Presenting a Model of Brand Association Dimensions Effective on the Purchase Intention of Customers of Chain Stores in Tehran

The present research explores a practical model regarding the effect of brand association dimensions on customers' willingness to buy in chain stores.

In the qualitative part of the research, the grounded theory strategy was used to identify the main factors affecting it in the current state of the country, through individual unstructured interviews with scientific experts and specialists who were selected purposefully. necessary qualitative data were collected and qualitative data analysis was done through open coding, axial coding and selective coding. In the quantitative part, it was done by distributing a questionnaire (365 samples of customers by cluster method) in the statistical community of customers of chain stores.

The findings of the research show that In the qualitative dimension of the category "brand association creation in the mind of the customer" including the concepts of "benefits, characteristics and attitude" and 11 indicators, the category of "dimensions of brand association" includes the concepts of "brand favoritism, brand strength and brand uniqueness, brand uniqueness". and 10 indicators, the category of "customers' intention to buy" including the concepts of "behavioral intention and intention, habit, sensitivity to price and relational marketing" and 17 indicators, the category of "strategies to guide the consumer to purchase" including the concepts of "strengths in the store" , opportunities outside the store" and 18 indicators and categories "the effect of dimensions of brand association on consumer behavior (outcome)" including the concepts of "perceived risk, satisfaction, perceived trust, perceived usefulness, perceived behavioral control, brand loyalty and Perceived brand quality" and 28 indicators were identified and analyzed. In the quantitative aspect, the results of the data were tested in PLS3 software in the form of 7 main hypotheses and 8 sub-hypotheses, considering that the test statistic for all hypotheses is more than 1.96, therefore, all hypotheses except the main hypotheses 4 and 5 and 6 and sub-hypotheses 7 and 8 were confirmed.

"brand benefits, characteristics and attitude" have a positive effect on customers' purchase intention through the mediating variable of brand association.Also communication marketing is effective on consumer behavior through the balancing variable of strategies.