BRAND EQUITY ON INTENTION TO USE

: Today, brand equity is acknowledged as a key component of a company's business strategy, a tactical issue for achieving a competitive edge, a key component of brand building, and a tool for gauging the long-term effects of actions in marketing. Research of brand equity on purchase intentions for goods like food, smartphones, and green products is frequently available empirically, whereas instant coffee studies are less prevalent. Thus, to close this gap in the literature, the aim's research is to empirically evaluate the impact of brand equity on consumers' intent to use instant coffee. The conceptual model of brand equity components is built on Aaker's model. Using a Google form and a convenience sampling technique, this study examined a sample of 296 consumers who bought instant coffee. A 5-point Likert scale was used in the measurement. The research model was suggested based on earlier investigations. Data from 296 clients was obtained, and SmartPLS software was utilized to evaluate it. Analyze the scales' validity and reliability concerning the measurement model. The reliability of the scales was assessed using composite reliability and Cronbach's alpha. Discriminant validity was also assessed using the Fornell-Larcker index. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the effects of the research's hypotheses. The results demonstrated that brand equity dimensions favorably influence consumers' purchasing intentions for instant coffee. Specifically, brand awareness has a favorable correlation with consumers' purchasing intent. Perceived quality and purchase intention are related positively. Additionally, brand associations and buyers' purchase intentions have been positively impacted. Brand loyalty has also positively impacted consumers' intentions to buy. Brand awareness is the most crucial factor that impacts the intention to buy instant coffee. The empirical research on the impact of brand equity components on the intention to purchase instant coffee is a gap in the literature that this study is aimed to fill. Moreover, the managers of instant coffee will also benefit from knowing how brand equity dimensions affect consumers' intentions to buy instant coffee as they develop marketing strategies to increase those intentions.

BREQ has been conceptualized as a dimensional variable by Aaker (1991Aaker ( , 1996 and Keller (1993), who have also proposed measurement models that use several factors associated with customer behaviour, perceptions, and preferences. In the marketing-associated academic community, the model put forth by Aaker (1991Aaker ( , 1996 and Keller (1993) stand out as key references because they offer a thorough and integrated approach to the concept of BREQ (Calvo-Porral et al., 2015;Jung and Sung, 2008;Yoo and Donthu, 2002). In light of this, the model proposed by Aaker (1991) is chosen for this study because it is the most commonly cited and has been the topic of numerous empirical studies (Ahmed, 2020;Calvo-Porral et al., 2015;Chahal et al., 2022;Sadyk and Islam, 2022). The four dimensions (brand awareness, perceived quality, brand association, and brand loyalty) are considered in a model of BREQ based on Aaker's (1991) theoretical framework.
Purchase intention (PIN) is viewed as an important aspect of brand marketing since it helps marketers understand and forecast consumer behaviour. Additionally, it has been demonstrated by certain that purchasing intention plays a significant role in determining the final purchase decision and may encourage future repeat purchases (Cahyanaputra et al., 2022;Pavlou and Gefen, 2004;Pi et al., 2011). PIN, regarded as a crucial predictor of actual purchases, is described as circumstances in which customers tend to acquire a particular item under specific circumstances (Yang et al., 2022). According to Howard (1994), consumers' PINs to make actual purchases within a certain time are closely related to their intentions to buy. The desire or motivation people feel about buying a particular brand after learning more about it before making any purchases is tailored to individual attitudes and brand perceptions. Customers' PINs are directly linked to their ability to complete actual purchases within a predetermined time range (Madahi and Sukati, 2012). PIN is also referred to as the urge or incentive that develops in customers' brains to purchase a specific brand once they investigate it before actually opting to make certain purchases depending on their needs, beliefs, and judgments of a brand (Madahi and Sukati, 2012). Hosein (2012) asserts that interest, attendance, and information can be used to evaluate consumers' purchase intentions. Consumers' interest in a brand is what motivates them to make a purchase. Participating in displays and other associated services that influence a consumer's purchase choice is referred to as attending. Information is any new information and facts that customers learn about a brand to decide whether to purchase it (Santoso and Cahyadi, 2014).
Brand awareness (BRAW) measures how easily and how likely it is for a consumer to think about a product or service (Keller 1993). BRAW measures how well customers remember a brand (Aaker, 1991). According to Kim and Kim (2004), brand awareness refers to a company's capacity to come to mind when consumers consider a particular product category. Ukpebor and Ipogah (2008) defined BRAW as the degree of brand familiarity demonstrated by brand recognition, brand recall, and top of mind. Brand recognition, also known as helped recall, is the process by which consumers can recall a certain brand with the help of something or someone, such as a symbol, logo, slogan, marketing, or packing. Brand awareness supports the brand and makes it easier for others to recognize it. When customers can quickly and unaided recall a brand from a category in their minds, that is what is meant by brand recall (unaided recall). To establish the brand in consumers' minds, brand recall is used. Top of mind is the first brand that comes to consumers' minds when they consider a particular product or service category since they are familiar with the brand. Top-of-mind marketing aims to make a brand the top option for customers. Rossiter and Percy (1987) defined BRAW as the consumer's ability to recognize and remember the brand within a certain goods class. How noticeable a brand gets in the marketplace has an impact on the role BRAW plays in BREQ. The more dominant the brand is, the more likely it is to be taken into account in numerous purchasing circumstances and the higher the level of awareness. Therefore, increasing BRAW increases the likelihood of a brand being considered (Calvo-Porral et al., 2015;Nedungadi, 1990). Prior studies disclosed that BRAW positively impacts PIN (Ahmed, 2020;Chahal et al., 2022;Kyguoliene and Zikiene, 2021). Therefore, the following hypothesis is posed: H1: There is a positively correlated between BRAW and PIN. Perceived quality (PEQU), according to Aaker (1991), is an overall abstract impression of a brand typically dependent on underlying characteristics. As a result, PEQU is associated with consumers' subjective opinions of features of a good or a brand that are crucial for making decisions. According to Chieng and Lee (2011), PEQU refers to consumer evaluation and perception of an item's general excellence or advantage over competing goods or services. Chieng and Lee (2011) also thought that clients had trouble making the right judgments about products; as a result, PEQU was developed to assess a product's overall quality. A brand can provide consumers with reasons to buy its products or services by focusing on PEQU, which also helps to distinguish and position the company's goods. The ability to command a higher price, draw in new customers and permit brand extensions are all made possible by PEQU, which is advantageous for businesses (Aaker, 1991). Some scholars demonstrated the impact of PEQU significantly on PIN (Calvo-Porral et al., 2015;Chahal et al., 2022;Kyguoliene and Zikiene, 2021). In light of this, the following hypothesis is made: H2: There is a positive relationship between PEQU and PIN. Brand association (BRAS), according to Aaker (1991), is characteristic that people associate with a product, such as benefits, uses, lifestyles, product classifications, rival brands, and places of origin. BRAS can give reasons for customers to switch to other brands and offer them a reason to stay loyal to that brand by offering them reasons to prefer one brand over another, buy motivations, positive views, and emotions that may affect buying behavior and pleasure. The three components of BRAS are attributes, benefits, and attitudes (Keller, 2013). Brand attributes are thought of as qualities of a product or service. The traits may comprise both characteristics connected to the product and characteristics unrelated to it. Features that relate to a product's or service's physical characteristics or needs are referred to as product-related features and differ depending on the type of product or service. Non-product-related elements are the exterior aspects of the good or service that are connected to its acquisition, including the cost, user, consumption, and packaging details. Brand benefits denote the connections between a brand's associations and its advantages, which bind people to a particular brand. Three sorts of benefits can be distinguished: functional, experiential, and symbolic benefits. Functional benefits are connected to pretty fundamental drives like safety requirements or avoidance. Consumers' feelings when using the goods or services are referred to as experiential benefits. Symbolic gains are the extrinsic advantages of utilizing a good or service that is linked to the need for social approval or personal expressions, such as status and exclusivity. A consumer's overall perceptions of a brand are summed up as brand attitudes. Brand attitudes lay the groundwork for consumer behavior and brand-related behavior based on the characteristics and advantages of the brand itself. According to earlier studies, BRAS and PIN are positively correlated (Chahal et al., 2022;Santoso and Cahyadi, 2014). In light of this, the hypothesis is made as follows: H3: There is a positive relationship between BRAS and PIN.
One of the essential dimensions of BREQ is brand loyalty (BRLO). Aaker (1991) asserts that BRLO measures how closely a brand is connected to its customers. Consumers' BRLO indicates if they will switch to another brand if pricing or features change. BRLO refers to customers' persistent will to continue subscribing to or purchasing the product in the future with the same brand. It influences how susceptible customers are to shifting competition. Even if a brand is unavailable in the store, a customer is considered brand loyal if they do not simply switch to another one (Jalilvand et al., 2011). BRLO is generally understood to be a favorite for a brand higher than others currently available (Sharma et al., 2013). The behavioral, attitudinal, and choice components represent the three parts of BRLO by Javalgi and Moberg (1997).
In contrast to the behavioral component of BRLO, which focuses on how frequently a particular brand is purchased, the attitudinal component of BRLO combines the preferences and tendencies of customers toward the brand. The choice component of BRLO addresses both the motivations behind brand purchases and the variables influencing consumer choice. According to earlier research, BRLO can predict PIN and considerably impacts PIN (Gabriella and Sonny, 2021;Jalilvand et al., 2011;Rungsrisawat and Sirinapatpokin, 2019). The following hypothesis is put out in light of this: H4: There is a positive relationship between BRLO and PIN. Figure 1 depicts the suggested research model developed based on the premise above. Methodology and research methods. Consumers who purchased instant coffee in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, were investigated using a Google form and a convenience sampling methodology. To fit the research situation, the measuring indicators of the constructs from earlier studies were updated and adjusted. The indicators were scaled on a five-point Likert scale. Four BRAW indicators, four PEQU indicators, four BRAS indicators, four BRLO indicators, and three PIN indicators (from scholars, i.e., Calvo-Porral et al., 2015;Jalilvand et al., 2011;Lee and Leh, 2011;Santoso and Cahyadi, 2014) was amended for this study.
Furthermore, according to Fan et al. (2016), the sample size for this research should be at least 100 responses or five times the indicators in the construct under investigation. The lowest representative sample with 19 items to analyse is 19 x 5 = 95. Aside from that, the suggested research model will be tested utilizing the partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) through Smart PLS software. The suggested research model and the hypotheses were verified using the two steps described by Hair et al. (2021): 1. Evaluating the measurement model 2. Evaluating the structural model. The reasons for using the PLS-SEM method as it provides latent constructs that could be evaluated with one or more indicators, the ability to estimate very complex models with numerous variable and latent variables, prevents unnecessary small sample size issues, has less strict distributional assumptions for constructs, and manage formative estimation techniques (Henseler et al., 2009).
Results. 296 responses were acquired for data analysis after responses that lacked sufficient detail or answered the same questions were eliminated. The demographics of the population are presented in Table 1. Sources: compiled by the author.
As shown in Table 1, 188 male respondents (63.5%) and 108 female respondents (36.5%) are in the sample. 50.7% of the respondents are between the ages of 18 and 25 (150), 30.7% are between the ages of 26 and 35 (91), 14.2% are between the ages of 36 and 45 (42), and 4.4% are over 45 (13). 86 respondents, or 29.0%, reported monthly incomes of less than 5 million VND/month, 123 respondents (41.6%) between 5 and 10 million VND/month, 65 respondents (22.0%) between 11 and 20 million VND/month, and 22 respondents (7.4%) more than 20 million VND/month. Table 2 displays the factors' reliability and validity. As can be shown in Table 2, all variables' Cronbach alpha (α) values (from 0.819 to 0.881) and composite reliability (CR) indexes (from 0.822 to 0.886) above the threshold values of 0.7. As a result, the measures in the suggested model sufficiently reflect the variables' reliability (Henseler et al., 2016;Sarstedt et al., 2017). Additionally, the average variance extracted (AVE) from all variables exceeded 0.5 (0.647-0.738), and the outer loading of the variables' measurement indicators exceeded 0.7; as a result, the recommended model is sufficiently convergent validity. The relevant data is displayed in Table 3. The discriminant validity of the variables is supported by the fact that all square roots of AVEs (given in bold) are higher than the relationships between the variables (Fornell and Larcker, 1981;Henseler et al., 2016).

Sources: developed by the author based on SmartPLS output
Model of structural. Figure 2 shows these results. Table 4 indicated that the 552.694 Chi-square value was meaningful at the 0.05 level (p=0.00). The proposed research model's SRMR (Standardized root mean square residual) was used to determine how well it fit the data. When the SRMR was less than 0.08, a model has deemed a good match (Henseler et al., 2016). According to the study results in Table 4, the model had SRMR indices of 0.061 < 0.08. The proposed research model thus provides a good fit for the study's data. Furthermore, multicollinearity analysis showed that all VIF indexes were lower than the criterion of 5 (see Table 5).   Table 6 disclosed the results of the bootstrapping (5000 resamples) used to test the hypotheses for the suggested research model's association between the constructs revealed that the hypotheses H1 (β = 0.339, P = 0.000) H2 (β = 0.159, P = 0.001), H3 (β = 0.330, P = 0.000), and H4 (β = 0.208, P = 0.000) are statistically significant at the 0.05 level. Additionally, Figure 2's coefficient of determination (R square) for the structural model was 0.541, less than 0.67, which is considered to have a medium effect (Chin, 1998). It shows that BRAW, PEQU, BRAS, and BRLO were the four dimensions of BREQ that explained the 54.1% difference in clients' PIN.
Conclusions. While BREQ studies empirically on buy intentions of products like food, smartphones, green products, etc., are widely available, studies of BREQ on PIN to instant coffee are less common. To close this gap in the literature, this study aims to examine the impact of BREQ on PIN instant coffee empirically. Therefore, the theoretical implications of this study include the construction of a conceptual framework and the confirmation of the dimensions of BREQ on PIN to the instant coffee field. The findings showed that BREQ components were significantly positive on PIN. Specifically, BRAW and PIN have the most significant positive relationship. The finding is in line with Calvo-Porral et al. (2015) and Kyguoliene and Zikiene (2021). These authors confirmed that BRAW positively and directly influenced consumers' PIN, being the most component in BREQ increasing consumers' PIN. The outcome also showed that PEQU has positively impacted PIN. According to this finding, earlier research (e.g., Chahal et al., 2022;Jalilvand et al., 2011) also established that PEQU is a crucial influencer of PIN. The results also showed that BRAS has a favorable impact on PIN. According to earlier studies, BRAS is a significant element of PIN (e.g., Chahal et al., 2022;Jalilvand et al., 2011) that supports this conclusion. Likewise, the outcomes also demonstrated that BRLO has a favorable effect on PIN. Previous studies (e.g., Gabriella and Sonny, 2021;Jalilvand et al., 2011;Rungsrisawat and Sirinapatpokin, 2019) verify this idea BRLO is a significant factor in the PIN.
These results led to the conclusion that BRAW is the component of BREQ that most influence customers' PIN instant coffee. Therefore, managers of instant coffee must pay close attention to BRAW to increase customers' PINs. Managers should develop marketing strategies so that consumers are heard of, aware of their instant coffee brand, can tell it apart from its competitors, and can identify it from their instant coffee to increase BRAW. The more clients have BRAW of their instant coffee brand, the higher clients' PIN. The results also indicated that BRAS is the second strong factor influencing consumers' PIN instant coffee. Managers should therefore offer communication strategies to help customers remember, like, and feel secure consuming their brand of instant coffee. Customers who associate positively with the instant coffee brand are more likely to enhance PIN. The third significant element that significantly impacts PIN instant coffee is BRLO. Therefore, management should offer promotion plans to ensure that customers believe their brand of instant coffee is their first option, that they won't purchase another brand if their brand is offered at the store, and that they intend to keep doing so. Finally, a significant element that affects PIN instant coffee is PEQU. Therefore, managers need to develop marketing plans to help consumers understand that their brand of instant coffee is a dependable source of high-quality items.
Despite the significant findings, this study has some limitations. First, this study was limited to an empirical investigation of Ho Chi Minh City. Future research should expand this model to include other Vietnamese cities. Second, four components of BREQ were used in this model to explain the 54.1% variation in the instant coffee PIN. Therefore, future research should include other factors to explain the variation in the instant coffee PIN.
Conflicts of Interest: Authors declare no conflict of interest. Data Availability Statement: Not applicable. Informed Consent Statement: Not applicable.