The Role of Brand Equity and Perceived Value for Stimulating Purchase Intention in B2C e-Commerce Web Sites

This paper attempts to clarify the underlying mechanism behind purchase decision on B2C e-commerce web sites. Research question of the study is to investigate the interaction between brand equity, perceived value and purchase intention in B2C e-commerce context by specifically questioning the direct and indirect effects within the process. Firstly, the hypotheses in the conceptual model were tested. Secondly, post-hoc analyses were conducted to clarify the mediator roles of perceived value and brand loyalty. Sub dimensions of brand equity are namely brand awareness, brand association and brand loyalty. As a result of post-hoc analyses, partial mediator roles of perceived value and brand loyalty have been proved for each variable. But the most prominent finding of this study is the disappearing of the relations between brand associations and brand loyalty and between perceived value and purchase intention after including all the variables into the global research model. This result, particularly, supported the joint mediator roles of perceived value and brand loyalty.