Оценка потребительского капитала бренда розничной сети «Лента»

Academic research in the field of marketing has repeatedly raised the question of the existence of added value for the consumer created by the product brand. Recently the scientific community has shown increased interest in the topic of the applicability of the brand concept to the retail chain trade. Researchers discovered the presence of added value created by the brand of the retail store in which the purchase was made.
In addition, it is necessary to note the importance of studying the phenomenon of retail brand equity in the FMCG retail market in Russia. The past year have brought unprecedented uncertainty, complexity and change to the retail industry. In the Coronavirus wake, some retailers thrived while others struggled to survive. This time retail sector is experiencing a tense period associated with the post-crisis state of the economy and, as a result, changes in consumer behaviour and preferences. The situation is aggravated by increased competition in the market, which uses both price and non-price methods to attract and retain consumers, so understanding customer expectations is extremely important for successful work in the market. There are fewer major players in the Russian FMCG market. It is enough to recall the last transactions of LENTA and Magnet. LENTA announced the purchase of the supermarket chain Billa, and Magnet announced its readiness to buy Dixy. And despite the fact that there are fewer major players on the market, new forms of interaction with consumers are emerging, such as FMCG door-to-door delivery services.
The relevance of this research work lies in the fact that due to the growth of retail chain trade in recent decades, companies need to increase brand equity. In practice, they are faced with the fact that in the Russian business literature, the number of works devoted to the study of the brand equity of a retail chain is very limited. At the same time, there are still differences in the opinions of the academic community on the formation of a single model structure for assessing the consumer-based brand equity. The formation of a single model will contribute to the possibility of making an assessment of the consumer-based brand equity. As part of this master thesis work, the LENTA retail chain was selected to evaluate the consumer-based brand equity, which over the past year, unlike its competitors, has shown a positive trend in increasing its market share through the acquisition of a large Finnish chain and the chain Billa.
The purpose of the master thesis work is to form a model of consumer-based brand equity. Based on this model, it is possible to assess the consumer-based brand equity of the retail chain brand LENTA.
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To achieve this goal, it is necessary to perform a number of tasks:
• To define the concept of brand equity, to identify its structure and assets;
• Learn the specifics of the brand in the service sector;
• Analyze existing models of consumer-based brand equity to identify key constructs;
• Identify the specifics of the Russian FMCG retail trade market;
• Consider a major player in the retail trade market LENTA;
• To form the final model of the consumer-based brand equity of retail chains. On the basis of the obtained relationships to determine the weights for each element of the consumer- based brand equity model of the retail network LENTA.
• Identify the limitations and offer practical recommendations for the model used to strengthen the retail chain’s consumer-based brand equity or to use assets more efficiently.
The object of the study is the models of consumer-based brand equity of retail chains, focused on the development of a comprehensive marketing strategy.
The subject of the study is the retail chain LENTA (hypermarket format). The main methods of this study are:
• A theoretical review of the literature for the study of existing approaches to the development of a brand equity model;
• An empirical method of conducting a survey that allows to collect primary data on consumer perception of brand equity;
• Statistical methods for checking the relationship between the elements of brand equity and obtaining a model based on them.
In general, the topic of consumer branding is quite developed, as you can find a significant number of articles in foreign sources devoted to this issue. However, it can be noted that there is a gap in research in the field of brand consumer equity, as the authors have differences opinions regarding a single model for measuring brand equity. This may be a sign of a change in the vision of the topic or a lack of integrity in the perception of the concept in the modern academic community. Moreover, most of the existing research focuses on the product or manufacturer of the brand, neglecting the unique characteristics of retail stores. If we talk about the retail aspect of
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brand equity, then only a small number of works are devoted to this issue. Since the work focuses on the domestic market, it should also be noted that in Russian sources there is a limited amount of research on the consumer-based brand equity of the retail chain brand.
The structure of the final qualification work is determined by the logic of the goals and objectives set for this research, and consists of three chapters that consistently disclose the results of the research obtained by the author. Thus, the following chapters are presented in this document:
Chapter 1: Brand equity and its assets
This chapter is a theoretical analysis of the literature, demonstrating the results of research on the consumer-based brand equity of retailers and the significant differences in the authors’ views on the assets that should be included in the brand equity structure.
Chapter 2: Overview of the Russian FMCG market
This chapter describes the current situation in the Russian FMCG market. Special attention is paid to the market trends that affect the strategic decisions of companies, including activities in the field of branding and working with the brand equity. This chapter also explains the choice of the LENTA retail chain as the subject of the study.
Chapter 3: Empirical research
In the last chapter, a number of hypotheses are formulated. On this basis factor and regression analyses are carried out. The structure of the model for assessing the consumer-based brand equity is formed, and weights for each element of the brand equity are derived using the example of LENTA hypermarkets. As a result, practical recommendations for the use of the model in management decisions are given, as well as limitations that need to be taken into account when conducting further research.