| Abstract [eng] |
81 pages, 8 tables, 5 figures, 188 references. The main purpose of this master's thesis is to determine how vertical expansion in the categories of hedonic and utilitarian goods affects brand trust. The thesis consists of three main parts: literature analysis, research and research results, conclusions and recommendations. The literature review section provides an overview of the concept of brand trust, the influence of perceived value, attitude, and experience variables on brand trust, as well as consumer behavior patterns, vertical integration, and the differences between hedonic and utilitarian goods groups. After conducting a literature review, the author determined how vertical expansion in the categories of hedonic and utilitarian goods influences brand trust. A total of 257 respondents answered the four questionnaires. The main purpose of the questionnaires was to find out how consumer trust in a brand changes when it vertically expands a new product into a higher or lower price segment in the hedonic and utilitarian goods groups. The results of the study were compared for both product groups and statistically processed using SPSS software. Kronbach's alpha coefficient was used to check the validity of the constructs, which was higher than 0.7 in all cases. Pearson's correlation coefficient and the variance inflation factor (VIF) test were used to determine whether there were any multicollinearity problems. The results of the study showed that brand trust decreased significantly in both the utilitarian and hedonic product groups. The most significant change was observed in the hedonistic brand Ben & Jerry's, where respondents' trust in the brand decreased significantly after its expansion into a higher price segment. The smallest change in trust was observed in the case of the utilitarian brand Colgate, which expanded vertically into a lower price segment. The conclusions and recommendations provide insights into the results of the study and their application in marketing. The author believes that the results of the study are important and useful for brand managers and marketing specialists in order to better understand consumer brand evaluation of trust after vertical expansion into hedonic or utilitarian product groups. |
