Education-based heterogeneity in building CBBE at the Shanghai International Film Festival: A structural equation modeling study with dual mediations
Rao Quan and Zeng YizhouAfrican Educational Research Journal
Published: December 3 2025
Volume 13, Issue 4
Pages 507-528
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17801569
Abstract
This study investigates how education-based heterogeneity serves as a contextual boundary condition in shaping Consumer-Based Brand Equity (CBBE) in the context of the Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF). Grounded in Keller’s CBBE framework and the information-processing pathway perspective, an integrated model was developed linking five antecedents—Brand Image (BIE), Brand Awareness (BAS), Perceived Value (PVE), Service Quality (SQY), and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)—to CBBE through dual mediators, namely Customer Satisfaction (CSN) and Brand Trust (BTT), with educational heterogeneity introduced as a moderating variable. A total of 645 responses were collected via stratified random sampling (531 valid), combining online and offline channels. The measurements exhibited strong reliability and validity, and the SEM model fit indices were satisfactory (χ²/df = 1.993, CFI = 0.953, TLI = 0.950, RMSEA = 0.043). The results reveal two major findings. First, all five antecedents exert significant positive effects on CBBE through the dual mediation of CSN and BTT, confirming the robustness of the dual-path mechanism. Second, education-based heterogeneity demonstrates a selective yet substantive moderating effect: although no significant perception gaps were observed across most constructs (BAS, PVE, SQY, CSR, CSN, BTT, CBBE), a significant group difference emerged in Brand Image (BIE) (F = 2.911, p = 0.034). Participants with lower educational backgrounds rated BIE higher, suggesting stronger reliance on peripheral cues and experiential contexts, whereas those with higher education levels were more sensitive to content professionalism and thematic quality, forming judgments via the central processing route. Overall, the moderating effect of educational heterogeneity is empirically supported, particularly in the sensitivity variations along the BIE → (CSN/BTT) → CBBE pathway. From a managerial standpoint, differentiated branding strategies are recommended: for higher-education audiences, emphasize film-selection standards, artistic depth, and intellectual themes; for lower-education audiences, enhance immersive viewing, interactivity, and emotional storytelling. Meanwhile, maintaining consistent service quality and CSR initiatives should function as the foundation of trust and satisfaction across educational tiers, thereby strengthening overall CBBE.
Keywords: Shanghai International Film Festival, consumer-based brand equity, educational heterogeneity, moderating variable.
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