Abstract

The empirical study examines the Brisoux-Laroche Brand Categorization Model in the context of the brand choice in China fast-food market in Changsha, Chengdu, and Wuhan three cities and explore the nature of the consideration, hold, reject and foggy sets , in relation to making the brand selection process. It also provides some insights with respect to Chinese consumers' fast-food choice patterns, perceptions of their favourite restaurants, and the potential segments in the fast-food market. The results generally support the Brisoux-Laroche Brand Categorization Model by confirming the existence of four sets of brands, namely the consideration, reject, foggy, and hold sets , and the hypothesized profiles of the four sets in terms of four parameters (attitude toward brands, intention to purchase, amount of information used to evaluate brands, and the confidence of judging) on both aggregate and city level. In addition, by using factor analysis and cluster analysis, attributes influencing consumers' brand selection are discussed, four latent factors are identified, and five potential segments of fast-food consumers are suggested. Competition positions of main fast-food brands in each city are also illustrated in this report. The findings suggest that western-style fast-food establishments and domestic traditional Chinese fast-food chains are greatly differentiated from each other. To successfully compete, marketing managers in this sector need to understand and target different segments of customers and use appropriate strategies. Finally, suggestion for future research and the limitation of the present study are provided.