A Reconceptualization of Brand Image

Abstract

Brand image forms the basis for making better strategic marketing decisions about targeting specific market segments and positioning a product. The phrase, brand image, however, has been defined and applied in various ways by different researchers. The variations in definition can be confusing with regard to brand image measurement and subsequent assessment of brand equity and brand positioning. A revised definition is proposed—the sum of a customer’s perceptions about a brand generated by the interaction of the cognitive, affective, and evaluative processes in a customer’s mind—to better reflect the concepts discussed relative to brand image in the literature review, content spanning the 1950s to the present. The revised definition will benefit researchers and marketers through use of unified terminology and meaning, allowing for efficient planning and implementation of marketing strategies to build brand equity.