New research from national marketing agency Zion & Zion continues to deepen the understanding of quick service restaurant (QSR) brand personality measurement.
In the firm’s latest study, both confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and multiple regression analysis are performed to assess how well the three dimensions of brand personality appeal (clarity, favorability and originality) apply to QSR brands, and the role of clarity and originality in predicting a brand’s favorability.
“Brands put a tremendous amount of emphasis on being original.
Think of the efforts taken by Jack in the Box, Burger King, Chick-fil-A, etc., in order to stand out and differentiate themselves in consumers’ minds. The phrase, ‘we have to cut through the clutter’ and ‘we have to rise above the noise,’ resounds in QSR corporate headquarters across the land. However, our study shows that…clarity is more than twice as impactful on favorability than is originality,” the report reads.
“This suggests that while QSRs should indeed focus on originality, as it does impact favorability, they should also spend at least as much time making sure that their expression of originality is clear and well-understood by customers,” it concludes.
Some noteworthy findings of the study:
CFA reveals that the Brand Personality Appeal three-factor framework is remarkably valid for measuring QSR brand personalities.
- Multiple regression analysis indicates that clarity and originality together explain 75.8 percent of favorability.
- Clarity is more than twice as impactful on a brand’s favorability than is originality. This suggests that while differentiation is important, restaurant chains should consider spending more time on ensuring that consumers have a clear understanding of their brand.
According to the research, the analysis below, even when controlling for individual differences between restaurants, confirms the 2.4 times strength of clarity over originality as a predictor of favorability:
This Zion & Zion research study was based on a nationwide survey of 4,363 adults. Authors of the study are Aric Zion, MS and Thomas Hollmann, MBA, PhD.
