CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
Figure 1 exhibits our conceptual framework of brand equity, which is an extension of Aaker’s (1991) model. Aaker proposes that (1) brand equity creates value for both the customer and the firm, (2) value for the customer enhances value for the firm, and (3) brand equity consists of multiple dimensions. We extend Aaker’s model in two ways. First, we place a separate construct, brand equity, between the dimensions of brand equity and the value for the customer and the firm. The brand equity construct shows how individual dimensions are related to brand equity. Because brand equity is the value of a brand name, a construct that can be high or low, setting a separate brand equity construct will help us understand how the dimensions contribute to brand equity. Second, we add antecedents of brand equity, that is, marketing activities, assuming that they have significant effects on the dimensions of brand equity. Investigating the antecedents-dimensionsbrand equity linkage is the focus of this research.