Brand image over brand preference the intermediation role of electronic word of mouth: An application within the IT industry

Individuals tend to choose the brands and products they feel drawn to them while they making purchasing decisions. That's why one of the most important motivations affecting the attitudes and behaviors of consumers is the brand. Enterprises, knowing consumers act considering those motivations during purchasing habit are tend to commercialize their brands, products and services through those value judgments. On the other hand, enterprises who want deeply to understand and manage the purchasing motivations of consumers try to develop strategies for the future of their brands in the market. In this context, they attach importance to two factors, brand image and brand preference, which generate perceptions of the brand and product in the minds of consumers. With the developments in communication and computer technologies, promotion and marketing activities have moved to the virtual environment today. Since the marketing and promoting activities have move to virtual environment, electronic word of mouth marketing has replaced with the traditional word of mouth marketing. Electronic word of mouth marketing is an effective and low-cost marketing method in nature. It impresses and directs consumers with divergent activities and affects their purchasing decisions in a positive or negative way. In this study, the mediating role of electronic word of mouth marketing in the effect of brand image on brand preference was investigated through notebook users in the information sector. Research population are notebook users over the age of 18 in Turkey and research sample is the notebook users over the age of 18 in Istanbul and Ankara. Data were collected with quantitative research method by questionnaire surveyed to 525 notebook users. Descriptive statistics were made with exploratory and confirmatory factor analyzes for the scales used in the research. The validity and reliability of the scales were ensured by making some modifications to ensure model data compatibility. After examining normality and descriptive statistics, correlation and regression analyzes were performed to test the hypotheses of the research. The research has shown that brand image has an effect on brand preference. However, electronic word of mouth marketing method, which is another variable of the research, had a mediating role in this relation.