WALKING THE TALK IN THE SPORT FOOTWEAR INDUSTRY: A GENERATION Y COHORT ANALYSIS OF CONSUMER-BASED BRAND EQUITY DIMENSIONS AND PURCHASE INTENTION

The footwear market has recently witnessed a proliferation of various brands with consumers being exposed to several international brands. Building strong brands and brand equity has thus become an important source of competitiveness and differentiation for manufacturers and retailers. Brand equity is a core marketing asset that forms distinctive ties between companies and their audiences, which nurtures long-term buying behaviour. This paper examines the influence of the dimensions of brand equity on purchase intentions in the sport footwear industry in South Africa. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among a Generation Y cohort through a structured questionnaire. Correlations and regression analysis were conducted to examine the relationship between brand equity dimensions (brand awareness, brand association, brand loyalty) and purchase intentions. Reliability was established through internal consistency (Cronbach alpha), which was deemed satisfactory. The results show that the brand awareness has a positive influence on brand quality and brand loyalty. Brand association also showed a positive influence on brand quality and brand loyalty. Finally, brand quality and brand loyalty positively influenced brand purchase intention. Brand managers and marketing planners should consider the importance of these constructs in their overall brand equity evaluation. Limitations and implications for further research are discussed

Keywords:

Brand, brand equity, quality, brand awareness, brand associations loyalty, purchase intentions,

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