Key Antecedents and Consequences of Rising Strategy ‘Consumer-Based Green Brand Equity’ in Automotive Sector

In this study, it is aimed to investigate the relationships between green brand image, green brand trust, green quality perception and green brand perceived value, which are accepted as antecedents of customer-based green brand equity in the literature and highlighted in the studies, and brand loyalty and positive word of mouth (WOM) which are evaluated as important consequence variables. In this sense, 300 usable data were collected by a questionnaire created within the framework of “Hybrid” car models of a well-known environmentally friendly brand from consumers over the age of 18 in Aksaray province according to the convenience sampling method based on the quantitative research approach. Data were tested by using Pearson Correlation, Partial Correlation, Simple Linear Regression and Multiple Regression analyzes. The findings revealed that respectively, according to the level of explanatory there were positively medium and high level significant relationships between green brand equity and green quality perception, green brand perceived value, green brand trust and green brand image, and all of these variables significantly predicted green brand equity. In addition to these direct relationships, the findings suggest that there is indirect relationships between green brand image and green brand equity mediated by “green brand trust”, and green brand image, green brand trust, green brand perceived value and green brand equity mediated by “green quality perception”. Also, it was found that there are positively high-level significant relationships between green brand equity and general brand loyalty and positive WOM inclination highlighted among the possible results of green brand equity in the literature, and green brand equity significantly predicted both consequence variables. These results are thought to contain important knowledge and clues for both conceptual literature and practice.