Digitalization and brand equity : a resource-based view perspective

Abstract

Drawing on the resource-based view (RBV), we propose that digitalization can enhance brand equity by facilitating information acquisition and dissemination. Using a panel dataset of Chinese listed firms from 2013 to 2020, we show that firm digitalization is positively associated with brand equity. We also find that resources related to international experience including CEO overseas experience and export intensity are complementary to digitalization in promoting brand equity, whereas marketing resources, such as CEO marketing background and advertising intensity are substitutive to digitalization. These findings provide novel insights into how firm digitalization contributes to brand building and how its effectiveness varies under distinct resource endowments.