The role of brand image congruity in Chinese consumers ... - Emerald

Brand image congruity in Chinese consumers’ brand preference
Jing Hu, Xin Liu, Sijun Wang and Zhilin Yang
Journal of Product & Brand Management
Volume 21 · Number 1 · 2012 · 26–34
Table III Regression results: relationship between functional image congruity, symbolic image congruity, and brand preference in upward symbolic
incongruity and downward symbolic incongruity
Upward symbolic incongruity
Downward symbolic incongruity
Model Standardized b t-value F R 2 Standardized b t-value F R 2
6.876 * 0.031 3.726 ** 0.020
FC 0.189 3.238 * 0.173 2.702 *
SC 20.195 23.344 * 20.081 21.267
Notes: * p , 0:01; ** p , 0:05
procedure. A regression involving brand preference as the
dependent variable, with symbolic and functional image
congruity as two independent variables, suggests that these
two independent variables satisfactorily explain variance in
brand preference (Model 1: R 2 ¼ 0:022, F ¼ 9:255,
p , 0:001). Table II also shows results of this analysis. Like
the results of analysis on Bora, here functional image
congruity positively affects brand preference (standardized
b ¼ 0:176, p , 0:001) and symbolic image congruity
negatively affects brand preference (standardized
b ¼ 20:075, p ¼ 0:068); H1a is supported, and H1b is not
supported. As hypothesized in H2, the results of the
regression analysis suggest that symbolic image congruity is
a significant predictor of functional image congruity
(R 2 ¼ 0:311, F ¼ 376:805, p , 0:001); H2 is supported.
After adding two mean-centered interaction terms Fam*FC2
and Fam*SC2, the model is significantly improved (Model 2:
R 2 ¼ :241, F ¼ 53:889, p , 0:001). Fam*FC2 is significant
(standardized b ¼ 0:098, p ¼ 0:041) and Fam*SC2 is not
significant (standardized b ¼ 20:043, p ¼ 0:396); H3a is
supported, and H3b is not supported.
Discussion
Great challenges and opportunities that today’s brand carriers
are facing have moved well beyond the decision-making stage;
companies have to make hard choices as they enter the global
market: should they maintain the same image worldwide, or
adapt it to different geographic areas This challenge is
immediate, especially in the automobile market, as major
manufacturers actively seek opportunities outside the USA
(Kiley, 2008). Our study is another “wake-up call” for brand
carriers who seem to prefer adhering to conventional wisdom,
obtained from long mature Western markets, and who may
wish to misapply it to newly emerging markets or different
cultures.
Based on a large-scale field study with Chinese consumers,
we uncovered at least two surprising findings while confirming
three existing ones. Specifically, we found that symbolic image
congruity had a negative impact on Chinese consumers’
brand preference when a brand’s perceived symbolic image is
higher than consumers’ ideal expectations (i.e. upward
incongruity). That is, the farther the upward distance is
from consumers’ ideal expectations (i.e. incongruent), the
stronger the brand preference is. This surprising finding,
obviously, contradicts Sirgy et al. (1991)’s finding in the US
market, within the context of our study. Sirgy et al. (1991)
reported in their three studies that a symbolic image match
with consumers’ ideal social image has a positive impact on
store loyalty. Although we acknowledge that symbolic image
congruity was measured differently in our study as compared
with their symbolic-self image congruity, the same logic
should hold. Upon close examination of their study, we
actually found a similar surprising finding in their replication
of study one; they also found a negative relationship between
symbolic-self image congruity when replicating their study in
a discount department store with a clothing department store
(Sirgy et al., 1991, p. 367). We speculate that the clothing
department store in their study is more related to conspicuous
consumption than a discount department store; thus, upward
reference points could more likely serve as an ideal point in
forming consumers’ perceived symbolic image congruity. In
our study context, automobile products are still perceived as
conspicuous consumption among Chinese consumers.
Therefore, consumers display an upward tendency to prefer
products with brand image higher than expected. Chinese are
acutely sensitive to having and maintaining face in all aspects
of social and business life (Yau et al., 1999; Ho, 1975; Hsu,
1963). Based on this finding, it appears that a brand carrier
should avoid promoting its brand’s symbolic fit to Chinese
consumers’ ideal expectations. Instead, the symbolic brand
image should be promoted to be higher than consumers’
current ideal expectations in order to appeal to Chinese
consumers. In other words, brand barriers should take one
step further from what their Chinese consumers inform them
about what is ideal. The unique culture context in China and
the developing stage of its automobile market leads to
disconfirmation of existing western congruity theory and
requires marketers to localize their strategies in some aspects.
Further, we found that brand familiarity does not moderate
the role of symbolic image congruity in Chinese consumers’
brand preference. This, again, is in contrast to the current
consumer knowledge literature (Fiske and Taylor, 1991). We
believe that failure to find support for the moderating role of
brand familiarity could be explained by the abstract nature of
symbolic image. Because symbolic image relates to valueexpressive
imagery association of a brand (Sirgy et al., 1991),
its impact on brand preference may not require as many
itemized analyses as may functional brand image. Rather, the
symbolic image congruity could exert its influence on brand
preference in a higher abstract process without referring to a
lower constructural level (Kardes et al., 2006). We found that
high familiarity did not reduce the effect of symbolic image
congruity on consumers’ brand preference, unlike that of
functional image congruity. On the other hand, as high
familiarity leads to better brand image (Sujan and Bettman,
1989), we could use marketing activities to enhance brand
familiarity and develop superior symbolic image in order to
increase brand preference. From a managerial perspective, we
believe this finding could help managers to improve their
brand management and enhance consumer satisfaction.
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