UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA
BRANDING OF FREE-TO-AIR TELEVISION STATIONS: FROM CUSTOMER-BASED TO AUDIENCE-
BASED BRAND EQUITY
ZAKARIA RAZALLI
Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
Faculty of Communication and Media Studies
March 2016
AUTHOR'S DECLARATION
I declare that the work in this thesis/dissertation was carried out in accordance with the regulations of Universiti Teknologi MARA. It is original and is the results of my own work, unless otherwise indicated or acknowledged as referenced work. This thesis has not been submitted to any other academic institution or non-academic institution for any degree or qualification.
I, hereby, acknowledge that I have been supplied with the Academic Rules and Regulations for Post Graduate, Universiti Teknologi MARA, regulating the conduct of my study and research.
Name of Student Student I.D. No.
Programme
Faculty Thesis
Signature of Students Date
Zakaria Razalli 2010666596
Doctor of Philosophy in Communication - MC990
Communications and Media Studies
Branding of Free-to-Air Television Stations:
From Customer-Based to Audience-Based Brand Equity.
March 2016
ABSTRACT
The concept of Customer Based Brand Equity (CBBE) was introduced in 1990's and since then there have been a few studies that apply the concept on television (TV) as media. Different characteristics of the business usually lead to different market structures at the industry level and in turn affect strategic choices at the firm's level.
Therefore, some scholars in the mass communication field pointed out of the need to study the applicability of brand equity constructs on broadcast television as a medium due to the unique nature of television as opposed to other products and services. This study seeks to examine comprehensively what drives brand equity in a TV media environment particularly for free-to-air TV channels and how it is operationalised among two key stakeholders, namely the channel management and the audience. The thesis has two parts. The qualitative part is essentially to find out how brand management is applied or implemented in relation to the uniqueness of television brands as opposed to normal products and services in building brand equity in Malaysia. The quantitative part is a survey among viewers to examine the interaction among antecedents and the formation of brand equity. A new term - Audience Based Brand Equity (ABBE) is coined to apply the concept of CBBE on media. The result of the qualitative study suggests that brand management of a TV station is more complicated than normal products and similarly the quantitative study also suggests that ABBE formation is different from CBBE formation. Conventional integrated marketing communications like advertising and public relations that are the thrust of brand management are found to be partial mediators for high brand equity station (TV3) but full mediators for lower brand equity station (ntv7).
IV
TABLE OF CONTENT
Page
CONFIRMATION BY PANEL OF EXAMINERS ii
AUTHOR'S DECLARATION iii
ABSTRACT iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENT v
TABLE OF CONTENTS vi
LIST OF TABLES xii LIST OF FIGURES xiv
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1
1.2 Background of the Study 1 1.2 Brand, Brand Management and Brand Equity 2
1.3 Brands as Assets 4 1.4 Brands in Malaysia. 5 1.5 Broadcasting at a Crossroad 7
1.6 Approach of the Thesis 8 1.7 Scope of Study and Point of Reference in Mass Communication 8
1.8 Definitions of Key Terms 9 1.9 TV Audience Measurement 11 1.10 The Malaysian TV Industy 12
1.11 Problem Statement 16 1.12 Objectives of this Research 18
1.13 Research Questions 19
CHAPTER TWO: CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK AND LITERATURE
2.32 Identity Approach 29 2.33 Consumer-Based Approach 30
2.34 Personality Approach 31 2.35 Relational Approach 32 2.36 Community Approach 33 2.37 Cultural Approach 33 2.4 The Concept of Brand Equity 34 2.5 The Concept of CBBE 37
2.51 Brand Awareness 3 9
2.52 Perceived quality 40 2.53 Brand Loyalty 41 2.54 Brand Image 42 2.55 Brand Associations 42 2.6 Channel Brand and Brand Equity 44 2.7 TV Channel Brand and Brand Positioning 45
2.8 Channel Brands and the Concept of Involvement 46 2.9 Product Brands, Service Brands, and Television Media Brands 47
2.10 Research on Brand Equity 49 2.11 Branding Research and Television Media 58
2.12 Marketing Mix and CBBE 63
2.12.1 Advertising 67 2.12.2 TV commercial 68
2.12.3 CSR 70 2.12.4 Event Marketing and Sponsorship 71
2.12.5 Celebrity Endorsement 72
2.12.6 Packaging 73 2.12.7 Other media - Newspaper, Radio, Newspaper, online, and outdoor 74
2.12.8 Integrated Marketing Communications 74 2.13 Audience-Based Brand Equity (ABBE) Conceptual Framework. 76
2.14 Marketing Mix of FTA TV Stations 79
2.14.1 Programming 79 2.14.2 On Air Promo Strategy 79
2.14.3 Off-Air Communications. 81 2.14.4 Personality Management 81
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