The Effects of Mental Image of Brands on Consumers’ Reluctance for Purchase in Gray Markets: A Case Study in Mobile Market In Hamadan Province

Abstract

Gray markets are the markets that have products with real brand names which can be only identified and defined through selling them in unauthorized channels. Gray markets imply distributing branded products by unauthorized individuals. In other words, gray markets are the markets in which entering the products to the market by the manufacturer is not planned. In this research, the hypothesis has been come up with studying the effects of mental image of brands on consumers’ reluctance to buy in gray markets of Mobile market in Hamadan Province using triangular mental image of brands of Yu et al (2000) and Nurjaya et al (2007) in which the mental image of brands variable is divided in to three factors, brand associations, brand differentiation and brand loyalty.  This research was done by using descriptive survey method in the statistical population of the study (including all mobile consumers in Hamadan province). The most important tools for collecting data was a questionnaire prepared and designed by using questionnaires in books, articles and websites and its reliability was equal to the 0.912 unit. The results showed that all the hypotheses were accepted. The analysis and comparison of the results of hypotheses test and the model of mental image brand indicated the main hypothesis brand image variable has a direct impact of 0.760 on consumers’ reluctance to buy in mobiles gray markets. And also, brand associations with a number equals to 0.710 unit has the most impact among the three factors of mental image of the brand on the consumer reluctance to buy in gray markets.