Factors Affecting Brand Image Improvement in the Automotive Industry

Abstract

This study aimed to identify and examine the factors affecting brand image improvement in the automotive industry from the perspective of automobile customers in Tehran. This applied quantitative study was conducted using a descriptive-correlational, cross-sectional survey design. The statistical population consisted of automobile customers, owners, and potential buyers in Tehran who had experience with domestic or foreign automotive brands. The final sample included 384 participants selected through convenience sampling from automobile dealerships, after-sales service centers, automobile exhibitions, and online automotive customer communities. Data were collected using a structured researcher-made questionnaire consisting of demographic items and 48 items measuring product quality, safety and technical performance, design attractiveness, innovation and technology, price fairness, after-sales service quality, customer relationship management, advertising and communication effectiveness, social responsibility, brand trust, perceived value, customer satisfaction, and brand image improvement. The validity of the instrument was confirmed through expert review and pilot testing, and its reliability was supported by Cronbach’s alpha coefficients. Data were analyzed using SPSS and AMOS through descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and structural equation modeling. The inferential findings showed that the proposed measurement and structural models had acceptable fit indices. Exploratory factor analysis extracted 13 factors explaining 68.84% of the total variance. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the adequacy of the measurement model, with χ²/df = 1.54, GFI = 0.902, CFI = 0.953, TLI = 0.947, IFI = 0.955, RMSEA = 0.037, and SRMR = 0.041. Structural equation modeling showed that all examined factors had positive and significant effects on brand image improvement. The strongest predictors were brand trust, customer satisfaction, product quality, after-sales service quality, and safety and technical performance. The final model explained 74% of the variance in brand image improvement. The findings indicate that automotive brand image improvement is a multidimensional process shaped by trust, satisfaction, quality, technical reliability, service performance, perceived value, innovation, customer relationships, communication, design, price fairness, and social responsibility.