The relationship of consumer-based brand equity with brand performance and brand trust: The example of Mardin province

Competition and brand diversity in automobile markets affect both the sales and market performance of automobile manufacturers and make it difficult for consumers who need to purchase automobiles to choose among brands. The biggest factor in consumers' brand preferences is the concept of utility. Consumers generally tend to trust brands that they are satisfied with and that provide them with maximum satisfaction. In order to increase their brand performance, manufacturers that have completed the branding process are developing marketing strategies to appeal to consumers' perceptions of value and trust. The aim of the research is to analyze the consumer-based brand equity, brand performance and brand trust concepts of Fiat, Renault, Volkswagen, Ford and Toyota brands, which are the 5 best-selling automobile brands in Turkey according to ODD (Automotive Distributors Association) 2021 data, from the perspectives of users living in Mardin province, and to examine the relationships between these concepts with statistical data. In the study, the brand perceptions of a total of 463 automobile users over the age of 18 residing in Mardin province and its districts were obtained through an online survey. Frequency analysis, factor analysis, reliability test, correlation analysis and difference tests were used to analyze the collected data. Based on the data obtained, a statistically significant and positive relationship was found between consumer-based brand equity and brand trust, between consumer-based brand equity and brand performance, and between brand trust and brand performance. In the research, the judgments of consumer-based brand equity dimensions were analyzed according to whether the participants would change the brand they use or not, and it was concluded that the brand equity perceptions of the participants who will not change the brand they use are much stronger than the participants who will change the brand they use. According to the research data, it was concluded that Volkswagen is the most preferred brand with the strongest brand equity perception in Mardin province.