"Nowadays, brand does not function as an identity or to differentiate of one product to others only. The branding has been extending in many product categories which are marketed to consumers. To offer their products, the producers can not rely on functional benefits only, but also needs to take the emotional approach to the consumers by the brand given. The approach to give the emotional benefit is through the personalities of the brand as human personalities, included to fashion products. The brand must appear as the consumers it self in order to gain the brand loyalty in long time.
The purpose of this research is to find out how the impact of brand personality to brand loyalty of the consumers of fashion brand Zara at Jakarta. In addition to know which dimension of brand personality is most influential to brand loyalty. This research also using Aaker?s dimensions of brand personality, sincerity; excitement; competence; and sophistication. Aaker?s theory about the benefit of brand (functional; emotional; and self-expressive) is used as the first step to refer the brand personality concept. The theories are used to measure the brand loyalty of the consumers based on Aaker?s and Peter and Olson?s measurement.
The approach used in this research is quantitative approach with descriptive as a type of research. In order to get the data that support this research, the writer using purposive sampling by distributed 23 questions related to the indicators from the dimensions stated above to 100 respondents in 5 locations (Zara?s store in Jakarta) with judgemental sampling. To find out the brand personality dimensions as independent variable to brand loyalty as dependent variable, the writer uses factor analysis and multiple regression in the measurement.
The finding of this research suggests that three of four dimensions which use in measurement, have significant positive impact to brand loyalty. And the result suggests that dimension of competence has biggest impact to brand loyalty than others dimension in brand personality. Besides, dimension of excitement has no impact to the brand loyalty.
This research also gives the managerial implications related to the result to Zara?s management, especially in Indonesia. The consumers did not fully aware and care about the competitive advantage which Zara offers, which most appear in dimension of excitement. So that Zara?s Indonesia should adopt the markets here better and more adaptive in the way to gain the brand loyalty of consumers. The best thing that Zara?s Indonesia can do is through the approach of characteristic, and also the culture of brand preference of Indonesian consumers."
Depok: Fakultas Ilmu Sosial dan Ilmu Politik Universitas Indonesia, 2008
