Document Type
Journal Article
Publication Date
2019
Department
Management, Marketing and Business Administration
College/School
Arthur J. Bauernfeind College of Business
Abstract
This research investigates how consumer evaluations of brand extensions are affected by two distinct types of brand reputation: a reputation for social responsibility built through commitments to societal obligations, versus a reputation for ability developed by delivering quality offerings. Through six studies, we establish that while the two reputation types equivalently influence high fit brand extensions, a reputation for social responsibility (vs. ability) leads to more favorable responses toward low fit brand extensions by inducing a desire to support and help the company that has acted to benefit consumers. Furthermore, the facilitative effect of social responsibility on low fit brand extension evaluations is more prominent among consumers who value close relationships and caring for one another’s well-being (i.e., those with high communal orientation), and tends to dissipate when social responsibility initiatives
Recommended Citation
Lefebvre, Sarah; Johnson, Zachary; Mao, Huifang; and Ganesh, Jaishankar, "Good Guys Can Finish First: How Brand Reputation Affects Extension Evaluations" (2019). Faculty & Staff Research and Creative Activity. 88.
https://digitalcommons.murraystate.edu/faculty/88