Exploration on factors influencing tea brand assets from the consumer perspective

Abstract

Amid diverse market competition and evolving consumer demands, the construction of tea brand assets has gradually garnered significant attention from enterprises. However, existing literature investigations reveal a scarcity of theoretical research focusing on Chinese tea brand assets from a consumer perspective; this will inevitably lead to a lack of theoretical experience support for tea brands in the practical process, affecting the construction of brand assets. This study aims to clarify the constituent factors of tea brand assets and explore the interrelationships among these factors. Through a comprehensive analysis of existing literature, the constituent factors of tea brand assets were identified. By formulating theoretical hypotheses, a model for tea brand assets was proposed and an assessment scale was developed. Subsequently, a questionnaire survey was conducted based on the scale, followed by a reliability and validity test of the data and model using factor analysis. The results demonstrate that tea brand assets from a consumer perspective consist of Brand Awareness, Brand Association, Perceived Quality, and Brand Loyalty, with interconnections among these factors that influence brand assets. Notably, there is a significant correlation between Brand Awareness and Brand Association, while Brand Awareness does not significantly affect Perceived Quality. Brand Association positively impacts Perceived Quality and Brand Loyalty. Both Brand Awareness and Perceived Quality significantly influence Brand Loyalty.

Keywords

tea industry consumer perspective brand assets brand loyalty brand awareness

Introduction

In the vast expanse of China, the rich tapestry of tea cultivation unfolds with deep historical roots. Tea, a cornerstone of China’s economic landscape, reigns supreme as one of its primary cash crops, consistently dominating global markets in annual production and trade. According to figures from the China Tea Marketing Association, the tea plantations in China sprawled across 49.95 million mu in 2022, a significant leap from the 39.09 million mu recorded in 2013. Embracing its legacy as a traditional stronghold, the tea gardens have witnessed a decade-long crescendo, with the plantation area showing a steadfast upward trajectory. Concurrently, the annual yield of Chinese tea surged from 1.89 million tons in 2013 to a remarkable 3.18 million tons in 2022. Amidst the global tea tapestry of 6.4 million tons in 2022, China stood regally at the helm, boasting of an impressive half share in the global tea bounty. This narrative is further elucidated in the detailed portrayal of the data encapsulated in Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 1.

Tea plantation area from 2013 to 2022, unit (10,000 Mu).

Figure 2.

Tea production from 2013 to 2022, unit (10,000 Tons).

The nation boasts vast tea plantation areas and a diverse array of tea varieties, such as West Lake Longjing, Anxi Tieguanyin, Wuyi Mountain Da Hong Pao, Yunnan Pu’er, Dongting Biluochun, Lu’an Guapian, and Huangshan Maofeng. Despite this rich tapestry, Chinese tea brands still face relatively low levels of global recognition in the competitive international market. This underscores a deficiency in the influencing power of Chinese tea industry brands. While China does possess some renowned tea brands, their international impact remains modest compared to globally recognized tea labels, showcasing lower product added value and insufficient market competitiveness.¹ According to Zhejiang University’s Report on the Brand Value Assessment of Chinese Tea Enterprises in 2023, the average brand value of the 141 tea brands evaluated in 2023 stood at 324 million RMB, with a median value of 197 million RMB. Sixty-six percent of the brand values fell below the average, indicating an overall low brand value with a higher proportion of medium and small brands. In the Brand Finance Global Food and Beverage Brand Value Report for 2023, the British tea beverage brand “Lipton” ranked 10th with a brand value of 3.021 billion USD, equivalent to approximately 21 billion RMB, nearly half of the total combined brand value of the 141 Chinese tea brands in 2023. In Zhejiang University’s “The 13th Annual Brand Value Assessment Report for Chinese Tea Enterprises in 2023,” the highest valued brand was “Wuyutai” at 1.756 billion RMB, less than a tenth of Lipton’s value. Despite both being century-old brands, what factors underline such a significant gap? During the Fourteenth Session of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference in March 2024, member Ye Zhengbo highlighted that “The market share of China’s independently branded tea exports has declined from 80% to approximately 10% in the international market, leading to a prolonged stagnation in export volume and prices. The evident weakening of competitive advantage in the international market underscores the primary challenge facing the Chinese tea industry as one of brand management.”

On a macro level, in December 2021, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China issued the “14th Five-Year Plan for National Crop Development,” outlining that during the “14th Five-Year Plan” period, China will orient itself towards market demand, accelerate variety breeding and the renovation of old tea gardens, integrate, and assemble a set of green and efficient technological models, promote standardized production, enhance quality and efficiency, and drive high-quality development of the tea industry. Emphasizing the pivotal role of tea enterprise brand construction, the plan sets forth tea industry brand development strategies, aiming to establish a tea industry brand construction system centered around brand management, brand communication, quality assurance, technological innovation, brand culture, and brand protection. Encouragement is given for conducting standardized brand-building service activities and developing a tea brand service platform; attention is directed towards protecting intangible assets like brands, strengthening supervision, and fostering a fair competitive environment. The plan also focuses on nurturing professional talents in tea brand construction to elevate the competence and quality of brand practitioners. In recent years, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs as well as relevant departments in various cities have introduced policies to support the development of the tea industry, as depicted in Tables 1 and 2.

Table 1.

National level policies.

Department	Time	Policy documents
Ministry of agriculture and rural affairs	July 2023	Opinions on Accelerating the High-Quality Development of Mechanization in Agricultural Product Primary Processing
	May 2023	Notice on Carrying Out the Cultivation of Fine Agricultural Brands
	February 2023	Ideas on Implementing the Implementation Opinions of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council on Comprehensive Promotion of Rural Revitalization Key Tasks
	June 2022	Agricultural Brand Cultivation Plan (2022–2025)
	August 2021	Notice on Holding the 19th China International Agricultural Products Fair
	August 2021	Replies to Proposal No. 0210 of the Fourth Session of the Thirteenth National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference
	March 2021	Implementation Plan for the Promotion of “Three Products and One Standard” in Agricultural Production
	February 2021	Ideas on Implementing Key Work Deployment of Agricultural and Rural Affairs by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council
	February 2018	Budgetary Quota Standards for Routine Monitoring of Agricultural Product Quality and Safety
	December 2017	Guiding Opinions on Mechanized Production Techniques in Tea Gardens
	October 2016	Opinions on Seizing Opportunities to Strengthen the Tea Industry

Table 2.

Policies by region.

Regions	Time	Policy documents
Jiangsu	2023	Guidelines for the Application of the Project of Changzhou City’s Characteristic Agriculture Production Full-cycle Mechanization Demonstration Base from 2023 to 2025
Yunnan	2022	14th Five-Year Plan for the High-Quality Development of the Manufacturing Industry
Jiangxi	2021	14th Five-Year Plan for Industrial Technological Innovation Development
Guangxi	2022	Guangxi Industrial and Informatization High-Quality Development 14th Five-Year Plan
Anhui	2021	Opinions on Promoting the Revitalization of the Tea Industry
Hubei	2021	Issuance of Work Plan for Nurturing and Strengthening Leading Agribusiness Industrialization Enterprises
Guizhou	2018	Opinions on Accelerating the Construction of a Strong Tea Industry Province
Fujian	2018	Notice on Eight Measures to Promote Green Development and Quality Enhancing Tea

Through various policy drives and the pioneering development of the tea industry, a number of regions in China have seen the emergence of tea brands endowed with sterling reputations and word-of-mouth acclaim. Representative brands include Yunnan Pu’er, West Lake Longjing, Anxi Tieguanyin from Fujian, and Dongting Biluochun from Hunan. These tea industry brands have become regional brand ambassadors, enjoying a certain level of recognition and esteem. However, in the Chinese market, many such tea industry brands with rich cultural histories are still categorized merely as “regional brands,” struggling to shed the label of being solely regional and venture into broader markets.

In China, while there is a plethora of tea industry brands, their overall brand influence and visibility remain relatively low. The level of standardization and scaling in tea gardens is not high, with most operations being led by small-scale farmers. This situation results in compromised quality, market competition chaos, and even instances of misrepresentation, diluting the authenticity of tea brands, thereby severely tarnishing their reputation.² These unfavorable market phenomena persistently constrain and impact the healthy development of the tea industry. Additionally, as the economy rapidly evolves, there has been a general increase in public awareness regarding health. Tea, as a healthful beverage, is becoming increasingly commonplace. The market is witnessing a proliferation of domestic and international tea brands, each innovating in production methods, product varieties, styles, and marketing strategies, creating a diverse landscape. The competition within the tea industry has transcended beyond mere product rivalry, ushering in a new era of brand competition.³

David A. Aaker posited that if a brand’s brand equity is under strain, the brand will inevitably invest more in promotional activities, primarily to maintain its position in the sales channels. This theory resonates with the current state of branding in the Chinese tea industry market. The significance of brand equity has long been recognized in the marketing realm, with consumers serving as the primary source of brand equity formation. Consumer perception plays a crucial role in shaping brand equity, and studying the factors influencing brand equity from a consumer perspective is advantageous for the development of tea industry branding assets.

Therefore, given the existing issues within the Chinese tea industry branding landscape and the current research status in this field, this paper endeavors to explore the factors influencing the construction of brand assets in the Chinese tea industry from a consumer perspective, based on brand asset theory. The aim is to construct a model of tea industry brand assets, develop a measurement scale, and analyze the interrelationships among various factors. The theoretical model and measurement scale derived from this study can serve as practical tools for the construction and enhancement of brand assets in the Chinese tea industry. Delving into the establishment of tea industry brand assets not only paves the way for regional brands to venture into a broader global arena but also offers profound theoretical and practical significance in guiding their strategic actions.

Brand assets

Concept of brand assets

Brand assets emerged as one of the most popular and potentially valuable marketing concepts in the 1980s. Brand assets not only create value for consumers but also generate value for businesses. Brand assets are the value a brand brings to consumers, derived from the enjoyment, positive attitudes, and behavioral preferences instilled by the brand.⁴ Kevin Lane Keller, in his seminal work on strategic brand management, incorporated the “associative network memory model” from cognitive psychology as a theoretical foundation. He asserted that consumers’ cognitive brand value is primarily formed through ongoing perceptions of brand information. According to his theory, consumers’ brand assets are “differentiated responses to brand marketing strategies in consumers’ minds,” and it is this “differentiated response” that leads to sustained profits for companies. Consumers engage in purchase behaviors because they perceive value in the product; only when consumers have a high perception of brand assets can strong purchase intent be generated for a product.⁵ Brand assets from a consumer perspective represent a genuine response to the implementation of brand marketing activities and serve as guidance for the future development of enterprise brands.⁶ Therefore, consumer brand perception forms a crucial foundation for brand asset formation.

Composition dimensions of brand assets

Up to now, the classic models of brand assets theory have been primarily formulated by David A. Aaker and Kevin Lane Keller. David A. Aaker categorized Brand Awareness, Brand Association, Perceived Quality, Brand Loyalty, and other brand-specific assets into five dimensions of brand assets. The first four dimensions reflect consumer perceptions of the brand, while the final dimension pertains to a company-centric perspective and is unrelated to consumers. Kevin Lane Keller emphasized that brand knowledge is pivotal in creating brand assets, comprising Brand Awareness and brand imagery, and he introduced the brand asset pyramid model. These classical brand theory models have provided scholars with effective and crucial references for research in the domain of brand assets, shaping numerous theoretical studies conducted to date.

Dimensions of brand assets in the tea industry

During preliminary investigations, it was noted that there is a scarcity of research literature concerning brand assets in the tea industry. In pursuit of solid foundations, efforts were made to gather empirical research studies on brand assets in the tea industry from recent years as a basis for theoretical construction. After organizing the keywords of 11 representative literature and calculating their frequency of occurrence. Brand Loyalty and brand reputation both represent loyalty, with a combined frequency of 10 occurrences. Brand recognition falls under Brand Awareness, resulting in a combined frequency of 10 occurrences. The concepts of perceived quality, brand perception,, and functional perception are synonymous and were merged into Perceived Quality, with a frequency of 9 occurrences. Regional associations and place of origin associations are both related to Brand Association, which was consolidated to Brand Association with a frequency of 8 occurrences. In consideration of the feasibility of future research, dimensions with lower frequencies were removed, leaving four prominent dimensions: Brand Loyalty, Brand Awareness, Perceived Quality, and Brand Association. Dimensions with higher frequencies are typically more representative and widely recognized. Thus, a preliminary understanding of the dimensions composing consumer perspectives on tea industry brand assets has been obtained, namely Brand Loyalty, Brand Awareness, Brand Association, and Perceived Quality, as illustrated in Table 3.

Table 3.

Dimension statistics.

Dimension	Frequency (occurrences)
Brand loyalty	10
Brand awareness	10
Perceived quality	9
Brand association	8

Assumptions, model construction, and scale development

Theoretical hypotheses

Brand Awareness is a measure of the strength of a brand in the minds of consumers. Brand Awareness of agricultural products is interdependent and mutually influential with regional associations. For instance, when discussing tea products with high Brand Awareness, consumers often associate them with the production region, the natural environment of the region, and its cultural aspects. For example, when Pu’er tea is mentioned, people naturally think of the unique natural environment, resources, and craftsmanship of Yunnan Province. Similarly, regions with unparalleled natural environments enhance consumers’ perception of the brand, thereby boosting Brand Awareness.⁷ Thus, hypothesis H1 is proposed, as shown in Table 4.

Table 4.

Hypotheses.

Hypotheses	Descriptions
H1	Brand awareness and brand association mutually influence each other.
H2	Brand awareness has a positive impact on perceived quality.
H3	Brand association has a positive impact on perceived quality.
H4	Brand association has a positive impact on brand loyalty.
H5	Brand awareness has a positive impact on brand loyalty.
H6	Perceived quality has a positive impact on brand loyalty.

Brand Awareness serves as a crucial cue for customers to predict product quality and is a significant factor influencing customers’ perception of quality. Brand Awareness as a primary driver of Perceived Quality, Consumers often rely on Brand Awareness to assess the quality of agricultural products, and Agricultural products with high Brand Awareness tend to be perceived as having higher quality compared to those with lower Brand Awareness. Thus, hypothesis H2 is proposed, as shown in Table 4.

When consumers make purchases, they frequently associate products with their places of origin. The development of regional characteristics in agricultural economies, such as superior growing environments, infrastructure, well-established market orders, and business environments, determines the inherent quality of regional agricultural brands.⁸ Consequently, hypothesis H3 is proposed, as depicted in Table 4.

Regional association represents the psychological effect of consumers’ perception of the production region of a brand’s products, primarily reflected in aspects such as Brand Association, awareness, reputation, and loyalty. Association with tea brand regions is crucial in consumer purchase decisions, requiring the generation of rich perceptions among consumers to cultivate comprehensive brand enthusiasm, which is the most significant influencing factor in Brand Loyalty formation.¹ Therefore, hypothesis H4 is presented, as outlined in Table 4.

Brand Awareness plays a positive and active role in fostering Brand Loyalty. Strong Brand Awareness enables consumers to distinguish the brand effectively from others, fostering feelings of familiarity and dependence that facilitate repeat purchases, ultimately cultivating Brand Loyalty, brand Awareness has a certain impact on Brand Loyalty.⁹ Hence, hypothesis H5 is posited, as detailed in Table 4.

Level of technological advancement in branded products directly influences consumers’ trust. The technological level not only positively affects consumer satisfaction but also plays a positive role in consumer loyalty.⁹ In an empirical study using Phuc Long’s Packaged Tea Products as an example, it was found that product quality perception has a significant impact on regional brand loyalty. Therefore, hypothesis H6 is proposed, as illustrated in Table 4.

Model construction

Drawing upon David A. Aaker and Kevin Lane Keller’s brand equity theory model, integrating the research findings of scholars, a consumer-centric dimension of tea industry brand assets is proposed and a tea industry brand asset model from the consumer perspective is established, as illustrated in Figure 3.

Figure 3.

Consumer-centric model of tea industry brand assets.

Scale development

In the aforementioned analysis, the influential factors are predominantly manifested across four dimensions. Therefore, the development of the scale primarily focuses on these four dimensions. The development of the scale combines the scale settings of existing empirical research, and makes adjustments to add or remove items based on actual situations, such as deleting and modifying items with complex content and unclear expression. As a result, a scale consisting of 16 measurement items across four dimensions was finalized. Refer to Table 5 for details.

Table 5.

Scale.

Dimensions	Code	Descriptions
Brand awareness	X11	The brand is familiar to me.
	X12	It is a renowned brand.
	X13	When tea is mentioned, this brand immediately comes to mind.
	X14	The brand is a success.
Brand association	X21	One can envision the natural environment where the brand’s tea is cultivated.
	X22	The region is highly conducive to the growth of this brand’s tea.
	X23	The brand’s tea planting and production processes are excellent.
	X24	The area is rich in green tea production.
Perceived quality	X31	The quality of the brand’s tea is reliable and safe.
	X32	The taste of the brand’s tea is exceptional.
	X33	The brand’s tea provides value for money.
	X34	The brand offers excellent service.
Brand loyalty	X41	When purchasing tea next time, this brand will be a primary consideration.
	X42	I Am willing to recommend this brand to others.
	X43	Even when there is little difference compared to other brands, I still prefer to choose this brand.
	X44	If the brand is temporarily out of stock, I am willing to wait.

Data source and analysis

Questionnaire design

Given the limited research on brand assets in the tea industry, this study referenced scales developed by Chen Lingwen and Zhao Longfei to create a scale comprising four dimensions and 16 measurement items. All items were measured using a five-point Likert scale (ranging from “Strongly Agree” to “Strongly Disagree,” with corresponding scores of 5, 4, 3, 2, 1).

Data collection

The data was obtained through questionnaire surveys distributed online. In this survey sample, males outnumbered females, indicating that men are more inclined to drink tea, with individuals aged between 40 and 50 accounting for 36.54% of the respondents. Employees from governmental and corporate sectors represented 39.75% of the sample; this indicates that tea is more popular among middle-aged people and office workers, while those with a monthly income ranging from 5000 to 10,000 RMB constituted 32.59%. Regarding educational attainment, individuals with undergraduate degrees accounted for 44.19%, from the perspective of monthly income and educational level, salary income does not affect people’s purchase of tea, and it is more common for people with higher educational levels to drink tea. The participants possessed a certain level of knowledge about tea brands, enabling them to articulate their perspectives. Notably, 46.66% of respondents reported regular tea consumption, enhancing the credibility of the survey. A total of 439 questionnaires were distributed during the survey process. After excluding 34 invalid responses, 405 valid questionnaires remained, resulting in an effective response rate of 92.25%. Refer to Table 6 for detailed information.

Table 6.

Samples.

Category	Items	Frequency	%
Gender	Male	296	73.08
Gender	Female	109	26.91
Age	20–30 years old	38	9.38
	30–40 years old	132	32.59
	40–50 years old	148	36.54
	50 years old and above	87	21.48
Occupation	Student	93	22.96
	Enterprise or organization	161	39.75
	Individual and freelancer	137	33.82
	Other	14	3.45
Monthly income (RMB)	Below 3000	117	28.88
	3000–5000	93	22.96
	5,000–10,000	132	32.59
	Above 10,000	63	15.55
Educational background	High school and below	135	33.33
	College	74	18.27
	Bachelor’s degree	179	44.19
	Master’s degree and above	17	4.19
Frequency of drinking tea	Regularly drink	189	46.66
	Occasionally drink	136	33.58
	Rarely drink	55	13.58
	Do not drink tea	25	6.17

Reliability analysis

Using SPSS statistical analysis software, a reliability analysis was conducted on the data collected from this questionnaire survey. The Cronbach’s a coefficients obtained were all above 0.8, indicating a high level of reliability and credibility in this survey. Refer to Table 7 for detailed results.

Table 7.

Reliability analysis.

Dimensions	Items	Cronbach’s alpha
Brand awareness	X11	0.815
	X12
	X13
	X14
Brand association	X21	0.813
	X22
	X23
	X24
Perceived quality	X31	0.826
	X32
	X33
	X34
Brand loyalty	X41	0.811
	X42
	X43
	X44

Validity analysis

Prior to conducting a factor analysis on the collected data, it is essential to assess the Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin (KMO) measure and perform Bartlett’s Test of Sphericity to determine the suitability for factor analysis. The KMO statistic obtained through analysis using SPSS software was 0.868, indicating that the data is suitable for factor analysis. Furthermore, Bartlett’s Test of Sphericity rejected the null hypothesis, suggesting a strong interrelationship among the variables. Refer to Table 8 for detailed information.

Table 8.

KMO values and Bartlett’s Sphericity test.

KMO		0.868
Bartlett’s sphericity test	Approximate chi-square	2677.510
	Degree of freedom	120
	Significance	0.000

Following the rotation of factors, a factor loading matrix was obtained. Variables X11-X14 exhibited high loadings on the first factor, hence, labeled as “Brand Awareness.” Variables X31-X34 showed significant loadings on the second factor, named as “Perceived Quality.” Variables X41-X44 demonstrated notable loadings on the third factor, labeled as “Brand Loyalty.” Lastly, variables X21-X24 were designated as “Brand Association.” The alignment with the expected dimensions confirms the strong construct validity of the measurement scale in this study. Refer to Table 9 for details.

Table 9.

Validity analysis.

	Dimensions
Factors	1	2	3	4
X13	0.860
X14	0.834
X12	0.823
X11	0.822
X33		0.834
X34		0.821
X31		0.825
X32		0.778
X44			0.808
X43			0.845
X42			0.797
X41			0.734
X24				0.841
X23				0.826
X21				0.777
X22				0.761

In Table 10, the value of X²/df is 1.445, which is below 3, indicating an excellent fit. The RMSEA is below 0.08, and RMR is below 0.05, both indicating ideal fit as well. Additionally, AGFI, GFI, NFI, IFI, RFI, and TLI all exceed 0.9, while PNFI, PGFI, and PCFI are above 0.5, falling within an acceptable range. Considering these factors collectively, the model exhibits excellent fit for Brand Awareness, Brand Association, Perceived Quality, and Brand Loyalty.

Table 10.

Construct validity.

	Fit index	Test results	Judgment
X²	The smaller, the better	141.372	Yes
X²/df	Between 1 and 3	1.445	Yes
RMR	<0.05	0.029	Yes
RMSEA	<0.08	0.035	Yes
AGFI	>0.9	0.937	Yes
GFI	>0.9	0.945	Yes
NFI	>0.9	0.948	Yes
IFI	>0.9	0.986	Yes
RFI	>0.9	0.937	Yes
TLI	>0.9	0.982	Yes
PNFI	>0.5	0.765	Yes
PGFI	>0.5	0.688	Yes
PCFI	>0.5	0.802	Yes

In Table 11, it is evident that all items corresponding to Brand Awareness, Brand Association, Perceived Quality, and Brand Loyalty have factor loadings exceeding 0.5, indicating a high level of representativeness for each latent variable. Furthermore, the Average Variance Extracted (AVE) for each latent variable exceeds 0.5, and the Composite Reliability (CR) surpasses 0.8, signifying ideal convergent validity.

Table 11.

Convergent validity.

Dimensions	Items	Standardized factor loading	AVE	CR
Brand awareness	X11	0.777	0.637	0.855
	X12	0.767
	X13	0.857
	X14	0.790
Brand association	X21	0.721	0.550	0.836
	X22	0.684
	X23	0.704
	X24	0.871
Perceived quality	X31	0.795	0.634	0.852
	X32	0.752
	X33	0.795
	X34	0.793
Brand loyalty	X41	0.780	0.600	0.843
	X42	0.743
	X43	0.795
	X44	0.779

From Table 12, it is apparent that the correlation coefficients between Brand Awareness, Brand Association, Perceived Quality, and Brand Loyalty are all smaller than the square root of their respective AVEs. This indicates a certain level of correlation between the latent variables while also maintaining a degree of distinctiveness, thus affirming the discriminant validity of the scale data.

Table 12.

Discriminant validity.

Dimensions	Brand awareness	Brand association	Perceived quality	Brand loyalty
Brand awareness	0.796
Brand association	0.312	0.747
Perceived quality	0.205	0.375	0.783
Brand loyalty	0.426	0.376	0.544	0.776

Note: The diagonal line is the square root of AVE corresponding to the dimension.

Correlation analysis

Upon conducting Pearson correlation coefficient tests, it is evident that there is a significant positive correlation between Brand Awareness and Brand Association with Perceived Quality and Brand Loyalty. As Brand Awareness and Brand Association increase, so do Perceived Quality and Brand Loyalty. There is also a significant positive correlation between Perceived Quality and Brand Loyalty; as Perceived Quality increases, Brand Loyalty also rises. This preliminary support for the relationships between variables allows for further hypothesis testing, as shown in Table 13.

Table 13.

Correlation analysis.

Dimensions	Brand awareness	Brand association	Perceived quality	Brand loyalty
Brand awareness	1
Brand association	.236^**	1
Perceived quality	.177^**	.316^**	1
Brand loyalty	.370^**	.303^**	.394^**	1

Structural equation modeling examination

The theoretical model of tea brand assets from a consumer perspective, as depicted in Figure 1, along with the proposed hypotheses, has been scrutinized using AMOS software. The results are delineated in Table 14.

Table 14.

Path coefficients of structural equation model.

Hypotheses	Paths			Coefficient	p
H1	Brand awareness	< >	Brand association	0.304	***
H2	Brand awareness	>	Perceived quality	0.102	0.102
H3	Brand association	>	Perceived quality	0.344	***
H4	Brand association	>	Brand loyalty	0.144	0.018
H5	Brand awareness	>	Brand loyalty	0.323	***
H6	Perceived quality	>	Brand loyalty	0.334	***

Table 15 reveals that there exists a significant correlation (p < 0.05) with a standardized coefficient of 0.304 between Brand Awareness and Brand Association in H1. In H3, it is evident that Brand Association significantly and positively influences Perceived Quality (p < 0.05), with a standardized coefficient of 0.344, indicating that higher Brand Association leads to increased Perceived Quality. Similarly, in H4, there is a significant positive impact of Brand Association on Brand Loyalty (p < 0.05), with a standardized coefficient of 0.144, signifying that higher Brand Association results in higher Brand Loyalty. Moreover, H5 demonstrates a significant positive effect of Brand Awareness on Brand Loyalty (p < 0.05) with a standardized coefficient of 0.323, showcasing that elevated Brand Awareness corresponds to increased Brand Loyalty. Lastly, H6 exhibits a significant positive influence of Perceived Quality on Brand Loyalty (p < 0.05) with a standardized coefficient of 0.334, suggesting that heightened Perceived Quality leads to higher Brand Loyalty.

Table 15.

Mediation test.

Paths	Effect size	Upper limit	Lower limit	p
Brand awareness > brand loyalty	0.323	0.214	0.418	0.000
Brand association > brand loyalty	0.144	0.019	0.268	0.025
Brand awareness > perceived quality > brand loyalty	0.035	−0.004	0.081	0.080
Brand association > perceived quality > brand loyalty	0.113	0.065	0.182	0.000

After conducting tests on six hypotheses, only hypothesis H2 did not pass the test, indicating that Brand Awareness does not have a significant positive impact on Perceived Quality (p > 0.05), with a standardized coefficient of 0.102. As illustrated in Figure 4, the dashed line represents the non-validated hypothesis.

Figure 4.

Influencing factors of tea brand equity from the perspective of consumers.

The Bootstrap test results in Table 15 indicate that the confidence intervals for Brand Association > Perceived Quality > Brand Loyalty do not contain 0. Furthermore, in terms of direct effects, the confidence intervals for Brand Association > Brand Loyalty do not encompass 0. Hence, it can be inferred that Perceived Quality partially mediates the relationship between Brand Association and Brand Loyalty. Conversely, the confidence intervals for Brand Awareness > Perceived Quality > Brand Loyalty include 0, suggesting that Perceived Quality does not act as a mediator between Brand Awareness and Brand Loyalty.

Conclusions and limitations

Conclusions

The examination of tea brand assets from a consumer perspective reveals that tea brand assets consist of four dimensions: Brand Awareness, Brand Association, Perceived Quality, and Brand Loyalty. These dimensions exhibit interrelationships, where positive Brand Associations can enhance consumers’ perceptions of tea product quality. There exists a significant correlation between Brand Awareness and Brand Association, indicating mutual influence between the two. The level of Brand Awareness does not directly impact consumers’ perceptions of quality. Perceived Quality serves as a partial mediator between Brand Association and Brand Loyalty, while it does not act as a mediator between Brand Awareness and Brand Loyalty. Consumer Brand Loyalty emerges as a core element of brand assets, with higher Brand Awareness, Brand Association, and Perceived Quality playing a positive role in boosting Brand Loyalty.

Limitations

Despite efforts to mitigate shortcomings during the research process, there are still certain limitations to acknowledge. First, due to a lack of comprehensive data, the available literature on tea-related brand assets is limited and lacks high authority. Hence, this study can only be considered a preliminary exploration in this field. Second, constrained by social relationships and resources, the sample coverage in the survey is not sufficiently broad. A more objective comparative analysis could be achieved by incorporating information from various tea production bases. Third, this study is conducted from a consumer perspective. Future research endeavors could consider incorporating an enterprise perspective to conduct a more comprehensive and systematic examination of brand asset development.

Footnotes

Funding

The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This work was financially supported by the doctoral research funding project “Brand Virtual Image Design” from Taiyuan Institute of Technology (Project Number 2023KJ051).

Declaration of conflicting interests

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

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Liang

, et al. The impact of cultural memory and cultural identity in the brand value of agricultural heritage: a moderated mediation model. Behav Sci 2023; 13(2): 79.

Quest

. Developing brand meaning theory: the interplay of tangible attributes and intangible associations in relation to local food brands. Eur J Mark 2023; 57(9): 2459–2485.

Huang

. The roles of social media and mutual relationships between travel attitudes and brand equity. Asia Pac J Market Lo 2024; 36(2): 390–407.