Measuring Brand Image Perception and Changes in Brand Image Perception wth Brand Concept Maps - Capturing Strength, Uniqueness and Favourability of Brand Associations in Different Contexts

Recently, authors have emphasized the differences between brand images held by different individuals depending on the perception, the experience with the brand and the types of contacts with the company. This finding is in sharp contrast with the conventional view recommending consistency and coherence in all the company’s actions. This research tradition has been called the consumer-focused view.
Therefore, the author emphasized several academic motivations to develop research on brand image measurement on a consumer level.
First, considering that different images are socially constructed constellations of meanings, established between marketers and consumers, with implications for both parties as well as for the marketplace and society at large, this phenomenon raises new issues in managing brand image: Should the company define segments with different brand perceptions and adapt its strategy to these perceptions, how can the city council satisfy the different stakeholders of a city brand, to what extent does the launch of a junior brand influence the perception of a senior brand with a similar name, to what extent do opinion leaders and antibrand activists influence the perception of a corporate brand.
Second, there is a need for a process-oriented methodology, namely one that recognizes changes in brand images due to all the influences in the marketplace, to measure the brand perception and capture any change in the brand perception that is due to external factors, namely factors that are not decided by the company.
Third, considering the link between brand image and brand equity, the method should focus on the contribution of attributes to brand equity, capturing the strengths, uniqueness and the favourability of these associations.
And fourth, regarding the varied natures of brand attributes (functional, emotional, people, ethics, etc) depending on the type of brand (product brand, service brand, city brand and corporate brand), this technique to assess brand image perception should be applicable to all kinds of brands.
As a result, the overall objective of this research is to provide profound insight into a measurement method of brand image perception and changes in brand image perception, capturing the strengths, uniqueness and favorability of brand attributes in different contexts, as a consequence of the new consumer focused and process-oriented views.