THE IMPACT OF BRAND TRUST OF SUZUKI CULTUS OVER THE BRAND EXTENSION OF SUZUKI SWIFT

Abstract

Purpose - The current research pursues to analyze the impact of Brand Trust on Brand Extension and consequently its relevant impression on customers. It investigates considerate Trust Building Techniques to gain guaranteed benefits in promoting extended brands. To investigate the mediating role of brand loyalty, in establishing an influential bond between Brand Trust and Brand Extension. Further, to verify that efficient Brand Extension Strategy' minimize the cost and failure risk of the extended brands and to understand the contribution of value additions persuaded by customers in driving a company towards extensions, practiced for high involvement products (automobiles) in Karachi. Design/methodology/approach - The approach is to discuss brand extension strategy and several authenticated influences of brand trust on its success with provided constraints discussed in body text. The methodology focuses on the brand trust factor and its impact on extended brand acceptance and personality transfer. It also develops hypotheses about the relationship of Brand Trusts with brand extension, the mediating role of brand loyalty between them, the importance of customer driven value additions and efficient extension techniques to minimize the cost of launching products. This research adopts non-probability convenience sampling method. The hypotheses are tested through questionnaire from respondents comprised on direct consumers, car-owners, Brand Managers and Dealers targeted in Karachi. The study adopts the SPSS software carried on by statistical analysis, descriptive statistics through Chi-Square Test. For the sake of accuracy, specification of results and limited resources, this research is restricted to single organization Pak Suzuki Motors Co. Ltd. circumscribed to its two, real, high involvement, popular brands Cultus and Swift and constrained to the urban population of Karachi City only. Findings - This paper, surveying 375 respondents, finds significant association between variables. Results revealed that brand trust positively associated with the brand extension acceptance. Also, successful brand extension strategy reduces the cost and failure risks in launching a new product. Furthermore, although brand loyalty is not the only mediating role player as suggested by researchers but it holds significance to a successful brand extension. The needs of the brand extensions are identified by the demand of value additions from customers. Some notable recommendations have also been extracted from this research which defines more effective ways of utilizing brand trust as leverage to brand extension. OriginalityA>alue - The research findings are of significance to Marketers, Professional Critics and Brand Managers of Pak Suzuki Motors Co. Ltd. Brand trust, already linked with brand loyalty and brand extension aspects, needs to be carefully managed. The paper prompts further investigation of the relationship between brand trust and brand extension acceptance in other terrestrial markets with different lower involvement categories.