However, there is still some ambiguity with respect to the
diverse sources and nature of the mechanism by which brand
trust develops. For instance, while many studies have focused
on overall satisfaction as a determinant of brand trust
(Ballester and Aleman, 2001, 2005; Zboja and Voorhees,
2006), others have found diverse antecedents, such as
supplier’s competence and credibility (Sichtmann, 2007),
brand personality (Sung and Kim, 2010) or consumerperceived
ethicality (Singh et al., 2012) as its major
antecedents. In addition, the results of the above-mentioned
studies lack generalizability and are concentrated on
seemingly randomly selected product categories. The
emergence of brand trust is often viewed as a complex process
that varies according to the product and context analyzed
(Sichtmann, 2007). Thus, there is a need for comprehensive
studies that shed light on the nature of relationships between
varied antecedent and moderator constructs, and further
explore the role of additional explanatory variables in the
brand trust domain across different contexts. This may help to
develop a more complete understanding of brand trust
development as a phenomenon, which is critical for brands
that are competing for relationships with consumers. One
such context in which trust plays a major role in decisions is
risk reduction; thus, it may be useful to explore a high
perceived risk product category for the brand trust
development process.