Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the interrelationship between trust, empathy,
communication, brand associations and brand reputation of selected small and medium
enterprise (SME) brands in a developing economy of Botswana. The population was defined
as all retail customers of SME brands operating within the metropolitan city of Gaborone in
Botswana. A stratified-convenience sampling approach was followed and a self-administered
questionnaire was disseminated amongst 450 customers at the service points of SMEs. The
Structural equation modelling (SEM) procedure was used to analyse the hypothesised
relationships in this study. The findings conclude that trust, empathy and communication
exerted a positive and significant influence on brand associations, whilst brand associations
had a direct impact on brand reputation. In addition, brand commitment significantly mediated
the influence of brand associations on brand reputation. It is therefore important for SMEs in
the apparel industry of Botswana to cultivate the levels of trust, empathy, communication,
brand associations and brand commitment to secure a genuine reputation with their
customers.