From brand awareness with brand association to brand advocacy in the food and beverage sector: the mediation role of brand equity

Abstract

Purpose: Empirical analysis strongly supported all hypothesized relationships. BAW was confirmed as the core cognitive building block, significantly influencing BAS and PQ. It also shows a direct salience-driven effect on BE. BE acts as a key mediator, positively affecting BADV and translating accumulated brand value into proactive consumer behavior. Design/methodology/approach: Using a quantitative approach, which combines a preliminary expert review for questionnaire contextualization with PLS-SEM, this study is based on cross-sectional survey responses from 422 consumers in Vietnam's food and beverage industry. Findings: Empirical analysis strongly supported all hypothesized relationships. BAW emerged as the primary cognitive driver, significantly affecting BAS and PQ while directly influencing BE through salience. Notably, BE serves as a key mediator, converting accumulated brand value into proactive consumer behavior and reinforcing BADV. Practical implications: Managers must follow the established sequence: initial resource allocation should establish salient BAW, then invest in improving BAS and providing reliable PQ to foster BE. BE should be monitored as a key management KPI because building equity is vital for securing the advocacy dividend needed for sustained growth in review-based markets. Originality/value: This study offers context-specific empirical validation of a hierarchical CBBE structure in Vietnam's F&B sector and clarifies how direct and mediated awareness effects coexist to influence advocacy within a platform-mediated market