The customer-based brand equity framework also encompasses methods and
directions for measuring customer-based brand equity. These methods will
conclude this section.
Gathering data in the information-processing consumer perspective
As described in the sections on assumptions and theoretical building blocks, the
theories based on the cognitive consumer perspective tries to explain how stimuli
entered into the ‘computer’ consumer are economically processed and then lead to
a consumption choice. In order to map out these processes, two main categories of
methods are applied; namely input–outputand process-tracingapproaches.
Input–output methodsare experiments where input factors are manipulated and
the change in the output of the process is then measured. These methods corre-
spond to the if–then logic that is so fundamental to the cognitive consumer
perspective. There are in effect no limits to which inputs can be altered in order to
test output. The respondent can be presented to different advertising methods,
consideration sets can be differentiated, different price information can be applied
to the same brand, etc. By testing consumer reactions to different inputs, the best
(most predictable) marketing action can be planned.
In the information-processing theory of consumer choice, choice is seen as a
process following explainable paths in consumers’ minds. The process-tracing
approaches aim at understanding and explaining this process. They are attempts to
monitor the sequence of information acquired and the choices they lead to. There
are many different ways of understanding this process, below are some examples:
- Verbal protocols. The respondent thinks out loud during the performance of an
actual task. For instance, a consumer goes shopping equipped with a voice
recorder. Thoughts are verbalized and recorded as they occur. In this fashion, the
process of making a brand choice is recorded. For the researcher, this technique
is rather time-consuming as he or she has to sort through large amounts of data. - A similar method is the prompted protocol. A consumer is (willingly) video-
filmed during a shopping experience. After the shopping experience the
consumer comments on the video film, and thereby explains which decision
processes he or she went through during the shopping experience. - A matrix arrayis another way of understanding a choice process. Here, a
matrix is constructed reflecting as many of the factoras possible, which are
parts of a choice process. For example, the matrix can be constructed with
brands in rows and attributes in columns. In each case of the matrix the
respondent can take an information card (e.g. the price of the Toyota on infor-
mation card n, or the size of the engine of the Fiat on information card t; a few
examples are provided in table 6.1). This method simulates the examination of
choices a consumer goes through – one at the time – leading to the final choice.
The consumer researcher will get as data the sequence of cards selected and the
amount of information acquired before the consumer feels ready to commit to
a choice. The data will contain rich information providing insight into central
The consumer-based approach 99