Transformations  in
Business & Economics

SMARTPHONE BUYING BEHAVIORS IN A FRAMEWORK OF BRAND EXPERIENCE AND BRAND EQUITY
Saima Hussain, Rizwan Raheem Ahmed

ABSTRACT. A smartphone is a phenomenal technology that has become an integral part of society. The era of the technological embodiment has started revolutionising the systems of communication, collaboration, social networking, learning. The market is flooding with buyers and re-buyers from different parts of the world looking for brands. This study examines and verifies the significance of branding elements: brand experience, brand equity and brand mianzi in establishing rebuying intention of smartphones in the framework of the expectation confirmation theory. The research was based on the survey questionnaire; data was collected from the age group of 18 to 35 years residing in urban areas of Karachi Pakistan. A sample of 197 was coded in SPSS for initial analysis and MS Excel for Smart PLS 3.0. Results of the research indicate that brand experience and brand equity significantly contribute to the repurchase intention and loyalty with incumbent devices. However, contribution towards repurchase was stronger than the incumbent loyalty. The repurchase intention of a device can be triggered through brand experience, brand equity and customer satisfaction. Brand mianzi has emerged as a strong response variable, gadgets act as a face for consumers. The research theoretically contributes by identification of brand mianzi, and the improved explanatory power of expectation confirmation theory via brand elements.

KEYWORDS:  repurchase intention, smartphone, incumbent loyalty, brand experience, brand equity, brand mianzi.

JEL classification:  C12, M3, M37.