The THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DIGITALLY INTEGRATED INTERACTIVE BRAND COMMUNICATION AND ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE OF A CHINESE LEADING DOMESTIC DOWN COAT BRAND
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.60101/gbafr.2026.283720Keywords:
Digital transformation, Down coat industry, Brand strategy, China marketAbstract
Purpose - The objective of this research is to examine the effect of Digitally Integrated Interactive Brand Communication (DIIBC) on the organizational performance of leading domestic down coat brands in China. The study specifically aims to understand how traditional manufacturing industries can leverage digital transformation to enhance competitiveness and transition from lower-priced segments to premium market segments through strategic digital integration.
Methodology - The study utilized a non-probability sampling method collecting data from 400 respondents consisting of senior executives and department heads across 80 companies in the down coat industry in Jiangxi Province, China. Data was gathered via an online survey platform (WenJuanXing), supplemented by email and phone follow-ups. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS to conduct one-way ANOVA and multiple regression to test the relationships between demographic factors, DIIBC components, and organizational performance.
Results - The analysis provides strong empirical support for the positive impact of DIIBC on organizational performance, with the regression model explaining 98.9% of the variance (R² = 0.989). “Two-Way Interaction and Responsiveness” emerged as the most significant predictor of performance (β = 0.749), followed by “Personalization and Relevance” (β = 0.413). Additionally, the study found that different demographic factors-specifically gender, age, and job position-result in statistically significant differences in perceived organizational performance.
Implications - The findings suggest that traditional manufacturing firms should prioritize interactive and personalized digital communication strategies to achieve substantial performance benefits. Strategically, organizations should invest heavily in responsive, two-way communication channels (such as live-streaming and AI customer service) and develop sophisticated data analytics for customer personalization to remain competitive in an increasingly open and digital Chinese market.
Originality/Value - This research represents the first empirical test of the DIIBC construct within a traditional manufacturing sector, specifically the Chinese apparel industry. It extends digital transformation literature by validating that integrated digital communication is a critical mechanism for domestic brands to reposition themselves upmarket against international premium competitors.
References
Aaker, D. (2014). Aaker on Branding: 20 Principles That Drive Success. Morgan James Publishing.
Brodie, R. J., Ilic, A., Juric, B., & Hollebeek, L. (2013). Consumer engagement in a virtual brand community: An exploratory analysis. Journal of Business Research, 66(1), 105-114. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2011.07.029
Cochran, W. G. (1977). Sampling techniques (3rd ed.). John Wiley and Sons.
Cronbach L.J. (1951). Coefficient alpha and the internal structure of tests. Psychometrika, 16, 297-334.
Eccles, R. G., Ioannou, I., & Serafeim, G. (2014). The impact of corporate sustainability on organizational processes and performance. Management Science, 60(11), 2835-2857.
Guo, Q., Chen, M., & Ge, W. (2020). In-depth research report on down jacket industry: Hongyan elegant fashion enlightenment, the rise of the national tide has a long way to go. Qianzhan Industry Research Institute, Huachuang securities. https://www.vzkoo.com/doc/8498.html?a=4
Harrigan, P., Evers, U., Miles, M., & Daly, T. (2017). Customer engagement with tourism social media brands. Tourism Management, 59, 597-609. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2016.09.015
Hollebeek, L. D., & Macky, K. (2019). Digital content marketing’s role in fostering consumer engagement, trust, and value: framework, fundamental propositions, and implications. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 45(1), 27-41. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intmar.2018.07.003
Hollebeek, L. D., Glynn, M. S., & Brodie, R. J. (2014). Consumer brand engagement in social media: Conceptualization, scale development and validation. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 28(2), 149-165. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intmar.2013.12.002
Kaplan, R. S., & Norton, D. P. (1992). The balanced scorecard-measures that drive performance. Harvard Business Review, 70(1), 71-79.
Kitchen, P. J., & Burgmann, I. (2010). Integrated Marketing Communication. In Wiley International Encyclopedia of Marketing (eds J. Sheth and N. Malhotra). https://doi.org/10.1002/9781444316568.wiem04001
Kumar, V., & Reinartz, W. (2016). Creating enduring customer value. Journal of Marketing, 80(6), 36-68. https://doi.org/10.1509/jm.15.0414
Min, S., & Chaiprasit, K. (2024). A study on the relationship among DIIBC, brand value, and the organizational performance of a China’s domestic down coat leadership brand. Journal of Infrastructure, Policy and Development, 8(7), 3545. https://doi.org/10.24294/jipd.v8i7.3545
Nually J.C., & Bernstein, I. H. (1994). Psychometric theory (3rd ed.). McGraw-Hill.
Nunnally J. C. (1978). Psychometric theory (2nd ed.). McGraw-Hill.
Pulizzi, J. (2012). The rise of storytelling as the new marketing. Publishing Research Quarterly, 28(2), 116-123. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12109-012-9264-5
Richard, P. J., Devinney, T. M., Yip, G. S., & Johnson, G. (2009). Measuring organizational performance: Towards methodological best practice. Journal of Management, 35(3), 718-804. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206308330560
Schultz, D. E., & Kitchen, P. J. (2000). Communicating globally: An integrated marketing approach. Palgrave Macmillan.
Venkatraman, N., & Ramanujam, V. (1986). Measurement of business performance in strategy research: A comparison of approaches. Academy of Management Review, 11(4), 801-814. https://doi.org/10.2307/258398
Verhoef, P. C., Lemon, K. N., Parasuraman, A., Roggeveen, A., Tsiros, M., & Schlesinger, L. A. (2009). Customer experience creation: Determinants, dynamics and management strategies. Journal of Retailing, 85(1), 31-41. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretai.2008.11.001
Yan, Y. (2023). The impact of digital marketing on corporate performance. Vitality, 41(22), 94-96.
Yang, Y. (2024). Application and effect analysis of digital marketing in brand promotion. Time-honored Brand Marketing, (07), 31-33.
Yu, C, Li, F., Xue, L, & Chen, H. (2012) Case study on the influencing factors of successful brand extension in the Chinese context. Management World, (06), 147-162. https://doi.org/10.19744/j.cnki.11-1235/f.2012.06.013
Zheng, W., & Lian, Z. (2017). Brand Value Cocreation and Brand Performance. In Proceedings of the 2017 International Conference on Innovations in Economic Management and Social Science (pp. 775-781). https://doi.org/10.2991/iemss-17.2017.151
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Faculty of Business Administration, Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
