Purchase intension Customer preference

Brand awareness

Brand equity

Higher stock returns

Brand image Brand positioning Competitive advantage

This study focus on how the brand awareness has impact on brand equity. Brand awareness is the premise to building brand equity since brand name provides the memory nodes in consumers minds (Aaker, 1991). Positive service brand equity emerges from the synergy of brand awareness
and brand meaning. Berry (2000).

Keller (2003, p.76) defines awareness as the customers ability to recall and recognize the brand as reflected by their ability to identify the brand under different conditions and to link the brand name, logo, symbol, and so forth to certain associations in memory. Brand equity is the brand equity as the value of a brand to the firm (Simon and Sullivan, 1993), while
the later represents the value endowed by the brand to the customer (Aaker, 1991; Keller, 1998).

If the brand awareness has an impact on the brand equity, brand equity can result in purchase intension, customer preference, high stock returns, brand image, brand positioning, competitive advantage, (Aaker(1991), Kapferer1991), Keller(1992), Krishnan(1996), Mackey(2001), Agarwal & Rao(1996) However from market point of view market evidence shows there is no satisfactory profit level
Consumers buying decision is very complex. Usually purchasing intention is related with consumers behavior, perception and their attitude. Purchase behavior is an important key point for consumers during considering and evaluating of certain product (Keller, 2001). Ghosh (1990) stated that purchase intention is an effective tool use in predicting purchasing process. Once the consumers decide to purchase the product in certain store, they will be driven by their intention. However, purchase intention might be altered by the influence of price, quality perception and value perception (Zeithaml, 1988) and Grewal et al (1998). In addition, consumers will be interrupted by internal impulse and external environment during purchasing process. Their behavior will be driven by the physiological motivation that stimulates their respond which bring them to the retail store to fulfill their need (Kim and Jin, 2001). Asian Journal of Business and Management Sciences ISSN: 2047-2528 Vol. 2 No. 8 [73-90]

from the brand equity. ( ). Declining of the Brand equity does not imply there is a better level of brand awareness. How the determinants of Brand equity are Through all these factors have impact on brand equity, it is important to verify weather brand awareness has caused the decline in market profit. Therefore the studies mainly focus on the extent to which the brand awareness has the impact on Brand equity. Therefore the specific question is in does the brand awareness have relationship with Brand equity? in relation to the brand Airtel and in Batticaloa area.

HEADING: Does brand awareness has impact on brand equity

Brand awareness has a significant direct effect on purchase intention

Customer-based brand equity occurs when the consumer has a high level of awareness and familiarity with the brand and holds some strong, favorable, and unique brand associations in memory.