Mapping the Client's Brand Associations Networks using Brand Concept Map (BCM) method. Case of Iranian Research Institute for Information Science and Technology (IRANDOC)

On of the key components of brand equity is associations that the consumers have about the brand and these associations will guide them to choose the brand. These associations usually are considered as an organized network involves models of gathering the networks in minds and determine the brand value for consumers as a brand image. The aim of doing this research is eliciting and mapping the network of IRANDOC (Iranian Research Institute for Information Science and Technology) associations from the perspective of its consumers. To reach this aim, at this research has been used a new method named Brand Concept Mapping (BCM) in order to eliciting brand associations concept map from consumers mind, aggregating individuals map and mapping a consensus brand map that has been obtained with one by one Interviews with clients and finally has been leaded to identify the clients perception of the IRANDOC. The statistical society of this research include all of peoples that recourse to the IRANDOC's search information forume for receiving research services and the sample for surveying has been choosed with convenience sampling method. Based on the finding, it is found that IRANDOC client's mental associations network involves central and desired associations such as “thesis internal database” and “suitable service offering”. Concidering the limitation of marketing research that has been done about the brand of institute that offering research services, understanding and managing the IRANDOC associations and key and latent factors that affect formation these associations in order to improve the service quality according them, cause improvement of IRANDOC image.