5. Conclusions and implications
5.1. Conclusions from a theoretical and empirical perspective
From the theoretical perspective, this study contributes to the existing literature about the conceptualization of brand equity as a multidimensional construct formed by two components, i.e. brand awareness and perceived brand quality, and influenced by brand image and indirectly by attitudes toward the brand. This contribution is important because of the limited number of studies that measure tourist destination brand equity because of the complexity of the issue. In addition, this study contributes to the literature on branding by showing that brand equity can be manipulated through associations that will affect attitudes toward the brand and a brand image while influencing brand equity. Thus, the present study establishes an alternative method to act on the constructs that influence brand equity.
The literature review shows how defining and measuring the constructs in a reflective and formative manner can be confusing. Most studies use reflective measurements (Tsai et al., 2013), and in some cases the possibility of using formative measurements to improve the specifications has not been evaluated (Gil-Saura et al., 2013). In this regard, some authors have reported problems derived from faulty specifications. To avoid these problems, careful consideration was made, research was conducted, and the decision to measure value in a formative manner was adopted. Indeed, brand equity is a secondorder construct with two first-order dimensions as formative indicators and the influence of attitudes toward the brand and brand image contributing to the creation of brand equity.
