• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.103-111
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• 2016

Purpose - Many variables are needed for brand loyalty such as brand attitude, brand attachment, brand love and brand commitment. Thus, we should manage these all variables successfully for strong and differentiated brand equity. This study aims to identify the process of how the brand value propositions affect the brand attitude and brand attachment. This study specially conceptualizes that not only utilitarian value and hedonic value influence the brand attitude but also hedonic value influences the brand attachment. This study focuses on the moderating role of consumer involvement such as cognitive involvement and affective involvement in the causal relationships among brand value propositions, brand attitude, and brand attachment. Research design, data, and methodology - The five hypotheses were proposed and tested in this study. Three hypotheses were about the relationship among the brand value propositions(utilitarian value and hedonic value), brand attitude, and brand attachment. The other two hypotheses were about the moderating effect on consumer involvement in the causal relationships among brand value propositions, brand attitude, and brand attachment. Research data were collected from the students of universities located in Daejeon-Si and Chungchungnam-Do. For the purpose of test the hypotheses empirically, the 208 responses were used. We utilized SPSS18.0 for statistical analysis such as reliability test, factor analysis, and regression analysis. Results - The results show that the utilitarian value and hedonic value have influence on the brand attitude positively. The results also show that the hedonic value has influence on the brand attachment positively. We found that there is a moderating effect on the cognitive involvement in the relationship between the utilitarian value and the brand attitude. However, there is no moderating effect on the affective involvement in the relationship between the hedonic value and brand attachment. In Summary, 4 of 5 hypotheses in this study were supported and 1 hypothesis was not supported. We should identify the reason why the hypothesis 5, the moderating effect of the affective involvement in the relationship between the hedonic value and brand attachment, was rejected in this empirical analysis. Conclusions - Both the utilitarian value and the hedonic value that propose a brand are important for brand attitude. Specially, the hedonic value is important for brand attachment. Companies should provide the consumers with both the utilitarian value and the hedonic value in a balanced way for their favorable brand attitude and strong brand attachment. In the retail industry, the balance between the utilitarian value and the hedonic value is important in that there are many product brands and store brands providing consumers with various benefit and values. Also, there are possibilities that the causal relationships among brand value propositions, brand attitude and brand attachment are moderated by consumer involvement such as cognitive involvement and affective involvement. Companies should understand and consider consumer involvement for their efficient and effective brand management decision making.