品牌形象變化與消費者反應之間的非線性關係：以韓國流行音樂偶像團體為例

Abstract

品牌形象變化在進入到網路時代之後變得更加重要，由於網路的發達，使得消費者每天接收大量的資訊，也導致消費者的需求快速的變動。而為了滿足消費者的不斷產生的新需求，品牌商需要適時地改變自己的品牌形象，進而增加消費者對於該品牌的評價。然而，以往的研究只關心品牌是否需要變化，而沒有討論每次進行品牌形象改變時，改變的程度該如何決定。 因此，本篇論文探討品牌形象變化的程度與消費者反應之間的關係。本篇論文選擇韓國流行音樂的偶像團體作為論文的研究標的，以不同時期回歸的專輯曲風轉換當作品牌的形象變化，透過分析曲風轉換的程度以及使用韓國音樂節目排行榜的「觀眾偏好」項目分數作為粉絲對於該次回歸的反應，以迴歸模型來分析品牌形象變化程度與消費者反應之見是否存在關係。研究結果發現，適度的品牌形象變化有利於增加市場喜愛程度，但如果形象變化的程度過於極端，可能因為形象變化後的面貌與原先差距過大，反而會降低加市場喜愛程度。

Brand image change becomes more important nowadays because consumers receive much more information on Internet on a daily basis, so the new needs of consumers is formed rapidly. In order to fulfill the rapidly emerging needs, firms need to promptly change their brand images. However, although the brand evolution and brand extension literature has revealed possible consequences of brand image change, scant studies have investigated whether high, median, and low levels brand image change will differently affect market reaction. Based on the brand incongruity theory, the current research posits that the relationship between brand image change and market reaction follows an inverted U shape. This research studies the fan reaction toward the image change of Korean pop music idol groups. According to the results of an ordinary linear regression analysis, this research reveals an inverted U relationship between brand image change and market reaction. Besides, this research captures the extent of brand image change and gives the idol groups’ company a lesson that the idol groups should not change their images extremely but gradually change their images so that they can ensure their original fandoms.