Academic-Based Service Brand: Analisis Brand Equity Laboratorium Fakultas Psikologi Universitas Negeri Malang

Abstract

Brand equity has become one of the central concepts in modern marketing, particularly in the service sector, which emphasizes interactions between consumers and service providers. This study aims to describe the brand equity formation of the Psychology Laboratory, Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Negeri Malang (UM), as a provider of psychological services based on Aaker’s theory (1991, 1996) and consumer behaviour perspectives. This study used a descriptive qualitative design with a case study approach, involving two participants who were users of psychological services. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, observations, and open-ended questionnaires, and were analysed using thematic analysis. Empirical findings reveal that the core dimensions of brand equity, brand awareness, brand association, perceived quality, brand loyalty, and other proprietary brand assets emerge from academic reputation, direct experiences, and interpersonal trust rather than commercial promotion. The findings highlight that the UM Psychology Laboratory holds a distinctive identity as an academic-based service brand that relies on scientific credibility as its primary source of brand strength. This credibility-based brand equity provides a conceptual and practical framework for strengthening institutional trust and long-term engagement in psychological service organizations.

Abstrak
Brand equity menjadi salah satu konsep utama dalam bidang pemasaran modern, terutama dalam sektor jasa yang menekankan interaksi antara konsumen dan penyedia layanan. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis pembentukan brand equity Laboratorium Psikologi, Fakultas Psikologi, Universitas Negeri Malang (UM), sebagai penyedia layanan psikologi berdasarkan teori Aaker (1991, 1996) dan perspektif perilaku konsumen. Penelitian menggunakan desain deskriptif-kualitatif dengan pendekatan studi kasus, melibatkan 2 orang subjek pengguna layanan psikologi. Data dikumpulkan melalui wawancara mendalam, observasi, dan kuesioner terbuka, kemudian dianalisis dengan teknik tematik. Temuan empiris menunjukkan bahwa dimensi inti brand equity, brand awareness, brand association, perceived quality, brand loyalty, dan other proprietary brand assets muncul dari reputasi akademis, pengalaman langsung, dan kepercayaan interpersonal, alih-alih promosi komersial. Hal ini menyoroti identitas khas Laboratorium Psikologi UM sebagai academic-based service brand yang mengandalkan kredibilitas ilmiah sebagai sumber utama kekuatan mereknya. Brand equity berbasis kredibilitas ini menyediakan kerangka kerja konseptual dan praktis untuk memperkuat kepercayaan institusional serta keterlibatan jangka panjang dalam organisasi layanan psikologi.