Customer-Based Brand Equity Drivers: A Leading Brand of Beer in Estonia

Based on the trust/commitment theory and the customer-based brand equity theory, this study aims to ascertain which of the brand equity drivers of A. Le Coq beer have an impact on attachment and its overall brand equity in the Estonian brewery market. In order to achieve this goal, an empirical study was conducted based on the 17 customer-based/consumer-based brand equity models: the 15 brand equity models including the beer/beverage brand equity models, the two internal brand equity models, as well as three other related models. The study utilised a sample of convenience of 120 University of Tartu students. The questionnaire was placed on Google’s online survey administration service. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) through AMOS29 was used for testing the fit of model and covariances (through AMOS29) for testing the hypotheses. Additionally, t-test analysis was used for the differences of means between demographic characteristics and the items of the model. The results show that brand meaning has a strong positive effect on attachment strength, which significantly influences relationship factors – commitment, trust, and satisfaction. Another major finding is that the relationship factors – commitment, trust and satisfaction - play a significant role in the development of brand equity of A. Le Coq beer. The study provides useful insights for brewery marketing managers by exploiting the strong positive relationships found between beer brand equity drivers such as the strong positive relationships found within consumers of beer, i.e., the relationships between brand reputation and brand image, brand meaning and attachment strength, attachment strength and commitment, attachment strength and satisfaction, attachment strength and trust, satisfaction and brand equity, commitment and brand equity, and trust and brand equity. This finding contributes to the literature on brand equity related to the Estonian environment. Five differences in demographic characteristics seem to play a role in designing strategies by the management teams of different brands for increasing the consumption of their competing brands of beer. A replication of a model used for a non-product previously is part of the novelty of this paper. In addition, all the examined relationships are found positive and significant, which shows a contribution to existing literature.