Brand Equity: A Perspective on its Meaning and Measurement

Brand equity (BE) has become an important issue from a variety of perspectives: mergers and acquisitions, evaluation of strategies (e.g., advertising, promotion, quality improvement) and management (in terms of its impact on value creation, brand extensions, enhancement and exploitation of brand strengths), to mention a few. While there is general consensus that brands are assets and as such need to be managed with a long-term perspective, the meaning of the term brand equity varies. This paper provides a review of extant literature as well as presentations at two MSI brand equity conferences. It also provides a summary list of insights and questions which should provide both managers and researchers with food for thought and directions for future research.