Consumer perception of brand equity based on environmental sustainability in the Amazon: development and validation of a scale

Abstract

Abstract PurposeBrands gradually became the core dimension and strategic asset of branding for organizations of all sizes, and today many companies adopt various forms of green marketing activities as part of their strategies. In this sense, this study aimed to develop and investigate the psychometric properties of precision and validity of a scale for brand evaluation equity based on the environmental sustainability of the Amazon in the Brazilian context.Design/methodology/approachThe scale was validated by adopting the norms described in the Standards standards. As samples for testing, eight companies from the Amazônia UP program participated in this research, having data interviews applied to 262 potential consumers.discoveriesA scale with 23 items was constructed and validated, and after evaluation by the specialists, 22 items were obtained, divided into four dimensions: Quality perception — POQ(5 questions); Strategic Brand Positioning – SBP (10 questions); Willingness to buy — WIB(2 questions) and Innovation in retail — BRI (4 questions). Three items were modified because they presented the CVC at 0.8, being accepted after the adjustments. The instrument items showed good internal consistency (0.877) regarding their domains. As for DIF data, the scale invariably works for older and younger people for almost all items, except item BRI 04.Research limitations/implicationsThis article fills the gap in the literature by developing a scale to assess consumer perception of brand equity and environmental sustainability. However, the findings are limited to the variation in the data collection since, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic period, most participants chose to fill in the scale online. Thus, the scale data are limited by the context in which the research was applied.practical implicationsThe development and subsequent validation of the contextualized psychometric scale fills an important gap in the academic literature, providing a better understanding of the perception of potential consumers about the brand. Sustainable brand equity that generalist scales could not measure. Likewise, the scale provides essential information for brand entrepreneurs who aim to develop their products sustainably, an important tool for managers to test and validate the extent to which new advertising materials demonstrate brand authenticity.Originality/ValueThe present study contributes to the directional and effective branding of brands related to environmental sustainability, mainly from tropical forests such as the Amazon rainforest. Furthermore, the findings suggest that the instrument developed and validated cross-culturally can be applied to potential consumers aged between 19 and 64 years of both sexes.