Abstract
Brands are important in the consumer market. They are the interface between consumers and the company, and consumers may develop loyalty to brands. This study proposes that trust in a brand is important and is a key factor in the development of brand loyalty. Factors hypothesized to influence trust in a brand include a number of brand characteristics, company characteristics and consumer-brand characteristics. Respondents representing a broad spectrum of Singapore consumers were surveyed. The findings reveal that brand characteristics are relatively more important in their effects on a consumer's trust in a brand. The results also show that trust in a brand is positively related to brand loyalty. Marketers should, therefore, take careful consideration of brand factors in the development of trust in a brand.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aaker, D. A. (1991), Managing Brand Equity: Capitalizing on the Value of a Brand Name, NY: The Free Press.
———(1996), Building Strong Brands, NY: The Free Press.
Aaker, J. L. (1997), “Dimensions of Brand Personality,” Journal of Marketing Research, Vol. 34, pp. 347–356.
Adams, S. J. (1965), “Inequity in Social Exchange,” in L. Berkowitz (Ed.), Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, Vol. 2, NY: Academic Press, pp. 267–299.
Andaleep, S. S., and Anwar, S. F. (1996), “Factors Influencing Customer Trust in Salespersons in a Developing Country,” Journal of International Marketing, Vol. 4, No. 4, pp. 35–52.
Anderson, E., and Weitz, B. (1990), “Determinants of Continuity in Conventional Industrial Channel Dyads,” Marketing Science, Vol. 8, pp. 310–323.
Anderson, E., and Weitz, B. (1992), “The Use of Pledges to Build and Sustain Commitment in Distribution Channels,” Journal of Marketing Research, Vol. 29, pp. 18–34.
Anderson, E., Lodish, L., and Weitz, B. (1987), “Resource Allocation Behavior in Conventional Channels,” Journal of Marketing Research, Vol. 24, pp. 254–262.
Anderson, J. C., and Narus, A. (1984), “A Model of the Distributors' Perspective of Distributor-Manufacturer Working Relationships,” Journal of Marketing, Vol. 48, pp. 62–74.
———(1990), “A Model of Distributor Firm and Manufacturing Firm Working Partnerships,” Journal of Marketing, Vol. 54, January, pp. 42–58.
Arrow, K. (1984), The Limits of Organization, NY: Norton.
Banks, Seymour (1968), “The Relationships of Brand Preference to Brand Purchase.” In H. H. Kassarjian and T. S. Robertson (Eds.), Perspectives in Consumer Behavior, Glenview, Illinois: Scott, Foresman and Company, pp. 131–144.
Bearden, W. O., and Rose, R. L. (1990), “Attention to Social Comparison Information: An Individual Difference Factor Affecting Consumer Conformity,” Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 16, pp. 461–471.
Bearden, W. O., Netemeyer, R. G., and Teel, J. E. (1989), “Measurement of Consumer Susceptibility to Interpersonal Influence,” Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 15, pp. 473–481.
Bendapudi, N., and Berry, L. L. (1997), “Customers' Motivations for Maintaining Relationships with Service Providers,” Journal of Retailing, Vol. 73, No. 1, pp. 15–37.
Bennet, R. (1996), “Relationship Formation and Governance in Consumer Markets: Transactional Analysis versus the Behaviorist Approach,” Journal of Marketing Management, Vol. 12, pp. 417–436.
Blackston, M. (1993), “Beyond Brand Personality: Building Brand Relationships.” In D. A. Aaker and D. L. Biel (Eds.), Brand Equity and Advertising: Advertising' Role in Building Strong Brands, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Bloemer, J. M. M., and Kasper, H. D. P. (1995), “The Complex Relationship Between Consumer Satisfaction and Brand Loyalty,” Journal of Economic Psychology, Vol. 16, pp. 311–329.
Boon, S. D., and Holmes, J. G. (1991), “The Dynamics of Interpersonal Trust: Resolving Uncertainty in the Face of Risk.” In R. A. Hinde and J. Groebel (Eds.), Cooperation and Prosocial Behavior, 190–211, Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Bradach, J. L. and Eccles, R. G. (1989), “Price, Authority, and Trust: From Ideals Types to Plural Forms,” Annual Review of Sociology, Vol. 15, pp. 97–118.
Brown, G. H. (1952), “Brand Loyalty—Fact or Fiction,” Advertising Age, Vol. 23, June 9, pp. 52–55.
Bruner, G. C., and Hensel, P. J. (Eds.), (1992), Marketing Scales Handbook: A Compilation of Multi-Item Measures, American Marketing Association.
Butler, J. K. (1991), “Toward Understanding and Measuring Conditions of Trust: Evolution of a Conditions of Trust Inventory,” Journal of Management, Vol. 17, pp. 643–663.
Butler, J. K., and Cantrell, S. R. (1984), “A Behavior Decision Theory Approach to Modeling Dyadic Trust in Superiors and Subordinates,” Psychological Reports, Vol. 55, pp. 19–28.
Calder, B. J., and Burnkrant, R. E. (1977), “Interpersonal Influence in Consumer Behaviour: An Attribution Theory Approach,” Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 4, pp. 29–38.
Carman, J. M. (1969), “Some Insights Into Reasonable Grocery Shopping Strategies,” Journal of Marketing, Vol. 33, pp. 69–72.
Cohen, J. B., and Golden, E. (1972), “Informational Social Influence and Product Evaluation,” Journal of Applied Psychology, Vol. 56, pp. 54–59.
Cook, J., and Wall, T. (1980), “NewWork Attitude Measures of Trust, Organisational Commitment, and Personal Need Nonfulfillment,” Journal of Occupational Psychology, Vol. 53, pp. 39–52.
Copeland, M. T. (1923), “Relation of Consumer' Buying Habits to Marketing Methods,” Harvard Business Review, Vol. 1, 282–289.
Coulson, J. S. (1966), “Buying DecisionsWithin the Family and the Consumer-Brand Relationship,” in Newman, (Ed.), On Knowing the Consumer, NY: Wiley, pp. 59–66.
Creed, W. E. D., and Miles, R. E. (1996), “Trust in Organizations: A Conceptual Framework Linking Organizational Forms, Managerial Philosophies, and the Opportunity Cost of Controls.” In R.M. Kramer and T. R. Tyler (eds.), Trust in Organizations: Frontiers of Theory and Research, Sage Publications, Inc.
Crosby, L. A., Evans, K. R., and Cowles, D. (1990), “Relationship Quality in Services Selling: An Interpersonal Influence Perspective,” Journal of Marketing, Vol. 54, pp. 68–81.
Cunningham, R. M. (1956a), “Brand Loyalty—What, Where, How Much?” Harvard Business Review, Vol. 34, January- February, pp. 116–28.
——(1956b), “Measurement of Brand Loyalty, The Marketing Revolution,” Proceedings of the Thirty-Seventh Conference of the American Marketing Association, pp. 39–45.
———(1961), “Customer Loyalty to Store and Brand,” Harvard Business Review, Vol. 39, pp. 127–137.
Day, G. S. (1969), “Buyer Attitudes and Brand Choice Behavior,” Dissertation Abstracts, Vol. 28, pp. 4658–4659.
Department of Statistics (1997), Monthly Digest of Statistics Singapore, Ministry of Trade and Industry, Republic of Singapore.
Deutsch, M. (1958), “Trust and Suspicion,” Journal of Conflict Resolution, Vol. 2, pp. 265–279.
———(1960), “Trust, Trustworthiness and the F-scale,” Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, Vol. 61, pp. 138–140.
Dick, A., and Basu, K. (1994), “Customer Loyalty: Toward an Integrated Framework,” Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Vol. 22, pp. 99–113.
Dion, P., Easterling, D., and Miller, S. J. (1995), “What is Really Necessary in Successful Buyer/Seller Relationships?” Industrial Marketing Management, Vol. 24, pp. 1–9.
Donath, B. (1994), “Consumer and Business Marketing Look More Alike,” Marketing News, Vol. 28, No. 13, p. 14.
Doney, P. M., and Cannon, J. P. (1997), “An Examination of the Nature of Trust in Buyer-Seller Relationships,” Journal of Marketing, April, pp. 35–51.
Duboff, R.S. (1986), “Brands, Like People, Have Personalities,” Marketing News, Vol. 20, No. 1, p. 8.
Durgee, J. (1988), “Understanding Brand Personality,” Journal of Consumer Marketing, Vol. 5, No. 3, pp. 21–25.
Dwyer, F.R. and Oh, S. (1987), “Output Sector Munificence Effects on the Internal Political Economy of Marketing Channels,” Journal of Marketing Research, Vol. 24, pp. 347–358.
Dwyer, F. R., Schurr, P. H., and Oh, S. (1987), “Developing Buyer-Seller Relationships,” Journal of Marketing, Vol. 51, pp. 11–27.
Ehrenberg, A. S. C., and Goodhart, G. J. (1973), “An Analysis of Simulated Brand Choice,” Journal of Marketing, Vol. 7, pp. 77–84.
Engel, J. E., Kollat, D. T., and Blackwell, R. D. (1968), Consumer Behavior, 1st Edition, NY: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.
Farley, J. U. (1963), “Testing a Theory of Brand Loyalty,” Proceedings of the American Marketing Association, December, pp. 298–306.
———(1964), “Why Does Brand LoyaltyVary Over Products?” Journal of Marketing Research,Vol. 1, pp. 9–14.
Fishbein, M., and Ajzen, I. (1975), Attitude, Intention, and Behavior, Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
Frank, R. E. (1962), “Brand Choice as a Probability Process,” Journal of Business, Vol. 35, January, pp. 43–56.
Frank, R. E., Massy, W. F., and Lodahl, T. M. (1969), “Purchasing Behavior and Personal Attributes,” Journal of Advertising Research, Vol. 9, pp. 15–24.
Gambetta, D. (1988), “Can We Trust Trust?” in Gambetta, D. (Ed.), Trust: Making and Breaking Cooperative Relations, Oxford, UK: Basil Blackwell, pp. 213–237.
Ganesan, S. (1994), “Determinants of Long-Term Orientation in Buyer-Seller Relationships,” Journal of Marketing, Vol. 58, pp. 1–19.
Granovetter, M. (1992), “Economic Institutions as Social Constructions: A Framework for Analysis,” Acta Sociologica, Vol. 35, pp. 3–11.
Guest, L. P. (1955), “Brand Loyalty—Twelve Years Later,” Journal of Applied Psychology, Vol. 28, pp. 405–408.
Hair, J. F. J., Anderson, R. E., Tatham, R. L., and Black, W. C. (1995), Multivariate Data Analysis: With Readings, 4th Ed., Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Hong, W. H., and Zinkhan, G. M. (1995), “Self-Concept and Advertising Effectiveness: The Influence of Congruency, Conspicuousness, and Response Mode,” Psychology and Marketing, Vol. 12, No. 1, pp. 53–77.
Jacoby, J. (1971), “A Model of Multi-Brand Loyalty,” Journal of Advertising Research, Vol. 11, No. 3, pp. 25–31.
Jacoby, J., and Chestnut, R. W. (1978), Brand Loyalty: Measurement and Management, NY: John Wiley & Sons.
Jacoby, J., and Kyner, D. B. (1973), “Brand Loyalty vs. Repeat Purchasing Behavior,” Journal of Marketing Research, Vol. 10, pp. 1–9.
Jones, A. P., James, L. R., and Bruni, J. R. (1975), “Perceived Leadership Behavior and Employee Confidence in the Leader as Moderated by Job Involvement,” Journal of Applied Psychology, Vol. 60, pp. 146–149.
Kasperson, R. E., Golding, D., and Tuler, S. (1992), “Social Distrust as a Factor in Siting Hazardous Facilities and Communicating Risks,” Journal of Social Issues, Vol. 48, No. 4, pp. 161–187.
Kelly, H. H., and Stahelski, A. J. (1970), “Social Interaction Basis of Cooperators' and Competitors' Beliefs about Others,” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Vol. 16, pp. 66–91.
Kelly, H. H., and Thibaut, J. W. (1978), Interpersonal Relations: A Theory of Interdependence, NY: John Wiley and Sons.
Kuehn, A. A. (1962), “Consumer Brand Choice as a Learning Process,” Journal of Advertising Research, Vol. 2, pp. 10–17.
Kumar, N., Scheer, L. K., and Steenkamp, J. E. M. (1995), “The Effects of Perceived Interdependence on Dealer Attitudes,” Journal of Marketing Research, Vol. 32, pp. 348–356.
Larzelere, R. E., and Huston, T. L. (1980), “The Dyadic Trust Scale: Toward Understanding Interpersonal Trust in Close Relationships,” Journal of Marriage and the Family, August, pp. 595–604.
Lewis, J. D., and Weigert, A. (1985), “Trust as a Social Reality,” Social Forces, Vol. 63, No. 4, pp. 967–985.
Linskold, S. (1978), “Trust Development, the GRIT Proposal and the Effects of Conciliatory Acts on Conflict and Cooperation,” Psychological Bulletin, Vol. 85, No. 4, pp. 772–793.
Lipstein, B. (1959), “The Dynamics of Brand Loyalty and Brand Switching,” Proceedings, Fifth Annual Conference, Advertising Research Foundation, September.
Lutz, R. J., and Winn, P. R. (1975), “Developing a Bayesian Measure of Brand Loyalty: A Preliminary Report,” in Corhan, R.C., (Ed.), 1974 Combined Proceedings, Chicago, American Marketing Association, pp. 104–108.
Malhotra, N. K. (1981), “A Scale to Measure Self-Concepts, Person Concepts, and Product Concepts,” Journal of Marketing Research, pp. 456–464.
Malinowski, B. (1992), Argonauts of the Western Pacific, London: Routledge and Keagan Paul.
Mayer, R. C., Davis, J. H., and Schoorman, F.D. (1995), “An Integrative Model of Organizational Trust,” Academy of Management Review, Vol. 20, No. 3, pp. 709–734.
McConnell, J. D. (1968), “Repeat Purchasing Estimation and the Linear Learning Model,” Journal of Marketing Research, Vol. 5, pp. 304–308.
Miniard, P. W., and Cohen, J. B., (1983), “Modeling Personal and Normative Influences on Behavior,” Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 10, pp. 169–180.
Morgan, R. M., and Hunt, S. D. (1994), “The Commitment-Trust Theory of Relationship Marketing,” Journal of Marketing, Vol. 58, pp. 20–38.
Mowday, R. T., Steers, R. M., and Porter, L. W. (1979), “The Measurement of Organizational Commitment,” Journal of Vocational Behavior, Vol. 14, pp. 224–247.
Newman, J. W., and Werbel, R. A. (1973), “Multivariate Analysis of Brand Loyalty for Major Household Appliances,” Journal of Marketing Research, Vol. 10, pp. 404–409.
Noordewier, T. G., John, G., and Nevin, J. R. (1990), “Performance Outcomes of Purchasing Arrangements in Industrial Buyer-Vendor Relationships,î Journal of Marketing, 54(4), pp. 80-93.
Nunnally, J. (1978), Psychometric Theory, 2nd Edition, NY: McGraw-Hill.
O'haughnessy, J. (1992), Explaining Buyer Behavior, UK: Oxford University Press.
Parasuramam, A., Ziethaml, V. A., and Berry, L. L. (1985), “A Conceptual Model of Service Quality and its Implications for Future Research,” Journal of Marketing, Vol. 49, pp. 41–51.
Park, C. W., Jaworski, B. J., and MacInnis, D. J. (1986), “Strategic Brand-Image Management,” Journal of Marketing, Vol. 50, No. 4, pp. 135–145.
Powell, W. W. (1990), “Neither Market Nor Hierarchy: Network Forms of Organization.” In B. M. Staw and L. L. Cummings (Eds.), Research in Organizational Behavior, Vol. 12, Greenwich, CT: JAI Press, pp. 295–336.
Rao, T. R. (1969), “Consumer Purchase Decision Processes: Stochastic Models,” Journal of Marketing Research, Vol. 6, pp. 321–329.
Reingen, P. H., Foster, B. L., Johnson-Brown, J., and Seidman, S. B. (1984), “Brand Congruence in Interpersonal Relations: A Social Network Analysis,” Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 11, pp. 771–783.
Remple, J. K., Holmes, J. G., and Zanna, M. P. (1985), “Trust in Close Relationships,” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Vol. 49, No. 1, pp. 95–112.
Rotter, J. B. (1971), “Generalized Expectancies of Interpersonal Trust,” American Psychologist, Vol. 26, pp. 443–452.
Scanzoni, J. (1979), “Social Exchange and Behavioural Interdependence,” in R. L. Burgess and T. L. Huston (Eds.), Social Exchange in Developing Relationships, NY: Academic Press.
Scheer, K. N., and Steenkamp, J. E. M. (1995), “The Effects of Perceived Interdependence on Dealer Attitudes,” Journal of Marketing Research, Vol. 32, pp. 348–356.
Schlenker, B. R., Helm, B., and Tedeschi, J. T. (1973), “The Effects of Personality and Situational Variables on Behavioral Trust,” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Vol. 25, pp. 419–427.
Segger, E. (1970), “Brand Assortment and Consumer Brand Choice,” Journal of Marketing, Vol. 34, pp. 18–24.
Shapiro, B. P. (1970), “The Effect of Price on Purchase Behavior,” in Sparks, D.L., (Ed.), AMA Fall Educators Conference, Chicago: American Marketing Association.
Shapiro, D., Sheppard, B. H., and Cheraskin, L. (1992), “Business on a Handshake,” Negotiation Journal, Vol. 8, No. 4, pp. 365–377.
Sheth, J. N., and Venkatesan, M. (1968), “Risk-Reduction Processes in Repetitive Consumer Behavior,” Journal of Marketing Research, Vol. 5, pp. 307–310.
Sirgy, M. J. (1982), “Self-Concept in Consumer Behavior: A Critical Review,” Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 9, pp. 287–300.
Sitkin, S. B., and Roth, N. L. (1993), “Explaining the Effectiveness of Legalistic ‘Remedies’ for Trust/Distrust Focused Issue: The Legalistic Organization,” Organizational Science, Vol. 4, No. 3, pp. 367–392.
Smothers, N. (1993), “Can Products and Brands Have Charisma?” In D. A. Aaker and A. L. Biel (Eds.), Brand Equity and Advertising: Advertising' Role in Building Strong Brands, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Swan, J. E., Trawick, I. F., and Silva, D.W. (1985), “How Industrial Salespeople Gain Customer Trust,” Industrial Marketing Management, Vol. 14, pp. 203–211.
Szybillo, W. T., and Jacoby, J. (1974), “Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Cues as Determinants of Perceived Product Quality,” Journal of Applied Psychology, Vol. 59, No. 1, pp. 74–78.
Taylor, S. E., Peplau, L. A., and Sears, D. O. (1994), Social Psychology, 8th Edition, Englewoods Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Thorslund, C. (1976), “Interpersonal Trust: A Review and Examination of the Concept,” Goteborg Psychological Reports, Vol. 6, No. 6, p. 21.
Tucker, W. T. (1964), “The Development of Brand Loyalty,” Journal of Marketing Research, Vol. 1, 32–35.
Westbrook, R. A., and Oliver, R. L. (1981), “Developing Better Measures of Consumer Satisfaction: Some Preliminary Results.” In K. B. Monroe (Ed.), Advances in Consumer Research, 8, Ann Arbor, Michigan: Association for Consumer Research, pp. 94–99.
Wind, Y., and Frank, R. E. (1969), “Interproduct Household Loyalty to Brands,” Journal of Marketing Research, Vol. 6, pp. 434–435.
Worchel, D. (1979), “Trust & Distrust.” In W. G. Austin and S. Worchel (Eds.), The Social Psychology in Intergroup Relations, Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
Yamagishi, T., and Yamagishi, M. (1994), “Trust and Commitment in the United States and Japan,” Motivation and Emotion, Vol. 18, No. 2, pp. 129–166.
Zand, D. E. (1972), “Trust and Managerial Problem Solving,” Administrative Science Quarterly, Vol. 17, pp. 229–239.
Zucker, L. G. (1986), “Production of Trust: Institutional Sources of Economic Structure, 1840- 1920.” In B. M. Staw and L. L. Cummings (Eds.), Research in Organizational Behavior, Vol. 8, pp. 53–111.