使用者形象一致性及形象强度对品牌延伸的影响

运用2个实验探讨了延伸产品与母品牌"使用者形象一致性"对消费者评价品牌延伸产生的影响。实验1表明,"使用者形象一致性"与"产品相似性"之间存在交互作用:当延伸产品使用者形象与母品牌使用者形象一致时,消费者根据延伸产品与"原产品"的相似性或延伸产品的"远"、"近"对品牌延伸做出评价;此时,"近"的延伸较"远"的延伸获得更高评价。当延伸产品使用者形象与母品牌使用者形象不一致时,"远"的延伸反而比"近"的延伸获得更高评价。实验2表明,母品牌使用者刻板印象的强、弱,会调节"使用者形象一致性"对延伸评价的影响。具体来说,对于使用者刻板印象强的品牌,形象不一致会对延伸评价产生较大的负面影响;对于使用者刻板印象较弱的品牌,形象不一致不会对延伸评价形成负面影响。

Consumer Evaluations of Brand Extensions:The Influences of Brand User Image

This paper explores how user image of parent brand influences consumers’ evaluations of brand extensions by using two 2×2 between subjects factorial experiment designs.In experiment one,we use a two level user image congruity(congruent versus incongruent) and two level product similarity(low versus high) experimental design to explore when user image congruity dominate consumers’ brand extension evaluations.It was found that under congruity between parent brand user image and the image of extended product,"close" extensions are more favorably evaluated than "far" extensions;while under incongruity condition of brand user image with the image of extension product,the "far" extensions obtained higher evaluation ratings.In experiment two,we explore how the strength of parent brand user image moderates the effects of parent brand user image on evaluation of brand extensions.We found that parent brand’s user image strength do moderate the effects of user image congruency on evaluations of brand extensions.The theoretic and marketing practical implications are discussed.