This study aimed to identify sub-dimensions of the authenticity and fictionality of a brand story and analyze the effects of authenticity and fictionality on customer-based brand equity. Data were obtained from a group of 213 males and females in their 20s and 30s living in Korea using an online survey institute. Results showed that the authenticity and fictionality of a brand story are composed of reality, excitement, exaggeration, fictional symbolism, influence, sincerity, relativeness, mysteriousness, and unreality. Of these, sincerity, excitement, reality, influence, and mysteriousness had significant effects on brand imagery; sincerity particularly exerted a relatively more substantial influence on brand imagery. Also, influence, mysteriousness, excitement, and relativeness impacted performance positively, and exaggeration impacted performance negatively. This indicated that a well-constructed brand story with authenticity and fictionality had a positive impact on the brand image. Excitement, mysteriousness, reality, relativeness, sincerity, and influence of a brand story had significant effects on brand judgement. In contrast, only excitement and influence positively impacted brand feelings, and unreality had a negative impact on feelings. The exciting and influential brand story impacted brand attitude. Also, brand image and attitude positively impacted sharing and purchase intention, while brand performance did not affect recommendation intention. These findings contribute to identifying a brand story’s attributes, authenticity, and fictionality and provide insights for marketers on creating brand stories to increase brand image and attitude and to build customer-based brand equity.

Recent research has shown that many companies in the fashion industry are increasingly weaving close relationships with the art world, to appropriate art values and meanings to be associated with their own products and brands (Hagdtvedt & Patrick, 2008a; 2008b). Businesses related to the fashion luxury sector have been especially prone to using such strategies to transform their products into true artworks to address the issue of commodification resulting from high production volumes (Dion and Arnoult, 2011; Riot, Chameret & Rigaud, 2013). Over the past two decades, the luxury market has undergone huge structural changes through mergers and acquisitions that have transformed an industry made up of small, family businesses into major financial conglomerates and brand owners (Roux & Floch, 1996; Crane 2012). Secondly, globalization and openness to new fast-growing markets such as Asia, have led these luxury conglomerates to increase sales volumes, failing in one of the basic characteristics of such goods: rarity. But if the real rarity of luxury products is a promise that companies can no longer guarantee their own consumers, the elitism of these products can be ensured through an artificial rarity. Jean-Noël Kapferer used the neologism artification recently introduced by French sociologists Nathalie Heinich and Roberta Shapiro and applied it to the analysis of luxury goods (Kapferer, 2012; 2014; Heinich and Shapiro, 2012; Shapiro and Heinich, 2012). He stressed that a strategy based on art implemented by luxury companies is useful mainly to support the perception of rarity by the final consumer. Artification is based on the notion that art –related objects or persons are associated with positive values. Enhancing a corporate image in the consumer’s mind means building positive ties to the brand that will initiate a form of benevolence towards the brand, providing the legitimization of corporate actions and, in some cases, resulting in the purchase of goods and services produced and distributed by the company (Keller, 1993; Aaker, 1996; Aaker & Joachimsthaler, 2000; Keller, 2003). We decided to analyse the effect of Artification on brand value by focusing on the four dimensions of Awareness, Image, Quality and Loyalty by using the same CbBE ( Customer-based Brand Equity) structure previous authors tested on country of origin effect on consumers, based on the main hypotheses further explained (Pappu, Quester & Cooksey, 2006). The first hypothesis relates to the dimension of Awareness and aims to test the level of brand recognition in final consumers when the logo is modified by an artist. • H1 – Consumers’ awareness remains strong when the brand is ‘artified’. We analyze then the Image, as the second dimension of CbBE. Due to the complexity of this dimension, we posited two hypotheses connected to it: • H2a – Consumers’ free associations to the brand are connected to the artworld when the brand is ‘artified’ (e.g. consumers indicate words as art, contemporary art or the name of the artist). • H2b – Consumers’ evaluation of the brand image points to stronger positive associations when the brand is ‘artified’ The last two hypotheses we mention are connected to the dimensions of Quality and Loyalty: • H3 – Consumers’ evaluation of Quality increases when the brand is ‘artified’.  H4 – Consumers’ Loyalty to the brand increases when the brand is ‘artified’. • The analysis was conducted through a between-subjects randomized experiment and manipulated art presence (with art versus without art). Starting from the same panel, two groups were created: one including the treatment (visual arts) and one including no treatment at all. Furthermore, we limited ourselves in this experiment to images of products and pattern created by Louis Vuitton that are actually on the market, associating them randomly to the research units in order to obtain two statistically consistent groups subjected to the different treatment (with art or without art)4. The two groups were labelled ‘artified’ group and control group, the first grouping the respondents to the questionnaire containing images of Louis Vuitton Logo, pattern and product modified by art collaboration with Yayoi Kusama; and the second grouping the respondents to the questionnaire containing images of Louis Vuitton Logo, pattern and product in its standard design. The questionnaire was distributed between the months of May and June 2015 via Qualtrics survey software. It was divided into four distinct blocks: the first concerned the presentation of the survey, the declaration of authorization signed by the participants and the demographic information; the second and the third blocks of questions were identical, with the same series of questions but based on different images used. There were 880 respondents, 825 of whom correctly filled the questionnaire we submitted to them. The control group was made of 413 respondents, 73.13 % of whom were female and 26.87 % male. The ‘artified’ group was made of 71.60 % female and 28.40 % male. We analyzed the four dimensions of Awareness, Image, Quality and Loyalty individually and in a comparative manner between the control and ‘artified’ groups. In the CbBE model, dimensions are analyzed individually since Awareness and brand Image measures are not comparable because they are collected through different measure methods, respectively through multiple choice and open-ended questions. Such dimensions as Image, Quality and Loyalty which were raised through Likert scales were then subjected to mono multivariate statistical analysis. The main results are shown in table 1. By reading the results for CbBE, Hypothesis H1 [Consumers’ awareness remain strong when the brand is ‘artified’] has been confirmed. The aided brand awareness shows no important differences between the two groups, so visual artists may modify logos or the appearance of luxury products without the fear of compromising brand awareness in the final consumers. Hypothesis H2a [Consumers’ free associations to the brand are connected to the arts when the brand is ‘artified’ (e.g. the word art, contemporary art or the name of the artist)] was not confirmed. Hypothesis H2b was partially confirmed as Generic Associations and Brand Personality were impacted by the use of the visual arts, while Organizational Associations were not. Brand loyalty and Perceived Quality were not impacted by the Visual Arts either, so Hypothesis H3 and H4 were not confirmed. As a main result for CbBE analysis, the Visual Arts have an impact on Customer-based Brand Equity, limited to Brand Image dimensions. The fact that Brand Image is one of the most complex dimensions of brand value opens the way to the development of future analysis and research in the visual arts as external source for brand equity, especially for Brand Personality. The main results of our research show that an artification effect is visible especially at the level of brand image and brand personality, two complex and valuable components of Brand Value from a consumer perspective. This opens to further in-depth analysis of these two components for future research. Large luxury groups (such as Cartier and Prada) have long used an art-based strategy to increase the value of their products, avoiding the risk of a loss of prestige perceived by the final consumer who would no longer recognize the exclusivity of a product that seems to be increasingly more industrial than handmade. Art can therefore contribute to alter and rework the image and market position of a specific brand or an entire product line, ensuring the transition from an ordinary image to a prestigious one, or strengthening the existing prestigious perception (Hetsroni & Tukachinsky, 2005; Lee et Al., 2015). We believe that a strategy based on art implemented by luxury companies is beneficial mainly to support the perception of rarity by the final consumer. Luxury goods would have to be unique or at least not produced in too high volumes precisely because of their craftsmanship and the care with which they are made. Rarity is not compatible with the increase in sales volumes required by the financial holdings that own the same luxury brands (Roux and Lipovetsky, 2003; Kapferer, 2012; 2014; 2015). The artification process we researched would have exactly the dual purpose of improving the brand image of companies that apply it, while increasing the perception of luxury in end consumers. What is more, we believe that the luxury brands from the industry sector that belong to large financial conglomerates now have the strength to simultaneously apply all the components in the artification process, by sustaining activities of sponsorship, philanthropy or generic collaboration with artists. The fact that luxury products are an integral part of the world of visual arts combined with the fact luxury brands have now the strong support base of large financial conglomerates can ensure the right economic and cultural support needed for the application of such a strategy. In the case of fashion companies, we believe artification is a process in itinere. In our experiment free associations to the brand show that only 2 consumers out of 880 remembered or knew the name of the artist (Yayoi Kusama) and 10 people indicated the substantive ‘art’ or ‘contemporary arts’ as free associations in the ‘artified group’ (only 2 in the control group). This shows that luxury brands ‘art-based strategy cannot only concentrate on temporary collaborations with artists. Luxury brands as Louis Vuitton must act as art institutions able to display arts collections to the widest public and bestow art status and global recognition to collaborating artists (Masè and Cedrola, 2017). This strategy relies on LV ability to raise consumers’ awareness of the arts. While the art-oriented public recognizes artistic collaborations, the larger public does not yet is still very much aware of new designs. Novelty is equally perceived by both, but is partially decoded by one category of consumers.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine retail brand equity driver and equity components, and discuss the differentiation of retail branding strategy of three types of supermarket (national chain, local chain and specialty chain) especially in Japan. Design/methodology/approach –The empirical study is based on a sample of 3,062 customers usually using supermarket chain stores (total 58 chain stores) via Internet research household panel to develop this model, and using multiple-group structural equation modeling. Findings – First, store equity driver influence the retail brand equity than policy of corporate driver, and the most affect factor of store equity driver is a service and support. Second, Retail brand equity components were distinctiveness, emotional loyalty, experience value, and trustworthiness. Emotional loyalty and experience value influences the behavioral loyalty. Third, three types of supermarket have different equity drivers, and they influence the purchase behavior. Specialty chain has a strong store driver, which increases of price per unit. National chain and local chain has a strong covariance policy of corporate driver and store equity driver, which influences the retail brand equity. Originality/value – Understanding the retail brand equity in Japanese supermarkets. Retail brand equity is made from a holistic aggregation of some components, and equity driver is made from store attributes and corporate attributes, which are attribution level of operational activities. Consumer recognizes the store as a holistic brand but company wants to know how to increase the behavioral loyalty (purchase behavior), this retail brand equity model integrates the retail brand as holistic and attribution level approach follows retail-marketing activities.

The objectives of this study are (1) to review previous studies in the context of brand management in consumer behaviors using costumer based brand equity (CBBE) and theory of planned behavior (TPB) as the basic foundation of the study; and (2) to develop a comprehensive research model by integrating relevant research constructs using meta-analysis. This study reviewed a total 173 studies from 58 published papers with 40 journals during 1991~2014 and developed a comprehensive framework with 16 research hypotheses. The results showed that (1) brand image, brand personality, brand association, and subjective norm are the important antecedents of brand attitudes; (2) brand awareness, brand trust, perceived quality, and perceived behavioral control are the important antecedents of brand loyalty; (3) brand attitude positively influences brand loyalty, which further influences brand equity; and (4) brand equity positively influences behavioral intention. This study fills in the research gap by integrating more research variables into CBBE model, particularly to include the influence of social context on consumer behavior through TPB. These results indicated that the integration between CBBE and TPB is meaningful and the comprehensive model can explain more variances than that of the individual model. Limitations, and recommendations for future research in this area are provided.

지금과 같이 브랜드가 넘쳐나는 시장 상황에서 패키지는 제품의 속성만을 표현하는 것 뿐 만 아니라 소비자의 needs, 시대 의 트랜드를 반영한 차별화된 디자인을 필요로 한다. 본 연구는 브랜드 아이덴티티와 패키지디자인에 대한 이론적 배경을 바탕으로 강력한 브랜드를 구축하는데 있어 필요한 다양한 패키지 디자인의 구성요소 중 4가지를 선정하여 색채, 캐릭터, 일러스트, 형태에 대해 패키지 차별화로 브랜드 아이덴티티가 뚜렷한 사례를 가진 국, 내외 브랜드 위주의 사례를 켈러의 CBBE모델을 기초로 하여 분석하고자 한다. 분석 내용을 요약하면 첫 번째, 감성 시대로 발전한 오늘날에 기업들은 다른 기업들과의 경쟁에서 차별화를 하기 위하여 많은 노력을 한다. 두 번째, 색채의 사용은 패키지 디자인에 있어서 매우 중요 하다. 세 번째, 아트마케팅을 적용한 패키지 디자인은 독특하고 품격 있는 세련된 이미지로 소비자에게 신선하게 다가감을 알 수 있다. 네 번째, 독특한 형태를 적용한 패키지는 브랜드를 알리는데 핵심적인 역할을 한다. 위의 디자인 사례를 종합 해보면 차별화 된 패키지 디자인은 주목성과 재미를 주는 패키지로 보는 이로 하여금 흥미를 유발하여 소비 욕구가 생기게 하며, 관련 상품과 기업에 새로운 가치를 창조하는 전략임을 알 수 있다. 이 연구에서는 브랜드 강화 전략 중 차별화의 한 전략으로 패키지 디자인의 다양한 사례를 파악하고자 한다.