Consumer perception of brand equity based on environmental sustainability - development and validation of a scale

Abstract

Brands 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. The objective of this study was to investigate and develop the psychometric properties of precision and validity of a scale for brand evaluation equity based on environmental sustainability. The scale was validated by adopting the standards described in the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing APA. As samples for validation tests, eight companies were selected from those developing their sustainable business. The data were applied to 262 potential consumers. A scale with 22 items was constructed and validated, and after evaluation by the specialists, 22 items were obtained, divided into four dimensions: Brand quality perception — BQP (6 questions); Strategic Brand Positioning – SBP (10 questions); Willingness to purchase — WtB (3 questions) and Innovation in retail — INM (3 questions). Three items were modified because they presented the CVC at 0.8 and were accepted after the adjustments. The instrument items showed good internal consistency (0.877) regarding their domains. For DIF data, the scale invariably works for older and younger people for almost all items, except item INM 04. This article fills the gap in the literature by developing a scale to assess consumer perception of brand equity and environmental sustainability.