assumption that the greater the image match between consumer and brand, the more favourable the relationship between the two (Malhotra, 1981; Aaker, 1997). Recently, there has been an extension to the concept of image congruence and its application to corporate image (Davies et al., 2004; Argenti and Druckenmiller, 2004). We propose that corporate image is every dimension of the brand which is externally perceived by the consumer. It is the aggregate of product brand image, corporate brand image, and CEO image. The management of this externally perceived image is clearly of considerable importance to the field of corporate reputation management. Commentators to date have suggested that a strong brand image is comprised of predominantly positive personality traits. However, we argue that image is not about rating either positively (for example, highly agreeable) or negatively (for example, highly ruthless) on various dimensions of a brand personality scale, but is about having an image which is fitting and competitively suited to the business environment. We propose to use the metaphor of ‘brand as person’ to measure image and present a conceptual framework to illustrate the interrelationship between consumer, corporate brand image, product brand image and CEO image. The influence that brand trust has on this interrelationship is examined, and likewise the influence that brand trust has on outcomes of satisfaction, purchase intention and brand loyalty are also examined. Conclusions and implications for managerial practice are discussed.