SERVBID: The development of a B2C service brand identity scale

Purpose: This paper re-conceptualizes and measures brand identity from a services perspective. It develops and tests a psychometrically valid and reliable scale to measure service brand identity.

Design/Methodology/Approach: A multi-stage research design was adopted drawing on qualitative and quantitative studies consistent with extant scale development procedures. Qualitative studies comprised comprehensive literature review, expert panel review and interviews to develop theoretical framework and generate items. Quantitative studies comprised pilot testing (n=106), online survey for scale development (n=245) and scale validation (n=246) on UK-based consumers using Exploratory and Confirmatory factor analysis.

Findings: The study finds support for a five-dimensional Service Brand Identity (SERVBID) scale comprising: process identity; organization identity; symbolic identity; servicescape identity; communication identity.

Practical Implications: The SERVBID scale provides practitioners with a practical tool to understand, benchmark and assess service brand identity. The scale will assist marketers in assessing the strength of brand identity overall as well as strength of individual facets of brand identity.

Originality/Value: This study provides a deeper and complete understanding of the theoretical construct of brand identity through a service-dominant lens, in particular recognizing the defining role of service process and servicescape in service brand identity construction.