ABSTRACT This paper proposes an innovative method for estimating brand association matching and strength. It is based on a dual analytical perspective as it compares consumer-perceived with company-defined brand associations, thereby filling a research gap in the offline and online brand studies. In order to build this method, we investigate online communities as authentic interactive environments by combining text-mining with Hybrid Log-Linear models. What emerges is an interdisciplinary method that contributes to extending the use of the user-generated content (UGC) for marketing purposes. Its application is useful for verifying the conditions for customer brand equity and more systematically controlling the adopted brand communications. The analysis also takes into consideration consumers who, after experiencing the virtual setting, have become free-brand tellers and real co-creators of brand meaning. In the study, we focus on online fashion communities as digital platforms where consumer interactions are particularly intensive, and the narratives are rich in brand-related perceptions.

中文翻译：

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一种评估虚拟环境中品牌关联匹配和实力的综合方法

摘要本文提出了一种创新的方法来估计品牌联想匹配和实力。它基于双重分析的观点，将消费者的感知与公司定义的品牌关联进行比较，从而填补了离线和在线品牌研究中的研究空白。为了构建此方法，我们将文本挖掘与混合对数线性模型相结合，将在线社区调查为真实的交互环境。出现了一种跨学科的方法，该方法有助于将用户生成的内容（UGC）的使用扩展到营销目的。它的应用程序对于验证客户品牌资产的条件以及更系统地控制所采用的品牌传播非常有用。该分析还考虑了在经历虚拟设置后，已成为自由品牌的出纳员和品牌含义的真正共同创造者。在这项研究中，我们将在线时尚社区作为数字平台，其中消费者互动特别密集，并且叙述中充斥着与品牌相关的看法。