The effects of integrated marketing communications perception and communication tools on brand equity: A study on airline companies

The strength of a brand as perceived by the consumer can be measured via brand equity. This study concentrates on integrated marketing communications perception, communication tools, dimensions of brand equity and overall brand equity and attempt to investigate their effects on the attitude and behavior of consumers in the airline sector. The study focuses on three key issues. First of all, the effects of integrated marketing communication perception and communication tools on the dimensions of brand equity are investigated. Secondly, the relationships among the dimensions of brand equity and their effects on overall brand equity are considered. Thirdly, the effect of overall brand equity on consumer attitudes and behavior are examined. Even if there are studies that consider the effects of brand equity on consumer behavior and attitudes, comprehensive studies that specifically investigate the effects of integrated marketing communications perception and communication tools on the dimensions of brand equity are rather rare. As three key brands in the Turkish airline sector, Turkish Airlines, Pegasus and Atlasjet are selected to be used in the study. The survey was shared on the social networking sites and was answered by a convenience sample of 391 respondents. Once the reliability and validity of all the scales to be used in this study were confirmed, the hypothesized relationships between the variables were tested with a series of simple and multiple regression analyses. The results of these analyses reveal that most of these hypothesized relationships are supported. These findings are of great importance especially for the airline sector that is characterized by intense competition. Keywords: Brand Equity, Integrated Marketing Communication Perception, Consumer Behavior, Airline Sector