Brand equity

Brand equity is the measurable value a brand adds to a product or service beyond its functional features. It represents how customers perceive and trust the brand, and how that perception influences their willingness to pay a premium or remain loyal. Strong brand equity can drive competitive advantage, increase market share, and improve financial performance.

Brand equity is built over time through consistent identity, messaging, customer experiences, and reputation. It captures the emotional and financial value tied to customer recognition and trust, making it one of the most important intangible assets for a business.

Advanced

Brand equity is evaluated through financial metrics, customer-based assessments, and competitive benchmarking. Models such as Aaker’s Brand Equity Model and Keller’s Customer-Based Brand Equity (CBBE) pyramid are widely used to measure the strength and depth of brand relationships.

Key components include brand awareness, perceived quality, associations, and loyalty. Businesses apply tools such as brand valuation studies, sentiment analysis, and equity transfer mapping when making decisions on mergers, acquisitions, or portfolio strategy.

Relevance

• Increases customer loyalty and retention.
• Allows premium pricing and higher margins.
• Supports expansion into new products and markets.
• Protects the business against competitor activity.

Applications

• Measuring the financial impact of a brand in valuation reports.
• Guiding investment decisions in marketing and advertising.
• Assessing the success of rebranding initiatives.
• Supporting negotiations during mergers and acquisitions.

Metrics

• Brand awareness and recall scores.
• Customer loyalty and retention rates.
• Net Promoter Score (NPS) and sentiment analysis.
• Financial brand valuation by third-party firms.

Issues

• Declining brand equity reduces customer loyalty.
• Negative publicity can damage perception and value.
• Inconsistent branding weakens recognition and trust.
• Overextension into unrelated products can dilute equity.

Example

A sports apparel company with strong brand equity launches a new line of running shoes. Even before major advertising, the products sell well because customers associate the brand with quality and performance. The positive equity allows the company to charge higher prices compared to new entrants in the same category.