Research Issues in Building Brand Equity and Global Brands in the PC Market

Global brands and the building of brand equity in one of the most innovative business sectors, for the personal computer market, are examined within the context of the phenomenal growth of the IT industry. Research issues concerning data collection, timing and measures of brand performance for the pc market are discussed. These are important because the gathering and diagnosis of information about customer commitment to personal computer firms or their loyalty to brands give early warning signals to marketers about customer disaffections and defections. Account is taken of marketing communications for global brands by pc manufacturers to support their brands. The review of the literature showed problems in the assessment of a brand's strength, value and potential given the increased volume and diversity of market data and differences in interpretations. Qualitative and quantitative approaches are presented with examples of brand equity models and conclusions derived for managers researching and developing brands.