Measuring the Brand Personality of Non-Profit Organizations

EXTENDED ABSTRACT - Prior research regarding brand personality has focused primarily on the dimensions of brand personality of consumer goods and services in the for profit and governmental sectors. The measurement of brand personality has also been examined across various cultural contexts (Aaker 2000; Aaker, Benet-Martinez, Garolera 2001; Ferrandi, Florence, and Falcy 2000). These studies have established that there are consistencies in brand personality dimensions (Aaker 1997) by consumers across different cultures. This research extends the conceptualization and measurement of brand personality to the nonprofit sector.

Citation:

Beverly T. Venable, Gregory M. Rose, and Faye W. Gilbert (2003) ,"Measuring the Brand Personality of Non-Profit Organizations", in NA - Advances in Consumer Research Volume 30, eds. Punam Anand Keller and Dennis W. Rook, Valdosta, GA : Association for Consumer Research, Pages: 379-380.

Advances in Consumer Research Volume 30, 2003     Pages 379-380

MEASURING THE BRAND PERSONALITY OF NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS

Beverly T. Venable, East Carolina University

Gregory M. Rose, The University of Mississippi

Faye W. Gilbert, The University of Mississippi

EXTENDED ABSTRACT -

Prior research regarding brand personality has focused primarily on the dimensions of brand personality of consumer goods and services in the for profit and governmental sectors. The measurement of brand personality has also been examined across various cultural contexts (Aaker 2000; Aaker, Benet-Martinez, Garolera 2001; Ferrandi, Florence, and Falcy 2000). These studies have established that there are consistencies in brand personality dimensions (Aaker 1997) by consumers across different cultures. This research extends the conceptualization and measurement of brand personality to the nonprofit sector.

Initially, a discovery approach was taken and three qualitative studies were conducted to explore individuals’ perceptions of brand personality related to three different classifications or product categories of nonprofit organizations: health, environment/rights, arts/humanities. The results of these three studies indicated that people can differentiate between nonprofit organizations on the basis of human personality traits. Building on the outcomes of the qualitative studies, a quantitative approach was undertaken to empirically examine the brand personality dimensions of nonprofit organizations. This was done using the measurement of brand personality developed by Aaker (1997), items adapted from Green and Webb (1997) and the unique traits that were identified by the participant in the qualitative studies of this research.

Several major findings emerged from this process. First, the quantitative study supported what was indicated in the discovery phase, individuals can easily ascribe human personality traits to nonprofit organizations and that these associations vary across different product categories (the brand personality of the March of Dimes has traits that are unique of different from those of Public Broadcasting Services. Second, a five-factor structure of nonprofit brand personality emerged that included four of the five dimensions identified by Aaker (1997), Excitement, Competence, Sophistication, and Ruggedness), the fifth factor was Nurturing.

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