The impact of brand knowledge on online purchase intention of Apple smartphones: As moderated by perceived trust and social commerce constructs

• Main Authors: Carandang, John Christian Linatoc, Raganas, Tiffany Cua, Reyes, Krissalie M., Sy, Nixon L.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2022
• Subjects: Brand choice; Halo effect (Brand choice); Electronic commerce; Marketing
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etdb_dsi/51; https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/context/etdb_dsi/article/1085/viewcontent/The_Impact_of_Brand_Knowledge_on_Online_Purchase_Intention_of_App2_Redacted.pdf
• Institution: De La Salle University

The smartphone industry is borne out of rapid technological innovation that strives to keep up with customer demands. Two major technological platforms dominate this space in the form of the Android and Apple operating systems. The former gives the user vast freedom in exploring the potential of their device through third-party applications, while the latter provides an exclusive and convenient user experience to make the technology accessible to all. Due to the technical complexity of these systems, brands on either side invested heavily on customer education through marketing. This study tried to evaluate if Apple succeeded in this regard. The foundational brand information knowledge of the customers was measured through the independent variable, brand knowledge and its effect on online purchase intention. In addition, moderating variables: perceived trust, forums and communities, and ratings and reviews were introduced to try and capture how customers seek out additional brand information. The research was designed to focus on the quantitative aspect of the variables, wherein stratified random sampling was used to acquire the necessary respondents from the sample. The research instrument was administered through an online questionnaire, disseminated through the social media platform Facebook. Based on the data, the findings of this research found that the relationship between brand knowledge and online purchase intention is significant, and it exhibits a positive relationship. However, only the moderating variable perceived trust demonstrated a significant moderating effect through a negative relationship. This result shows that the amount of brand knowledge possessed by customers helps in reducing perceived risk when purchasing on online platforms. In conclusion, having an extensive knowledge and familiarity with the brand reduces the need to consult third-party sources for additional brand information. However, if additional brand information is needed Apple users favor sources that reinforce their established brand preferences, such as ratings and reviews.