had been validated by research extensive enough to deliver reliable, valid and
generalizable results.
In the 1997 study conducted by Jennifer Aaker, an extensive primarily quanti-
tative study of the dimensions of brand personality, the aim was to develop a
framework that would be generalizable across brands and industries. The quanti-
tative method used by Aaker for measuring brand personality has subsequently
been validated by several studies and is widely used today. The aim was to identify
a limited (manageable) number of dimensions that can be used to categorize all
brands. For this purpose Aaker developed a method based on a structured quanti-
tative measurement technique (scaling) combined with factor analysis of the large
quantity of data generated in the study. To get a grip on what scaling techniques are
all about, the most common scaling techniques used in marketing will be
explained in the next section.
Questionnaires and scaling techniques
Questionnaires and scaling techniques are at the heart of methods for measuring
brand personality. This short introduction will enable the reader to know the basics
about scaling.
When using questionnaires and scaling techniques in practice, it is important to
consider and develop customized research designs that fit the measurement objec-
tives of the study. For this process knowledge of the mechanisms of statistics is
essential. Scaling refers to the process of measuring or ordering entities according
to the attributes or traits that characterize them. An example could be a scaling
technique that could involve estimating individuals’ levels of extroversion, or how
consumers perceive the personality of a certain brand. There are different scaling
methods that can provide different results suited for different objectives. Certain
methods of scaling estimate magnitudes on a continuum, while other methods
provide only the relative ordering of the entities. In brand management, and
specifically in the personality approach, scaling techniques are used to determine
the nature and strength of consumers’ attitudes or opinions towards a specific
brand personality. There are four types of scales: nominal, ordinal, interval and
ratio. They have different properties suitable in different situations depending on
the type of information needed.
- Nominal scalesare the weakest form of scale. The numbers assigned to
entities serves only to identify the subjects under consideration. Nominal
scales are used only to categorize or label – the number has no mathematical
properties. Examples are inventory codes or ISBN book codes. - Ordinal scalesseek to impose more structure on objects by rank-ordering them
in terms of the subject’s characteristics, such as weight or colour. As with
nominal scales, identical objects are given the same number, but the ordinal
scale has the added property that it can tell us something about the direction or
relative standing of one object to another. An example is a preference ranking:
to what extent does a consumer prefer one brand to another brand? In order to
134 Seven brand approaches