Discriminant analysis of Aaker's brand equity model on top-of-mind awareness/brand preference congruence in prospective hospital patients

This study examined Aaker's (1991) theory of brand equity and the influence the assets of brand equity (brand association, brand awareness, perceived quality, and brand loyalty) had on a prospective patient's top-of-mind awareness/brand preference (TOMA/BP) congruence of a hospital. Aaker's theory suggests that these assets are linked to the brand and add value to the product or service being offered.;The TOMA/BP congruence implies that a relationship exists between top-of-mind awareness (TOMA) and brand preference (BP) and seeks to answer the question: is the hospital that comes to the top of a patient's mind (after they experience, see, or hear about a hospital's brand, advertising message, or service) the one they would prefer to attend? For this study, TOMA refers to the first hospital brand that comes to the mind of a prospective patient after exposure to some type of representation of branding activities. Brand preference refers to a patient's preferred brand of a hospital or the hospital most likely to be chosen by the patient when a need arises. Since having TOMA does not necessarily mean a patient has BP, it was important in this study to test for the relationship.;Two hypotheses tested whether the assets of brand equity had a relationship with a prospective patient's TOMA/BP congruence. Both were tested using a final survey of 225 prospective new patients who recently moved to a medium-sized Midwestern city. Statistical analyses indicated support for both hypotheses, and results indicated that incorporation of Aaker's theory of brand equity would be significant in predicting a prospective patient's brand preference of a hospital.;Conclusions that can be drawn from this study are first, the theory of brand equity was supported. Second, the model introduced in the research worked in providing a means to predicting a prospective patient's brand preference of a hospital. Finally, it contributes to the research in marketing specifically in three areas: brand equity theory, the relationship between top-of-mind awareness and brand preference, and the field of hospital marketing.