The gap between brand identify and perceived brand image the case of vietnam national university ho chi minh city

By calculating the level of alignment between brand image with brand identity in terms of six dimensions: brand physique, brand reputation, brand relevance, brand personality, brand perf

THE GAP BETWEEN BRAND IDENTITY AND PERCEIVED BRAND IMAGE: THE CASE OF VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY – HO CHI MINH CITY

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements of the Degree of

MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

THE GAP BETWEEN BRAND IDENTITY AND PERCEIVED BRAND IMAGE: THE CASE OF VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY – HO CHI

MINH CITY

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements of the Degree of

MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

Acknowledge

This thesis cannot be done without the support and encouragement of the people that I have benefited throughout the time of preparing and completing the work

First of all, I would like to express great thank to my advisor, Dr Nguyen Minh Ha, who days after days guides me the right way to complete my work Thanks

to his schedule of responding around 11 p.m or around 6 a.m., now I form a new habit for myself - mail checking right after getting up and being ready for work at the early morning

I am especially thankful to Dr Nguyen Quynh Mai, who gave me the very first and basic knowledge about research I always remember the days after evening class discussing with her about research until late even though instructing me is not her duty

I also thank to Dr Pham Hong Hoa for the time working with her in class and her advice for my postgraduate orientation

I really want to say thank to academic staff of School Business for their help arranging my final countdown

I really appreciate the students who were willing to response for my questionnaire Without their contribution, this work cannot complete

Thanks to my friends, my college with their support so that I can keep chasing this project

Last but not least, I own my family, my sister, and my brother a big debt Receiving the phone call from my brother after the day of proposal defense, I know the difficulties and challenges had just begun, but it does not mean I cannot make it

Le Thi Hai Yen – August 2014

Plagiarism Statements

I would like to declare that, apart from the acknowledged references, this thesis either does not use language, ideas, or other original material from anyone; or has not been previously submitted to any other educational and research programs or institutions I fully understand that any writings in this thesis contradicted to the above statement will automatically lead to the rejection from the MBA program at the International University – Vietnam National University Hochiminh City

Table of Contents

List of tables ix

List of figures x

Abbreviation xii

Abstract xiii

Chapter 1 1

INTRODUCTION 1

1.1 Background 1

1.2 Research objectives 2

1.3 Research questions 3

1.4 Scope and limitation of the study 3

1.5 Research methodology 4

1.6 Research significance 4

1.7 Research structure 5

Chapter 2 7

LITERATURE REVIEW 7

2.1 Concept definitions 7

2.1.1 Brand 7

2.1.2 Brand identity 8

2.1.2.1 Brand physique 10

2.1.2.2 Brand reputation 10

2.1.2.3 Brand relevance 10

2.1.2.4 Brand personality 10

2.1.2.5 Brand performance 11

2.1.2.6 Brand relationship 11

2.1.3 Brand image 11

2.2 Distinguish between brand identity and brand image 12

2.3 The gap existing between brand identity and brand image 13

2.4 Previous empirical studies 15

2.4.1 Coop‟s (2005) Brand Identity Construct Model 15

2.4.2 Ross and Harradine‟s (2011) prism map of brand identity and brand image 17

2.4.3 The differences of this study in comparisons with the previous studies

19

Chapter 3 21

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 21

3.1 Conceptual framework and hypothesis 21

3.1.1 Conceptual framework 21

3.1.2 Research hypotheses 23

3.2 Research design 23

3.3 Target population and sample 24

3.4 Data collection methods 25

3.5 Measurement 26

3.6 Questionnaire design 29

3.7 Survey response rate 31

3.8 Data analysis methodology 33

Chapter 4 34

DATA ANALYSIS AND EMPIRICAL FINDINGS 34

4.1 Descriptive Statistics 34

4.1.1 Academic level 34

4.1.2 Gender 35

4.1.3 City/province 36

4.1.4 Awareness of VNU-HCM system 37

4.1.5 Descriptive analysis of six dimensions 39

4.2 Reliability analysis 40

4.3 The gap between VNU-HCM brand identity and brand image 41

4.3.1 Overview of brand identity 41

4.3.1.1 Brand identity: Brand physique 42

4.3.1.2 Brand identity: Brand reputation 42

4.3.1.3 Brand identity: Brand relevance 43

4.3.1.4 Brand identity: Brand personality 44

4.3.1.5 Brand identity: Brand performance 44

4.3.1.6 Brand identity: Brand relationship 45

4.3.2 Overview of brand image 46

4.3.2.1 Brand image: Brand physique 46

4.3.2.2 Brand image: Brand reputation 47

4.3.2.3 Brand image: Brand relevance 48

4.3.2.4 Brand image: Brand personality 49

4.3.2.5 Brand image: Brand performance 50

4.3.2.6 Brand image: Brand relationship 51

4.3.3 Test the significant difference using one-sample t-test 52

4.3.4 Define the gap 54

4.3.5 Perceptual mapping the gap 58

Chapter 5 59

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 59

5.1 Summary 59

5.2 Main findings 60

5.2.1 The dimensions to measure VNU-HCM brand identity and brand image 60 5.2.2 Define the gap between VNU-HCM brand identity and brand image 61

5.3 Recommendations 62

5.3.1 Three dimensions that VNU-HCM should continue to develop 62

5.3.1.1 Brand relevance 62

5.3.1.2 Brand physique 62

5.3.1.3 Brand reputation 63

5.3.2 Three dimensions that VNU-HCM should for a better image 63

5.3.2.1 Brand performance 63

5.3.2.2 Brand personality 63

5.3.2.3 Brand relationship 63

5.3.3 Suggestion for further study 64

REFERENCE 65

APPENDICES 69

List of tables

Table 1: Conceptual definition of brand image 12

Table 2: Distinguish between brand identity and brand image 13

Table 3: Core brand identity variables and attributes 16

Table 4: Core brand identity variables and attributes (Coop, 2004) 27

Table 5: Survey response rate 31

Table 6: Academic level classification 34

Table 7: Gender frequency and percentage of respondent 35

Table 8: City and province frequency and percentage 37

Table 9: Awareness of respondents about VNU-HCM system 38

Table 10: Descriptive Statistics of six demensions 39

Table 11: Reliability test using Cronbach‟s Alpha coefficient 41

Table 12: VNU-HCM Brand identity score: Brand physique 42

Table 13: VNU-HCM Brand identity score: Brand reputation 43

Table 14: VNU-HCM Brand identity score: Brand relevance 43

Table 15: VNU-HCM Brand identity score: Brand personality 44

Table 16: VNU-HCM Brand identity score: Brand performance 45

Table 17: VNU-HCM Brand identity score: Brand relationship 45

Table 18: Significant difference testing 53

Table 19: Respondents' agreement with statements defining VNU-HCM brand image 55

Table 20: The gap between VNU-HCM brand identity and brand image (Mean) 58

List of figures

Figure 1: Six dimensions of brand identity (Kapferer, 2008) 9

Figure 2: Janonis‟s (2007) brand identity and brand image model 14

Figure 3: Key elements of corporate reputation (Chun, 2005) 14

Figure 4: Coop‟s (2005) Brand Identity Construct Model 17

Figure 5: Prism map of Tesco brand identity and brand image (Ross and Harradine, 2011) 18

Figure 6: Conceptual framework of the gap between brand identity and brand image 22

Figure 7: The structure of respondents according to University/Institution 32

Figure 8: Mean of each dimensions – Different perceived brand image between male and female 36

Figure 9: Mean of the awareness of VNU-HCM system - Differences among academic levels 38

Figure 10: Percentage of alignment between brand image and brand identity: Brand physique 46

Figure 11: Percentage of alignment between brand image and brand identity: Brand reputation 47

Figure 12: Percentage of alignment between brand image and brand identity: Brand relevance 48

Figure 13: The difference in perceive image of VNU-HCM competitive strength among academic levels by mean 49

Figure 14: Percentage of alignment between brand image and brand identity: Brand personality 50

Figure 15: Percentage of alignment between brand image and brand identity: Brand performance 51 Figure 16: Percentage of alignment between brand image and brand identity: Brand relationship 52 Figure 17: The prism map of the gap between brand identity and brand image 58

Abbreviation

ASEAN : The Association of Southeast Asian Nations

Abstract

This study aims to define whether there is a possible gap between brand identity and brand image of VNU-HCM By calculating the level of alignment between brand image with brand identity in terms of six dimensions: brand physique, brand reputation, brand relevance, brand personality, brand performance, brand relationship, it is revealed that the gap exists

The study applies the descriptive research methodology with quantitative approach The gap between brand identity and brand image then is described by visualized mapping The empirical findings of this study indicated that there are dimensions that VNU-HCM should continue to maintain or develop as well as there are dimensions that the brand should focus to narrow the gap

Keywords: brand identity, brand image, brand reputation, brand physique, brand relevance, brand personality, brand performance, brand relationship

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Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION

This chapter describes the background of the study including the problem that the brand Vietnam National University – Hochiminh City (VNU-HCM) is facing It also discusses the research objectives, research questions, methodology as well as the significance and structure of the study

1.1 Background

Recent years, the higher education sector in Vietnam has become more and more competitive Not just public sector supplies higher education service, now private sector also shows their strength in this field Almost reputed public universities are now well-known by the age or the time of their operation instead of their branding efforts And while many public universities seems to satisfy with available facilities, infrastructure, curriculum, staff, and other available conditions, they are lack of branding concentration which is done quite well by universities in private sector

Furthermore, after 2010 when Vietnam entered WTO, foreign investors have been allowed to invest 100% of capital in education sector as well as extension in investment

in international schools and universities (Decree 73/2012/ND-CP on the foreign cooperation and investment in education) Therefore, the private sector has become more

powerful in supplying higher education service RMIT (The Royal Melbourne Institute

of Technology University) is a specific example which has been carried out a lot of

branding activities After several years present at Vietnam, this brand name became well known as the qualified supplier of higher education

VNU-HCM is the system of universities, institutions and education centers that cover technology, natural sciences, basic sciences, social and humanity sciences, literature, foreign languages, medicine and business Between two biggest universities in Vietnam, VNU-HCM brand name should be popularized and developed with appropriate strategies However, stakeholders seem not to know well about the VNU-HCM rather

than the brand of each member university The research “The Gap Between Brand Identity And Perceived Brand Image: The Case of Vietnam National University – Ho

Chi Minh City aims to identify the gap between VNU-HCM brand identity and brand

image as well as give recommendations for strategists of VNU-HCM about brand positioning in order to leverage the VNU-HCM brand in the competition of higher education sector in Vietnam and ASEAN

1.2 Research objectives

The specific objectives of the study are:

- To find out whether there is a gap between VNU-HCM brand identity and perceived brand image;

- To measure the gap between VNU-HCM brand identity and perceived brand image;

- To define which attributes should be focused by the brand to narrow the gap;

- Based on the research findings, the study gives recommendations to committee of VNU-HCM to focus on building brand strategy in the next development period as well as further studies

1.3 Research questions

From the problem background, the study raises the below research questions:

- Which are dimensions to define VNU-HCM brand identity and brand image?

- Is there any possible gap between the VNU-HCM brand identity and brand image?

- How much is the gap between the VNU-HCM brand identity and brand image?

- What policy implications are proposed to narrow the gap?

1.4 Scope and limitation of the study

In terms of conceptual model, this study will define the possible gap between brand identity and brand image of VNU-HCM Due to the fact that brand image is perceived by customer and it originates from brand identity by the firm Accordingly, the brand image is measured through the attributes of brand identity

In terms of research population, this study considers current students at HCM, alumni of VNU-HCM, staff at VNU-HCM, highschool students (potential students), parents, and enterprise as its relating stakeholders However, the respondents are limited to current students and alumni segment due to the limitation of time and resources

VNU-1.5 Research methodology

The study follows descriptive research design with a quantitative approach Firstly,

a literature review will be carried out to get an overview of theoretical concepts about brand identity, brand image Secondly, the information of branding activities is collected Finally, a survey will be conducted with the questionnaire to measure the brand identity and brand image of VNU-HCM The study will show the description of VNU-HCM brand identity and brand image as well as discover the significant attributes that can enhance the brand development through the finding about the gap between VNU-HCM brand identity and brand image

This descriptive research uses convenience nonprobability sample method for gathering quantitative data The information is reached directly through questions/answer questionnaire or indirectly through online questionnaire by email and social media The questionnaire is designed with structured questions that require respondents to choose from a predetermined set of responses

1.7 Research structure

This study is divided into five chapters as follow:

Chapter 1 – Introduction - describes the background of the study including the problem

that the brand Vietnam National University – Hochiminh City (VNU-HCM) is facing It also discusses the research objectives, research questions, methodology as well as the significance and structure of the study

Chapter 2 - Literature Review - presents firstly the concept definitions related to

brand identity and brand image Then it discusses the difference between brand identity and brand image as well as the relationship between two constructs Finally, it reviews the previous empirical studies about brand identity and brand image

Chapter 3 – Research Methodology –discusses the conceptual framework as well

as forms the hypotheses of the study Afterward, the research design, target population and sampling, data collection methods, measurement, and questionnaire development are shown

Chapter 4 – Data Analysis and Findings – presents the quantitative research

analysis The data are analyzed using the tools including frequencies, percentages, means, cross-tabulation, Cronbach‟s Alpha reliability coefficient and t-test Firstly, it focuses on the descriptive statistics in which the demographic information of respondents is mentioned Then the reliability of the measurement and significant difference are tested After all, the chapter explores the empirical findings related to the gap of brand identity and brand image

Chapter 5 – Conclusion & Recommendations – focuses on discussion of empirical

findings Accordingly, the implication and recommendations are shown The

recommendation will be given to strategists of HCM to help leverage the

VNU-HCM brand in the competition of higher education sector in Vietnam and ASEAN

In 2003, Keller further defined that “a brand can be understood as something more than a product that can help the product to be different to others thanks to a set of dimension The differences can be rational and tangible or more symbolic, emotional, and intangible

2.1.2 Brand identity

According to Aaker (1996), brand identity is created by the brand strategists through brand associations representing what the brand stands for and considered as a promise implied by the organization/firm/company The relationship between the brand and customer may be generated through a value proposition related to functional, emotional, or self-expressive benefits Aaker (1996) described brand identity through twelve dimensions grouped into four perspectives: brand-as-product (product scope, product attributes, quality/value, uses, users, country of origin), brand-as-organization (organizational attributes, local versus global), brand-as-person (brand personality, brand-customer relationships), and brand-as-symbol (visual imagery/metaphors and brand heritage)

With a different point of view, Kapferer (1997) shapes the concept of brand identity through the following questions:

- What is the aim and individual vision of a brand?

- What makes a brand distinguished?

- How satisfaction could be achieved?

- What is brand‟s equity?

- What are brand competence, validity and legitimacy?

- What are the features of its recognition?

The author established the Brand Identity Prism Model in which brand identity can be defined by six aspects, namely (1) physique, (2) personality, (3) culture, (4) relationship, (5) reflection, and (6) self-image Those aspects represents the six facets of

the identity prism of the brand They belongs to two group of dimension which are

constructed source (physique, personality) vs constructed receiver (reflection, imge); and externalisation (physique, relationship, reflection) vs internalisation

self-(personaltity, culture, self-image)

Figure 1: Six dimensions of brand identity (Kapferer, 2008)

In 1999, De Chernatony redefined six components to describe brand identity: (1) brand‟s vision, (2) brand‟s culture, (3) brand‟s positioning, (4) brand‟s personality, (5) brand‟s relationship, and (6) brand‟s presentation The author measured those elements of brand identity and define a gap between brand identity and brand reputation of the firm Accordingly, De Chernatony (1999) indicated the gap could be narrowed down by brand strategics

2.1.2.1 Brand physique

Brand physique is a set of physique feature of brand and appears in customers‟ mind whenever the brand name is mentioned (Kapferer, 2003) It is shaped by the most tangible element of brand identity

2.1.2.2 Brand reputation

According to Fombrun and Rindova (1996), brand reputation is described as “a collective representation of a brand‟s past actions and results that describes the brand‟s ability to deliver valued outcomes to multiple stakeholders” Harris and De Chernatony (2001) further added that brand reputation can be the result from successful management of internal brand resources

2.1.2.3 Brand relevance

Brand relevance can be defined as “how well a brand „speaks‟ to individual audiences Therefore, brand should be created to fit with customers‟ needs and desires (Perry and Wismom, 2003) Consistent with this, Ind (2003) suggested that the values of brand brought to customers would be relevance to them

2.1.2.4 Brand personality

Southgate (1994) indicated that customers tend to be attracted by the brand with the characteristics like human beings This concept is related to the personality traits of the brand, the so-called emotional characteristics (Harris and De Chernatony, 2001)

Consistent with the previous authors, Kapferer (2004) further stated that the characteristics can be expressed through s specific style of writing, a certain kind of design features or specific colors schemes

2.1.2.5 Brand performance

Ebrahim et al (2012) suggested that brand performance expresses how successful

a brand gains in the market At the same time, the performance of brand could show how well the strategies that administrators propose

2.1.2.6 Brand relationship

De Chernatony (2007) suggested that interaction is the way enabling the brand and its customers to get to know each other Kapferer (2008) further indicated that the companies should focus on relationship aspect in their strategies in order to gain the success This is due to the fact that customers is definitely a part of the brand, so the connection between brand and customers should be set up (Lannon and Cooper, 1983)

2.1.3 Brand image

According to Park (1986), brand image was stated like a functional, symbolic and experience image The brand image is not just a simple phenomenon of understanding, affected by communication activity of the company Park also emphasized that it‟s the consumer understanding of complete brand set, developed by a company

Keller (1998) further added brand image is related to brand conception, relecting brand associations on customers‟ consciousness Aaker (2002) discussed the brand image

in terms of associations showing how the brand is conceived by a consumer Adopted a similar stance, brand image is defined as “a self which is considered from the position of other” (Hatch and Schultz, 2000)

Table 1: Conceptual definition of brand image Source Main meaning Conceptual definition

Associations How is the brand conceived by a consumer

(Source: Janonis et al., 2007)

Keller (1998) stressed that brand image is the brand association that come in mind when customer think of brand From that point of view, brand image is shaped by three brand associations including (1) strength, (2) favorability, and (3) uniqueness

2.2 Distinguish between brand identity and brand image

According to Aaker (1996), brand identity is how the company desires to be perceived while brand image is how the brand is perceived in reality

Consistent with the previous authors, Nandan (2004) further added that brand identity should be considered in terms of company focused while brand image should be considered in terms of target audiences focused (customers and other stakeholders) The author indicated that the brand identity is created by company through managerial activites to enhance the brand It‟s different from the brand image which is related to perceptions of the consumer The brand identity is encoded by „brand originator‟, and then it‟s decoded by „brand receiver‟ into brand image In this perspective, the identity of brand is sent, and the image of brand is perceived

Table 2: Distinguish between brand identity and brand image

Source/company focused Receiver/target audience focused

Created by managerial activities Created by perceptions of the consumer

Encoded by „brand originator‟ Decoded by „brand receiver‟

(Source: Nandan S., 2004)

2.3 The gap existing between brand identity and brand image

It is argued that brand identity is established from the view of company by brand strategists, so it seems to be more positive than perceived brand image by customers Consequently, a gap may exist between brand identity and brand image (Bromley, 1993)

De Chernatony (1999) developed the model of brand identity and brand reputation

in which brand identity consisted of six core components: (1) brand‟s vision, (2) brand‟s culture, (3) brand‟s positioning, (4) brand‟s personality, (5) brand‟s relationship, and (6) brand‟s presentation The brand reputation is perceived by customer The company can keep track of the brand reputation on customer‟s mind and then compare with the insights

of brand identity to figure out what changes should be focus in order to narrow the gap Keller (2003) further discussed that consumers can interpret the brand identity of the company and then translate it into an image of the brand Consistent with the conception, Janonis et al (2007), in the study of the relationship between brand identity and brand image in soft drink sector, discussed that the brand indentity can be managed The brand identity can be transfered to brand image for competitive advantage through suitable positioning strategies

Figure 2: Janonis’s (2007) brand identity and brand image model

Chun (2005) further stated that if considering identity as „what the company is”, the desired identity will be “what the company says it is” in which „others‟ means customers However, „what the others think it is” (the image) is not the same with „what the company says it is‟ (the identity) The author asserted that “it is not uncommon to see gaps between what an actual stakeholder perceives or experiences with a firm and what any mission and vision statements by the firm promise to them” The idea implied that there‟s a possible gap between identity and perceived image about the firm

Figure 3: Key elements of corporate reputation (Chun, 2005)

Concerning about the gap between two constructs, the authors highlighted that “if (external) image is the mirror of (internal) identity, managing image can be achieved in part by managing identity” Sääksjärvia and Samiee (2011) were in accord with previous authors through the result of a study of brand identity, brand image and brand reference

in the context of pure online (cyber) and offline-base extension retail brands that brand identity can be interpreted into successful brand image

2.4 Previous empirical studies

2.4.1 Coop’s (2005) Brand Identity Construct Model

In 2005, Coop mentioned that brand identity should be considered as a critical construct that extends far beyond the simplistic definitions of brand name, sign or logo Brand identity is related to psychological and emotional associations of the brand that the company strives to engrave in customer‟s mind The author developed a model namely Brand Identity Construct Model, the result of the empirical study in six market sectors including education, cosmetics, internet service providers, financials services, hair care providers, and cellphone providers Coop proposed five key dimensions of brand identity, which are (1) brand reputation, (2) brand relevance, (3) brand personality, (4) brand performance, and (5) brand relationship Specific attributes were then aligned to each of these dimensions

Table 3: Core brand identity variables and attributes

Brand reputation Trust in brand

Reliability of the brand Honesty of the brand communication strategists Heritage, legacy and tradition of the brand Clear communication message

Consistency – a clear brand identity to be communicated Credibility in advertising

Brand relevance Needs to be satisfied – and values addressed

Meaning fit of the brand Innovation and originality of the brand Academic value in harmony with customers‟ needs The brand is well accepted by customers

Brand personality Sincerity of the brand

Level of excitement created by the brand Competence reflected by the brand Sophistication and superiority of the brand Ruggedness and resilience of the brand Brand performance Exceeds expectations

Delivers on promises Delivers tangible benefits Reflects value for money Brand relationship Understand how customers feel

Customers will follow this brand for a long time Actively investigate what is important to customers Customers have to enjoy link to the brand

(Source: Coop, 2004)

Concerning the relationship between brand identity and brand image, Coop indicated that brand identity constructs as a driver of brand commitment The author also stressed that “strong brand identity will impacted directly upon the image of the brand”

and “the image to a large degree are the drivers of our psychological and emotional decision-making and long-term commitment to a brand.”

Figure 4: Coop’s (2005) Brand Identity Construct Model

2.4.2 Ross and Harradine’s (2011) prism map of brand identity and brand

image

In the study of the relationship between brand identity and brand image conducted

in fashion sector, Ross and Harradine (2011) utilized the measurement of Brand Identity Prism Model (Kapferer, 2008) The six dimensions with equivalent attributes as below:

- Physique (Recognizable logo, size/scale of retail outlets, convenience, broad range of products, geographic spread);

- Personality (market-leading, bringing fashion to wider audience, down to earth, family-oriented, cheerful and upbeat, fashion “brand of choice”, resilient and assertive);

- Relationship (shopper‟s friend, trust and caring, approachable, risk-free shopping, close bond via club card);

- Culture (“all things to all men”, green-based, proactive development culture, exploiting opportunities in IT/media);

- Self-image (“savvy consumer”, understands shopping at this level, confident, recognize demands on themselves in terms of time/money);

- Reflection (family shopper at all socio-economic levels, discerning, fashion conscious shopper, more upmarket than other shoppers)

Ross and Harradine (2011) indicated that there is “a potential gap between how a brand intends to be viewed by target customers and how it is actually perceived” which means the gap between brand identity and brand image By measuring brand image through six dimensions originated from brand identity, the gap between two constructs is defined and visualized by a prism map

Figure 5: Prism map of Tesco brand identity and brand image (Ross and Harradine, 2011)

Adapted from the empirical studies about brand identity and brand image, the

study “The Gap Between Brand Identity And Perceived Brand Image: The Case of Vietnam National University – Ho Chi Minh City (VNU-HCM) will measure and

visualize the gap between brand identity and brand image of VNU-HCM It will shape the conceptual framework with the approach adapted from Ross and Harradine (2011) and the measurement adapted and combined from the model of Coop (2005) and Kapferer (2003)

2.4.3 The differences of this study in comparisons with the previous studies

There are three main differences in comparisons with the previous studies

The first one is the industry: while prior ones carried out through six sectors including education, cosmetics, internet service providers, financials services, hair care providers, and cellphone providers (Coop, 2005) or fashion sector (Ross, 2011), this study focuses in the sector of higher education Therefore, the measurement is modified

to fit with a higher education brand

The second difference is the geography: the previous studies are conducted in Eurpore (United Kingdom) and Africa (South Africa) while this study is conducted in Asia (Hochiminh City of Vietnam)

The third difference is the paradigm: Coop‟s study focused on the brand commitment, using five key dimensions to measure brand identity; Ross and Harradine‟s (2011) study highlights the measurement of Kapferer (2003) with six dimensions and a visual map; this study utilizes the measurement adapted and combined from Kapferer (2003) and Coop (2005) as well as adopts the approach of Ross and Harradine (2011) that

measuring brand identity and brand image through the same measurement originated from brand identity, with the highest score is set for brand identity by default, then the survey will measure how well brand image is scored Accordingly, a prism map of the brand identity and brand image is created to visualize the gap between the two constructs

Chapter 3

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

At first, the chapter discusses the conceptual framework as well as forms the hypotheses of the study Afterward, the research design, target population and sampling, data collection methods, measurement, and questionnaire development are shown

3.1 Conceptual framework and hypothesis

3.1.1 Conceptual framework

Analyzing various approaches of the gap between brand identity and brand image, this study adapted the model of Coop (2005), Ross and Harradine (2011), and Kapferer (2003) due to the fact that those paradigms are appropriated to the education sector In the Brand Identity Construct Model, Coop used the attributes to measure brand identity in education sector as well as five others including cosmetics, internet service providers, financials services, hair care providers, and cellphone providers Hereby, brand identity is measured through five key dimensions: brand reputation, brand relevance, brand personality, brand performance, and brand relationship

According to Kapferer (2003), brand identity is shaped by six dimensions in to form the so-called six prism of brand identity Among them, brand physique is mentioned first and foremost as the basic of the brand Brand physique is a set of physique feature of brand and appears in customers‟ mind whenever the brand name is mentioned To discover brand physique, the questions following may be asked:

- What does the brand look like?

- What can a consumer do with it in terms of functionality?

- And how can it be recognized?

It is notable that a gap may exist between brand identity and brand image (Bromley, 1993) Besides, the perceived brand image should be compatible with the intended brand identity (Ross and Harradine, 2011) Consequently, the gap between brand identity and brand image is defined by their discrepancy, measured through brand attributes namely (1) physique (Kapferer, 2003), (2) brand reputation, (3) brand relevance, (4) brand personality, (5) brand performance, and (6) brand relationship (Coop, 2005) Accordingly, brand image is measured through six dimensions of brand identity at the same time As a result, a gap can be determined between the two constructs, brand identity and brand image

Figure 6: Conceptual framework of the gap between brand identity and brand image

Firstly, a literature review will be carried out to get an overview of theoretical concepts about brand identity, brand image Secondly, the information of branding activities is collected to give a genenral view of VNU-HCM brand Two above steps help

to define the questions that may be asked, information that should be gathered, and actual sample frame that may be used Finally, a survey will be conducted with the questionnaire to measure the brand identity and brand image of VNU-HCM The study will show the description of VNU-HCM brand identity and brand image as well as discover the significant attributes that can enhance the brand development through the finding about the gap between VNU-HCM brand identity and brand image

3.3 Target population and sample

Staff at VNU-HCM, current students at VNU-HCM, alumni, highschool students (potential students), parents, and enterprise will be considered as target population However, due to the limitation of conducting time as well as other resources, this study narrows the target population into two segments: current students and alumni

Current students belong to the segment which is possible to approach and well reflect the brand image of VNU-HCM This is almost the largest segment that the university administrators aim to communicate their brand identity Directly interact with university activities and directly perceive, they have actual experience with facets of brand identity that the brand wants to transfer The segment of alumni has broader features but at the same time, they were also students who had directly interaction with the university and their activities Therefore, these two groups of sample share almost the same characteristics that allow the study to approach conveniently as well as to explore the mainly perception of the target audience, how effective the brand identity is perceived (also mean brand image) by them

Concerning the respondents, there will be no limit to certain levels of gender, age, the years of education, the types of education, or students from any member universities

Where: n = sample size

N = number of population = 89,072

e = the standard error = 5%

3.4 Data collection methods

This descriptive research uses convenience nonprobability sample method for gathering quantitative data from sample The information is reached directly through questions/answer questionnaire or indirectly through online questionnaire by email and social media

Based on understanding from observing strategies and activities related to brand development at VNU-HCM through recent years and theories from literature review, the questionnaire is built up to survey the brand identity and brand image of VNU-HCM as well as to test the hypotheses between two constructs The questionnaire is designed with structured questions that require respondents to choose from a predetermined set of responses

Target respondents are students at six member universities of VNU-HCM including and other education institutions and centers