Short answer

Focus on creating memorable and positive brand associations and ensuring high perceived quality to drive preference and experience, while leveraging brand awareness to build trust, which is the ultimate driver of brand equity.

Field
Innovation & Markets
Source
Innovative Marketing (2026)
Method
Quantitative Research
Sample
1,137 participants
Evidence
Strong effect

In highly competitive, low-switching-cost sectors like personal care, strategic brand associations are paramount for fostering preference, while brand awareness is crucial for establishing consumer trust. This innovation & markets research insight is drawn from a 2026 study published in Innovative Marketing. Using Quantitative research with 1,137 participants, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Focus on creating memorable and positive brand associations and ensuring high perceived quality to drive preference and experience, while leveraging brand awareness to build trust, which is the ultimate driver of brand equity.

Study
Innovation & MarketsNew This WeekStrong effect

Brand Associations Drive Preference, Awareness Builds Trust in Personal Care

In highly competitive, low-switching-cost sectors like personal care, strategic brand associations are paramount for fostering preference, while brand awareness is crucial for establishing consumer trust.

Innovative Marketing · 2026

01

Key Findings

  • 01Brand association had the strongest influence on brand preference.
  • 02Brand awareness had its highest effect on brand trust.
  • 03Perceived quality showed the strongest influence on brand experience.
  • 04Brand trust exerted the greatest influence on overall brand equity.
02

Application

Design takeaway

Focus on creating memorable and positive brand associations and ensuring high perceived quality to drive preference and experience, while leveraging brand awareness to build trust, which is the ultimate driver of brand equity.

How to apply

When developing new personal care products or rebranding existing ones, conduct research to understand current brand associations and awareness levels, and design marketing strategies to strengthen these elements and build trust.

Project actions

  • 01When researching a product, consider how brand elements like logos, taglines, and advertising contribute to associations and awareness.
  • 02Think about how user reviews and testimonials can influence perceived quality and brand trust.
03

Method & Evidence

AimTo empirically examine the determinants of consumer-based brand equity within the Indian FMCG personal care sector.
MethodQuantitative Research
ProcedureA structural equation model was developed and tested using Partial Least Squares (PLS-SEM) with primary data collected from consumers.
Sample1,137 participants
ContextFMCG Personal Care Sector (India)

Variables

IV["Brand association","Brand awareness","Perceived quality","Brand experience","Brand preference","Brand trust"]
DV["Consumer-based brand equity","Brand preference","Brand trust","Brand experience","Brand loyalty"]
CV["Product category (FMCG personal care)","Geographic region (India)"]
04

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

  • +Large sample size providing statistical power.
  • +Use of a robust statistical method (PLS-SEM) for complex relationships.

Limitations

It can be challenging to isolate the exact impact of each brand determinant on overall equity due to their interconnectedness.

Reliability & validity

The study reports acceptable model fit indices (SRMR, NFI) and strong statistical significance for all paths, suggesting good reliability and validity of the model and findings.

Think critically

How might the cultural context of India specifically influence the strength of these brand determinants compared to Western markets?

05

Design Principles

"Brand equity is built through a combination of cognitive drivers (awareness, association, quality) and experiential factors (experience, trust, preference), with trust being the most influential predictor of overall equity."

Understanding these core drivers allows design teams to focus marketing and product development efforts on building tangible connections and recognition. This is essential for differentiating products in crowded markets and cultivating long-term customer relationships.

06

What This Means for Your Design

In crowded markets like personal care, how people feel about your brand (associations) matters most for them to like it, and just knowing your brand exists (awareness) helps them trust it. Good quality makes the experience better, and trust is the biggest factor in making someone loyal to a brand.

How to use in your project

  • 1.Use the findings to justify design choices related to branding, marketing, and product positioning.
  • 2.Reference the study when discussing the importance of brand perception in relation to product success.
07

Add to My Project

08

Quick Cite

Paragraph starter

This research demonstrates that in competitive markets such as personal care, consumer-based brand equity is significantly influenced by brand associations and awareness, which in turn shape preference and trust. The findings underscore the importance of strategic branding efforts in driving consumer loyalty and market positioning.

09

Source

Innovative Marketing

Determinants of consumer-based brand equity in the FMCG personal care sector: An empirical PLS-SEM examination

journal · 2026

View source

Questions About This Research

What does the research say about brand associations drive preference, awareness builds trust in personal care?
Focus on creating memorable and positive brand associations and ensuring high perceived quality to drive preference and experience, while leveraging brand awareness to build trust, which is the ultimate driver of brand equity. Evidence: Innovative Marketing (2026).
Why does "Brand Associations Drive Preference, Awareness Builds Trust in Personal Care" matter for design?
Understanding these core drivers allows design teams to focus marketing and product development efforts on building tangible connections and recognition. This is essential for differentiating products in crowded markets and cultivating long-term customer relationships.
How can designers apply this research?
Focus on creating memorable and positive brand associations and ensuring high perceived quality to drive preference and experience, while leveraging brand awareness to build trust, which is the ultimate driver of brand equity.
What were the main findings?
Brand association had the strongest influence on brand preference.. Brand awareness had its highest effect on brand trust.. Perceived quality showed the strongest influence on brand experience.. Brand trust exerted the greatest influence on overall brand equity.
What research method was used?
Quantitative Research with 1,137 participants.
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2026 journal from Innovative Marketing.
What should I do differently in my next project?
When developing new personal care products or rebranding existing ones, conduct research to understand current brand associations and awareness levels, and design marketing strategies to strengthen these elements and build trust.
What are the limitations?
The study was conducted in the Indian market and may not be generalizable to other regions or product categories.