Factors Influencing the Success for Brand Value for Ford Motor Company

This research proposal aims to analyze the factors influencing the success for brand value for Ford Company in Australia operating in the automotive industry. The study will help in filling the literature gap existing by widening the scope of the concept of branding and its impact on business performance.

Running Head: FACTORS INFLUENCING THE SUCCESS FOR BRAND VALUE FOR FORD MOTOR COMPANY 1
Business Research Proposal on the Factors Influencing the Success for Brand Value For Ford
Motor Company
Name
Institution

FACTORS INFLUENCING THE SUCCESS FOR BRAND VALUE FOR FORD MOTOR COMPANY 2.
Table of Contents
Executive Summary.........................................................................................................................2
1.0 Introduction................................................................................................................................2
2.0 Detail description of the Research Problem Statement.............................................................3
3.0 Proposed Research aims and objectives....................................................................................4
Research Questions..........................................................................................................................6
4.0 Justification and Potential Output of the Research....................................................................6
5.0. Conceptual framework and hypothesis development...............................................................8
5.1Hypothesis Development..........................................................................................................10
6.0. Research Design and Methodology........................................................................................11
6.1. Research Approach and sources of data.............................................................................11
6.2. Proposed data collection and analysis techniques...............................................................11
6.3 Organization of the study.....................................................................................................12
Proposed Budget............................................................................................................................14
Gantt chart.....................................................................................................................................15
References......................................................................................................................................16

FACTORS INFLUENCING THE SUCCESS FOR BRAND VALUE FOR FORD MOTOR COMPANY 3.
Executive Summary
The development of a product branding strategies has become a vital marketing strategy for
many companies through creation of a company brand value. Brand value is used to measure the
financial worth of a business and it’s very useful in marketing of new product in the market.
With the rapid growth of the automobile industry, competition has also increased with companies
seeking to gain a competitive advantage in the industry though brand extension strategies which
enhance or promote the growth of brand value or quality. The purpose of this study is to develop
a research proposal that will aid in understanding the factors influencing the success of brand
value with special reference to the Ford Motor Company. the study will be limited only to the
scope of brand value and the influencing factors but will also expound on how these factors can
be used to enhance business productivity.
1.0 Introduction
Branding has emerged to be one of the most successful corporate strategies in the
growing and competitive business environments. Many corporate businesses have therefore
embraced the plan in almost all sectors as a way of building their business identity (Ramaswamy
& Ozcan, 2016). It is a strategy driven by the leadership and management of an organization
including the CEO along with the senior management and the marketing heads. The high
adoption and believe in branding in the modern corporate world is driven by the fact that there
have been well established proving the fact that it is possible for specific brands to make or break
in the markets. Brand value is defined as the financial worth of a company brand and in most

FACTORS INFLUENCING THE SUCCESS FOR BRAND VALUE FOR FORD MOTOR COMPANY 4.
cases is depended on the company reputation (Karababa & Kjeldgaard, 2014). The current
market leadership and profitability of individual companies globally have been realized through
the brand value. Lack of effective strategies for product development has led to the increased
failure of branding for most company products and services. In most cases launching of new
products is always seen as a desirable growth strategy however it has been attributed to many
market risks. Therefore various factors influence the success of brand value for any company.
The automotive industry has rapidly grown, and increased competition currently
characterizes the industry. The success of any company in the sector is depended on the
development of brands which are competitive, meet customer demands and needs (Huang &
Sarigöllü, 2014). Particularly in Australia, the industry has significantly grown concerning
competitiveness with essential companies developing or manufacturing quality brands and
increasing their innovative capacity to gain a competitive advantage. This study, therefore, aims
at providing an understanding of the factors influencing the success for brand value for Ford
Company in Australia.
The organization of this research proposal in terms of arrangement and analysis details
will include a number of chapters. The first chapter of the proposal will focus on a brief
introduction of the key issues covered in the analysis; Chapter 2 will be used to provide a
detailed research problem statement while Chapter 3 highlights the aims, objectives as well as
the research questions. Chapter 4 will provide a detailed analysis of justifications and the
potential outcomes of the research while Chapter 5 outlines the conceptual frameworks of the
proposed research as well as hypothesis development. Lastly, Chapter 6 which provides a
detailed analysis of the research methodology.

FACTORS INFLUENCING THE SUCCESS FOR BRAND VALUE FOR FORD MOTOR COMPANY 5.
2.0 Detail description of the Research Problem Statement
Brand Value is the financial worth of a brand and depends on the company reputation.
Every company has developed a strategy to successfully develop its brand value. However, for a
company to develop its brand value there is a need to understand the consumer perceptions about
the acceptability of brand extension (Luxton et al., 2015). Many managers have capitalized on
brand recognition, goodwill and any other positive associations to enhance their organizational
brand value. Therefore, the managers have adopted the recent popular approach of brand
extension as a strategy to reduce the risks involved in launching new products in the market.
Many scholars have therefore developed their studies surround the concepts of branding as a
marketing strategy and in providing understanding of how branding has become a new corporate
strategy to gain a competitive advantage in the modern competitive corporate world (Tajvidi et
al., 2017). Brand value and brand equity in many studies have been studied as one and the same
thing and their impact has considered being the same in growth and development of a business
strategy. Limited research has however been done to establish or analyze the factors influencing
the success for brand value in different companies. This research proposal is therefore aimed at
providing an understanding of the factors influencing the success of a business brand value. This
is because most organizations have not recognized the contributions of brand value to the
company financial performance and success of other products under the same brand (Merz et al.,
2018). The findings of the research will contribute greatly to improvement of management
decisions in developing their brand marketing strategies and contribute to increased brand value,
increased competitive advantage and productivity.

FACTORS INFLUENCING THE SUCCESS FOR BRAND VALUE FOR FORD MOTOR COMPANY 6.
3.0 Proposed Research aims and objectives
The main aim of this research is to analyze the factors influencing the success for brand
value for Ford Company in Australia operating in the automotive industry (Liu et al., 2017).
With the increased competition and growth of the automobile industry as well as increased
consumer demands on quality automobile products and services, there is a growing need for
companies to understand the factors influencing their brand value since these factors are critical
in determining the consumer perception on the company brand, influencing their consumption
behavior. Below are some of the factors influencing the success of company brand value or
brand equity.
Source; https://biggerlogos.wordpress.com/tag/factors-affecting-brand-value/
For active research development, the study will be guided by some objectives which will
help us get a deeper understanding of the concepts of brand equity and brand value as the new
corporate marketing strategies (Newman & Brucks, 2018). The first objective of the research is
to provide an understanding of the Ford Company brand value strategies or the current market
positioning of the company brand and its value in the Australian Automobile industry. The
research will also seek to determine the company strategies and how they are organized to

FACTORS INFLUENCING THE SUCCESS FOR BRAND VALUE FOR FORD MOTOR COMPANY 7.
sustain their leadership in the industry by enhancing their brand image and reputation. The reach
will also investigate the accounting of brand value under the company balance sheet and how
these factors are affecting the cost of the company productivity in the balance sheet (van Doorn
et al., 2017). Lastly, the research will also investigate the relationship between a company
reputation and brand value as well as the relationship between the company marketing strategies
and brand value.
Research Questions
RQ1. Does the company brand value determine the company competitiveness in the industry?
RQ2. Does the company reputation influence or determine the brand value?
RQ3. Does customers brand perceptions influence a company brand value?
RQ4. Does the perceived risk associated with a brand influence the brand value?
RQ5. Does a company innovativeness capacity influence the brand value?
4.0 Justification and Potential Output of the Research
Understanding the various market dynamics has become very significant in developing
effective brand marketing strategies. Researcher and scholars have engaged in analysis of the
current marketing strategies with more focus been designed around the social media marketing
strategy. The development of brand extension strategy which is based or grounded on the already
existing brand reputation has always been overlooked by many companies (Bravo et al., 2017).
Competitiveness in the industry and especially in the automotive industry has been a critical

FACTORS INFLUENCING THE SUCCESS FOR BRAND VALUE FOR FORD MOTOR COMPANY 8.
driver to development of effective strategies to remain competitive in the industry. Branding has
been embraced as the new corporate strategy by many businesses or organizations, but most
companies have not gotten deep into the analysis of the whole concept in a bid to understand
how they can utilize the strategy for their benefit by differentiating their products and services
(Vajarodaya & Fernando, 2017). This research will, therefore, be critical in helping us
understand the different factors influencing the success for brand value of the Ford Company and
how the elements can be analyzed to develop effective marketing strategies to enhance the
success of a company brand in the market. The research will help in filling the literature gap
existing by widening the scope of the concept of branding and its impact on business
performance (Aziz et al., 2017). It will help the management of the company as well as the
marketing department of the company to position them strategically by understanding the factors
influencing the success of their brands in the market and maximizing on the positive elements
and developing strategies to counter the risks associated with the negative influences.
The expected outcome of the research will be based on the findings guided by the
research questions. Through the research question the research proposal should be able to help us
understand the factors influencing the success of Ford Company brand value (Mohseni et al.,
2018). The research should also help us understand the different marketing strategies which can
be deployed by the company to influence the success of the company brand value in the
Australian Automobile industry. Lastly, the research should provide different marketing
strategies which can be used to develop the brand strategies such as brand extension strategy
which offers uniqueness than adoption of the most competitive social media marketing strategies
which each and every organization is trying to pursue. Below is a graph showing Ford Market
share in different markets;

FACTORS INFLUENCING THE SUCCESS FOR BRAND VALUE FOR FORD MOTOR COMPANY 9.
Figure2. Ford Motors Market Share; source; https://corporate.ford.com/company.html
5.0. Conceptual framework and hypothesis development
The development of a company brand value can be understood as the development of
strategies aimed at improving the worth of a company. This is because brand value which has
also been referred to as brand equity describes the financial worth of a company or a brand. The
development of a successful brand is depended on the reputation of the company. The success of
Ford Company brand has been influenced currently by the company marketing strategy (Barhorst
& Wilson, 2017). The company has been able to establish itself as a leader in the automobile
industry in Australia through innovative products and services to their customers. The
automobile industry has become very sensitive in that it offers exclusive services and the target
market for consumers is characterized with many factors which influence the consumer purchase
decision for a certain brand. In most cases the customers are more interested in the value they get
from their spending since automobiles are associated with some huge amount of spending. At

FACTORS INFLUENCING THE SUCCESS FOR BRAND VALUE FOR FORD MOTOR COMPANY 10.
other times the consumer purchase decisions are influenced by their friends since some make
decisions based on advice received from friends (Rahi et al., 2017). Therefore, due to these
factors, it is important for the management of the company to understand the different factors
influencing the success of the company brand among which include, the brand image, the
company reputation, the perceived similarity, the brand perceived risks as well as the
innovativeness of the brand. Developing a good strategy for these factors will provide the
company with a competitive advantage.
A brand value will grow based on the perceived similarity with other company brands. If
the company can build its reputation with the existing brand, then it becomes easy for other
brands to become successful on the market just because the consumers will be buying because of
the status or image established by prior brands (Raharjo & Amboningtyas, 2017). The consumers
are of the perception that the brand is similar to the previous brand or maybe a better version of
the other brand. Ford Company has been able to establish its reputation as a company that seeks
to deliver quality, safer and innovative cars and other automobile services to their customers. The
variety of their car brands can help you differentiate the brand from other car manufacturers
globally. Such reputation has therefore enhanced the brand value since the customers buying
from the company will in most cases be buying the company brand compared to the type of car
they are purchasing (Zablocki et al., 2017). Every brand is associated with specific risks; the
company aims to develop a brand that can minimize the risks incurred, and therefore the
perceived threat of the company brand determines its value. The brand with less risk will attract
more amounts in the markets compared to the brand associated with high risk.
Innovativeness of the company plays a significant role influencing the acceptability of
brand extension strategy. Ford Company has used the innovative approach to develop or

FACTORS INFLUENCING THE SUCCESS FOR BRAND VALUE FOR FORD MOTOR COMPANY 11.
manufacture quality car which will satisfy their customer demands. The company has invested in
innovation strategies which have also given the company a competitive advantage (Moin et al.,
20117). Innovation helps in the production of goods and services depending on the consumer
tastes and preferences. It, therefore, plays a vital role in influencing the success of a company
brand value. The company brand value has also been successful due to the company efforts to
develop innovative customer relationship strategies. This strategy was put in place after the
realization that most buyers spend more time talking to the dealers after they have purchased a
car. The company, therefore, developed various websites aimed at improving customer
relationships, providing solutions to customer questions (Iglesias et al., 2017). Customers will
buy more if their links with the company are useful and therefore the strategy helps in building
brand loyalty and contributing to the increased brand value.
5.1Hypothesis Development
Hypothesis 1 Ho; perceived brand similarity does not influence brand value
Ha; perceived brand similarity influence brand value
Hypothesis 2 Ho; brand reputation does not influence the company brand value through
brand extension strategy
Ha; brand reputation influence brand value through brand extension
strategy
Hypothesis 3 Ho; innovativeness does not influence brand value
Ha; innovativeness have great influence on brand value
Hypothesis 4 Ho; perceived risks associated with the brand does not influence brand
value

FACTORS INFLUENCING THE SUCCESS FOR BRAND VALUE FOR FORD MOTOR COMPANY 12.
Ha; perceived risks associated with the brand bears great impact on the
brand value
6.0. Research Design and Methodology
6.1. Research Approach and sources of data
Active development of this research proposal will require the use of both qualitative and
quantitative research approaches. The approaches used are dependent on the choice of the type of
data used in the study analysis whereby we use both numerical and non-numerical data. Both
primary and secondary data will be used in the development of the research proposal (Ong et al.,
2017). The primary data will be collected through interviews from the company staff and
customers while the secondary data will be received from journal articles, company publications
and other internet-based source materials for the development of the research project. Both
primary and secondary data collected will then be analyzed through the use of both qualitative
and quantitative data analysis techniques.
6.2. Proposed data collection and analysis techniques
Population
The target group for this research includes the staff working with the Ford Company, the
different company customers as well as the other bodies involved in branding or brand value
management. The population will be formed by a group of 100 participants who will participate

FACTORS INFLUENCING THE SUCCESS FOR BRAND VALUE FOR FORD MOTOR COMPANY 13.
in the interviews by providing their different insights on the factors influencing brand value. The
community will be divided into different groups based on their characteristics.
Sampling
The analysis and findings of this research proposal will employ the use of cluster sampling
technique as a tool for data analysis and decision making based on the reports of each cluster
findings. The cluster sampling will involve the classification of our sample population into
several cluster groups based on identifiable characteristics. Results from each sample cluster
group will then be analyzed against the results from other groups and the secondary data
information for making useful conclusions on the statement problem
Variables and Analysis
The primary objective of this research proposal is to analyze the factors influencing the success
of brand value for Ford Company. The analysis will involve the understanding of the company
dependent and depended on variables. The dependent variable, in this case, is the brand value for
the company while the independent variable is the factors influencing brand value for the
company. The useful analysis will employ the use of qualitative data obtained through interviews
and will be analyzed through the use of exploratory study while the quantitative data from the
secondary data sources will be examined through the use of correlation analysis techniques to
present facts and figures.
6.3 Organization of the study
Chapter one; outlines or describes the research proposal as provided in this assignment

FACTORS INFLUENCING THE SUCCESS FOR BRAND VALUE FOR FORD MOTOR COMPANY 14.
Chapter two; a description of brand value and the factors affecting or influencing the success of
the company brand
Chapter Three; will include the details of methodology – literature review, data series and
surveys (data collection methods), observing critical indicators of correlation and data analysis
methods.
Chapter Four; Provides a report of Findings and Analysis of the proposed research.
Chapter Five: provides a summary of the essential findings on the factors influencing the
success of the brand value for Ford Company

FACTORS INFLUENCING THE SUCCESS FOR BRAND VALUE FOR FORD MOTOR COMPANY 15.
Proposed Budget
A review of the budget for the proposed research development is illustrated below;
Proposed Task Estimated Amount required
Literature review $ 2000
Primary data collection and analysis $3000
Secondary data collection and analysis $ 3000
Total Estimated Budget $ 8000

FACTORS INFLUENCING THE SUCCESS FOR BRAND VALUE FOR FORD MOTOR COMPANY 16.
Gantt chart
May June July August Sept October
Project
Proposal
Literature
Review
Data
Collection
Data
Analysis
Final
Review
Submission
of Report
Closure

FACTORS INFLUENCING THE SUCCESS FOR BRAND VALUE FOR FORD MOTOR COMPANY 17.
References
Aziz, S. A., Jusoh, M. S., & Amlus, M. H. (2017). Investigating Critical Success Factors of
Brand Loyalty: A Meta-Data Analysis Approach. International Review of Management
and Marketing, 7(3).
B Barhorst, J., & Wilson, A. (2017). Retweeting brand experiences: factors motivating receivers
to proliferate brand image disruptions.
Bravo, R., Buil, I., de Chernatony, L., & Martínez, E. (2017). Brand Identity Management and
Corporate Social Responsibility: an analysis from employees’ perspective in the banking
sector. Journal of Business Economics and Management, 18(2), 241-257.
Huang, R., & Sarigöllü, E. (2014). How brand awareness relates to market outcome, brand
equity, and the marketing mix. In Fashion Branding and Consumer Behaviors (pp. 113-
132). Springer, New York, NY.
Iglesias, O., Markovic, S., Singh, J. J., & Sierra, V. (2017). Do customer perceptions of corporate
services brand ethicality improve brand equity? Considering the roles of brand heritage,
brand image, and recognition benefits. Journal of Business Ethics, 1-19.
Karababa, E., & Kjeldgaard, D. (2014). Value in marketing: Toward sociocultural perspectives.
Marketing Theory, 14(1), 119-127.
Liu, Y., Shankar, V., & Yun, W. (2017). Crisis management strategies and the long-term effects
of product recalls on firm value. Journal of Marketing, 81(5), 30-48.

FACTORS INFLUENCING THE SUCCESS FOR BRAND VALUE FOR FORD MOTOR COMPANY 18.
Luxton, S., Reid, M., & Mavondo, F. (2015). Integrated marketing communication capability
and brand performance. Journal of Advertising, 44(1), 37-46.
Merz, M. A., Zarantonello, L., & Grappi, S. (2018). How valuable are your customers in the
brand value co-creation process? The development of a Customer Co-Creation Value
(CCCV) scale. Journal of Business Research, 82, 79-89.
Mohseni, S., Jayashree, S., Rezaei, S., Kasim, A., & Okumus, F. (2018). Attracting tourists to
travel companies’ websites: the structural relationship between website brand, personal
value, shopping experience, perceived risk and purchase intention. Current Issues in
Tourism, 21(6), 616-645.
Moin, S., Baig, S., Iqbal, A., Aziz, Q., & Hussain, M. (2017). Impact of promotional mix on
customer based braned equity: Mediating effect of brand image a case study of beverage
industry in Pakistan. Int. J. Adv. Multidiscip. Res, 4(11), 18-27.
Newman, K. P., & Brucks, M. (2018). The Influence of Corporate Social Responsibility Efforts
on the Moral Behavior of High Self‐Brand Overlap Consumers. Journal of Consumer
Psychology, 28(2), 253-271.
Ong, K. S., Nguyen, B., & Syed Alwi, S. F. (2017). Consumer-based virtual brand personality
(CBVBP), customer satisfaction and brand loyalty in the online banking industry.
International Journal of Bank Marketing, 35(3), 370-390.
Raharjo, C. A., & Amboningtyas, D. (2017). The Effect Of Service Quality, Price And Brand
Image On Consumer Loyalty With Customer Satisfaction As Moderating On The Point"
Barokah" Sikopek. Journal of Management, 3(3).

FACTORS INFLUENCING THE SUCCESS FOR BRAND VALUE FOR FORD MOTOR COMPANY 19.
Rahi, S., Yasin, N. M., & Alnaser, F. M. (2017). Measuring The Role Of Website Design,
Assurance, Customer Service And Brand Image Towards Customer Loyalty And
Intention To Adopt Internet Banking. Journal of Internet Banking and Commerce,
22(S8).
Ramaswamy, V., & Ozcan, K. (2016). Brand value co-creation in a digitalized world: An
integrative framework and research implications. International Journal of Research in
Marketing, 33(1), 93-106.
Tajvidi, M., Wang, Y., Hajli, N., & Love, P. E. (2017). Brand value Co-creation in social
commerce: The role of interactivity, social support, and relationship quality. Computers
in Human Behavior.
Vajarodaya, C., & Fernando, M. S. C. L. (2017). Factors Influencing Purchase Intention towards
a Retail Clothing Company. International Research E-Journal on Business and
Economics, 3(1).
van Doorn, J., Onrust, M., Verhoef, P. C., & Bügel, M. S. (2017). The impact of corporate social
responsibility on customer attitudes and retention—the moderating role of brand success
indicators. Marketing Letters, 28(4), 607-619.
Zablocki, A., Schlegelmilch, B., & Schant, E. (2017, May). Customer-Based Brand Equity in the
Digital Age: Development of a Theoretical Framework: An Abstract. In Academy of
Marketing Science Annual Conference (pp. 741-742). Springer, Cham.