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Marketers frequently use individual names as part of their brand-naming strategy. This research investigates how the use of a possessive (indicated by an apostrophe s) versus non-possessive form in a brand name (Mrs. Smith's vs. Mrs. Smith) affects consumer brand preferences and choice for less familiar brands. Building on the theory of possessions, this work demonstrates that consumers infer a brand as being under control of an owner implied in a possessive brand name. Eight studies using real-world data and field and lab experiments show that this inference results in enhanced brand purchase intentions and money spent on a brand's product. This research also establishes that the focal effect occurs for consumers less familiar with the brand and for those with high desire to relinquish control. The core effect reverses in co-creation contexts because this process enhances consumers' own desire for control and thus conflicts with the inferred sense of an owner's control over the brand. Additionally, the current work shows that the positive effect of brand-name possessiveness applies only when no brand longevity information is mentioned; the effect is attenuated when brand longevity is communicated, because older brands are generally seen as largely in control of their performance. Beyond informing theory on the effects of a possessive form in brand names, the findings aid marketers in identifying specific marketplace outcomes for possessive-form brand-naming strategies., Author(s): Mansur Khamitov [sup.1] , Marina Puzakova [sup.2] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.411377.7, 0000 0001 0790 959X, Kelley School of Business, Indiana University, , 1309 E 10th St, 47405, Bloomington, IN, [...]

Offering the ideal product that individuals will systematically repurchase (intensification) and satisfying their need for variety in order to make them cross-purchase within a brand-line's products (diversification) instead of switching toward competitors are two fundamental functions of brand-lines. Both rely on product variety, organized along breadth (complementary products) and depth (substitutes). We analyze the differing impacts that breadth and depth have on brand-line repurchasing behavior. Repurchasing is broken down into four components based on its motivation, intensification (repurchasing the same product) vs. diversification (cross-purchasing), and its temporal perspective, inter-trip (over shopping trips) vs. intra-trip (during purchasing trips). Whereas breadth demonstrates only positive effects on the repurchasing components, it has no protective effect against brand-switching. Conversely, depth has a negative impact on inter-trip product repurchasing, the most frequent repurchasing component, but offers a protective negative impact against brand-switching. We examine the moderating impacts of brand-line quality, brand-line alignability, and household size., Author(s): Philippe Aurier [sup.1] , Victor D. Mejía [sup.2] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.121334.6, 0000 0001 2097 0141, Labex Entreprendre, University of Montpellier, , Place Bataillon, 34090, Montpellier, France (2) grid.460782.f, [...]

Abstract. We develop a hierarchical choice model to account for the choice utility heterogeneity of individual shoppers that belong to the same household. Our model allows us to measure how [...]

This article analyzes how an iconic brand is threatened by the societal trend of anti-consumption motivated by well-being. Under scrutiny is the iconic brand Nutella that is recognized worldwide. In [...]

This paper investigates the importance of network effects in the demand for ethanol-compatible vehicles and the supply of ethanol fuel. An indirect network effect, or positive feedback loop, arises in [...]

Not much is known about the interaction effects between current and past contingencies. At the brand level, consumers may or may not buy exactly what they bought or intended to buy on their last shopping trip, and this could be due to differences in the behavioral contingencies. The main purpose of this article was to examine possible relations between what consumers say about the brands they bought last and what they intend to buy, which is a way of measuring part of their learning history with brands, and their actual purchases, taking into account the programmed reinforcement contingencies (marketing strategies) at the point of sale. With a quasiexperimental procedure at a typical retail store, results showed, in general, that current and past contingencies interact and have different impacts on say-do correspondence, which can be explained by the behavioral perspective model of consumer behavior. Key words: say-do correspondence, behavioral contingency, brand choice, marketing strategy, A large portion of marketing strategies adopted by retailers and producers are based on results from marketing research. Data from such research are, very often, obtained from what consumers say [...]

In many categories consumers display cyclical buying: they repeatedly purchase in the category for several periods, followed by several periods of not buying. We believe that the cyclicality is a [...]

How low-level processes, such as evaluative conditioning, influence brand choice when consumers have also been exposed to relevant product information is examined. Implicit attitudes are created by evaluative conditioning through an experiment, in which participants were uninformed of the contingencies and provided with conflicting product information available in memory.

This paper examines the relationship between extension difficulty, defined as the perceived difficulty of manufacturing the extension product, and attitudes toward brand extensions. Although extant literature has hitherto modeled this relationship as a simple monotonic relationship, a study by Bottomley and Holden Jozwrnal of Marketing Research, 38(4):494-500, 2001) has questioned its empirical generalizability. We suggest that the relationship between extension difficulty and extension attitudes may be far more complex than a simple linear relationship. Based on theoretical evidence drawn from the concept of evaluation difficulty, we suggest that the relationship between extension difficulty and extension attitudes is best modeled as a curvilinear (inverted U-shaped) relationship. Further, we explore the specific role of perceived transferability as a moderator of this curvilinear relationship. Empirical tests conducted using two studies provide support for both the theoretical mechanism and the proposed hypotheses. Entry into 'easy' or 'extremely difficult' extension categories carries its own penalties while entry into 'moderately difficult' categories appears to garner high consumer attitudes for brand extensions. Keywords Brand extensions * Brand attitudes * Perceived difficulty * Perceived fit * Curvilinear relationship * Moderation * Transferability, Introduction The prohibitive costs of introducing really new brands and the reality of new product failure rates have led marketers to increasingly resort to using brand extensions, wherein an established [...]

Consumer exposure to new brand names can occur in contexts with or without brand information being present. Whereas previous research has examined the effects of brand name characteristics (association set size and word frequency) on memory in the presence of brand information, this paper also assesses brand name effects in contexts without brand related information and extends it to brand consideration and choice. Two different processes are found to be operating as consumers retrieve brands and make a choice. Recall seems to benefit from a distinctiveness based route, which also guides consideration and choice. In contrast, implicit memory is influenced by familiarity, with corresponding consideration and choice effects. The implications are that firms' choice of brand names and media needs to consider the combination of brand name characteristics that will lead to desired outcomes vis-a-vis distinctiveness or familiarity based processes. Keywords Brand names * Memory and recall * Implicit memory * Brand associations * Brand consideration * Brand choice, Introduction Traditional models acknowledge that when a new brand is introduced in the market, consumers become aware of it primarily through advertising, where the brand name and other brand related [...]

We examine the specification and interpretation of discrete-choice models used in behavioral theory testing, with a focus on separating 'coefficient scale' from 'error scale,' particularly over time. Numerous issues raised [...]

We propose that ambiguity aversion, as introduced in the literature on decision making under uncertainty, drives a preference for established brands in multiattribute choices among branded alternatives. Established brands are those for which belief in quality is held with greater confidence, even if specific attributes might be inferior to those of competing, less-established brands. In five experiments, we examine the role of ambiguity aversion in the preference for dominated, established brands. We first show a correlation between ambiguity aversion (revealed through choices among monetary lotteries) and the preference for established brands. We then show that the preference for established brands is enhanced when ambiguity aversion is made more salient in unrelated preceding lottery choices. Thus, ambiguity aversion carries across choices. In addition, ambiguity aversion and the preference for established brands are both enhanced when subjects anticipate that others will evaluate their lottery choices. Finally, ambiguous information about brand attributes tends to increase the preference for established brands. Key words: ambiguity; brand preference; decisions under uncertainty; multiattribute choice History: Received January 8, 2009; accepted July 3, 2009, by Peter Wakker, decision analysis. Published online in Articles in Advance October 16, 2009., Introduction An important finding in the literature on decisionmaking under uncertainty is the preference for gambles with known rather than unknown (ambiguous) probabilities of winning. For example, people betting on [...]

Repeated incidental consumer brand encounters such as when people see others wearing the latest shoes or when shoppers see what others have bought increases choice of the focal brand for consumers who are not aware of their exposure. The type of person seen using the brand moderates this effect.

It is found that past users of a brand are more likely to elicit negative beliefs about brands compared to those who have never used a brand. This finding suggests that negative beliefs about a brand are developed through purchase behavior rather than as mechanisms to reject a brand before the purchase.

This paper examines the effects of brand credibility, a central concept in information economics-based approaches to brand effects and brand equity, on consumer choice and choice set formation. We investigate [...]

The effects of online information sources on car buyers' product choices are presented.

The effects of relative preferences on consumer shopping behavior and brand choice are presented.

The reasons for repeated consumption of same product by consumers, using cognitive lock-in theory, are presented.

We propose a framework to investigate consumers' brand choice and purchase incidence decisions across multiple categories, where both decisions are modeled as an outcome of a consumer's basket utility maximization. [...]

This paper extends the scanner-based choice literature by explicitly incorporating individual-level brand-preference data. We illustrate our model using a unique data set that combines survey and scanner data collected from [...]

A study is conducted on personality-and-culture approach to examine differences in customer behavior and product choices in cross-cultural markets. The impact of national and cultural character on consumer behavior is also analyzed.

A study examining the changes in consumers' brand loyalty, based on strategic and tactical cause-related marketing, is presented.

A three-fold study pertaining to consumer perceptions and brands, is presented. Firstly, the study examines how four store brands differently positioned, compare with national brand and with respect to brand equity is discussed. Secondly, if brand equity of stores versus national brands is associated with brand loyalty, and lastly whether store patronage has influence over perceived brand equity of store brands versus national brands.

The importance of brand associations, which are major factors in forming brand choices and brand alliance, is presented based on the study conducted on various consumer brands.

Byline: Nitin Mehta (1), Surendra Rajiv (2), Kannan Srinivasan (3) Keywords: Bayesian learning; forgetting; quality uncertainty; structural modeling; econometric estimation and memory-based choice decisions Abstract: We propose a structural model to investigate the impact of forgetting on consumers' brand choice decisions in frequently purchased products. Forgetting results in consumers imperfectly recalling their prior brand evaluations when making a purchase decision in the category. We conceptualize the imperfect recall by positing that consumers recall their prior evaluations with noise. Based on prior research in the behavioral area, we characterize the extent of forgetting as an increasing and concave function of time. Our framework generates analytical results on the impact of forgetting on consumers' brand evaluations and their consequent purchase behavior. We calibrate our model using scanner panel data for liquid detergents. Furthermore, we obtain insights into the consumers' extent of forgetting in the category, extent of learning, predicted price elasticities and implications on state dependence and habit persistence. Our results underscore the importance of modeling consumers' ability to recall only imperfectly. Author Affiliation: (1) Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto, Canada (2) Graduate School of Business, National University of Singapore, Singapore (3) Graduate School of Industrial Administration, Carnegie Mellon University, United States Article History: Registration Date: 23/10/2004

A new architectural approach to artificial neural network (ANN) choice modeling is given in order to modify the standard ANN designs. The related studies indicate that a streamlined feed forward ANN trained with a genetic algorithm can provide managers with superior estimates of brand share.

A study is discussed of the changes in patronage preferences. People will likely alter their patronage preferences when they try to change their consumption lifestyles in order to deal with new stressful life changes and meet new consumption needs. The article discusses the study in significant detail.

The authors seek to stress the lack of valid and reliable measures for brand loyalty, then to develop a relevant method for doing so. The study found either consumer loyalty to a brand, inertia, or variety-seeking. Repeat purchasing behavior by consumers can be studied in a more detailed manner.

This study focuses on the short-term effects of store-level promotions on consumer grocery store choice, finding that loyalty drives consumer choice. The influence of short-term promotions is significant, however. The study failed to demonstrate moderating roles of such individual variables as attitudes, search for promotions, and involvement in shopping, but loyalty clearly shows a moderating role.

Byline: Carolyn J. Simmons (1), Barbara A. Bickart (2), Lauranne Buchanan (3) Keywords: Brand portfolio; retail display structure; leveraging equity; economic value of brand; markdown; strategic equivalence Abstract: Industry informants suggest that the equity of well-known, established brands can be leveraged to create value for unfamiliar or less-established brands. To the extent that cues in the retail environment imply some commonality between the high-equity brand and the less-established brand, benefits to the less-established brand may be expected. We refer to this implied commonality as strategic equivalence. Sharing the retail brand portfolio with high-equity brands is one way of establishing strategic equivalence. Display structure--whether the brands are displayed separately or intermixed--can also affect perceptions of strategic equivalence. In two studies, we demonstrate the ability of high-equity brands to increase the value of lower-equity brands in the same retail department and the ability of display structure to moderate this effect. Author Affiliation: (1) M, University of Virgina, Monroe Hall, Charlottesville, VA, 22903 (2) School of Business--Camden, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, USA (3) The American Graduate School of International Management, USA Article History: Registration Date: 16/10/2004

Byline: Rajiv Vaidyanathan (1) Abstract: Very little research focused on the process by which internal reference prices are formed and used by consumers making price judgments. The accessibility-diagnosticity model is proposed as a parsimonious theoretical framework that resolves some conflicts in prior research and provides a foundation for future research on internal reference prices. This model is used to evaluate the role of brand familiarity and involvement on the formation and use of internal reference price standards. Empirical results show that (1) involvement is a better predictor of confidence in internal reference prices than brand familiarity, and (2) in forming internal reference price estimates, the offering price is discounted more for unfamiliar brands than familiar brands, but only when involvement is low. When involvement is high, the effect of brand familiarity on reference price estimates disappears. Implications for future research on internal reference price effects and for promotion practice are discussed. Author Affiliation: (1) University of Minnesota Duluth, USA. rvaidyan@d.umn.edu Article History: Registration Date: 30/09/2004

Byline: Byung-Do Kim (1), Mary W. Sullivan (2) Keywords: Line extensions; brand choice; new product research Abstract: This research analyzes how consumer experience with a parent brand affects trial and repurchase probabilities for a line extension. We develop and test the 'uncertainty hypothesis' which is based on the premise that consumers use experience with the parent brand to infer the quality of the extension. Experience with the parent-brand increases consumers' expectation that the extension quality is high. Therefore, consumers with more parent-brand experience will be more likely to try the extension. However, they will be less likely to repurchase the extension because of the selection bias. We test the hypothesis with scanner panel data from three product categories. The results are consistent with our hypothesis. We also discuss the implications of our results on how to design market programs for new line extensions. Author Affiliation: (1) College of Business Administration, Seoul National University, Shinlim-dong, Kwanak-ku, Seoul, 157-742, KOREA (2) Graduate School of Business, The University of Chicago, 1101 E. 58th Street, Chicago, Il, 60637 Article History: Registration Date: 04/10/2004

Byline: Aric Rindfleisch (1), J. Inman (2) Keywords: Consumer decision making; brand familiarity; double jeopardy; information availability; mere exposure; product and brand choice; social desirability Abstract: A large and diverse body of marketing literature suggests that well-known brands enjoy several advantages compared to less familiar brands. Specifically, brands with higher levels of familiarity appear to achieve higher levels of liking or preference among both consumers and retailers. This familiarity-liking relationship has proven to be one of marketing's most robust and reproducible empirical generalizations. However, there remains a considerable amount of uncertainty as to the conditions under which this relationship arises. In this study, we identify, conceptualize, and empirically assess three alternative hypotheses of the familiarity-liking relationship: mere exposure, information availability, and social desirability. Our results suggest that social desirability is the most powerful of these three potential mechanisms underlying the familiarity-liking phenomenon. Author Affiliation: (1) College of Business and Public Administration, University of Arizona, 320 McClelland Hall, P.O. Box 210108, Tucson, AZ, 85721 (2) School of Business, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 4255 Grainger Hall, 975 University Avenue, Madison, WI, 53706 Article History: Registration Date: 14/10/2004

Brand competition models provide the framework for manufacturers to work on the competitive performance of their brand in the retail level. Type, time, frequency and extent of retail promotions affect competitiveness depending upon manufacturers' promotion incentives. Time-series and cross-sectional analyses explain variances in competition coefficients while applying the multiplicative model to cover all variables of type, time, frequency, magnitude and retailer's decision. Further studies suggest coverage of an even larger category of brands and their competitive impact.

Byline: Michael Keane (1) Keywords: discrete choice; brand choice; choice dynamics; stated preference; contingent valuation; purchase quantity; new products Abstract: Until recently, computational constraints forced researchers in thediscrete choice area to limit themselves to very simple statistical models,such as the multinomial logit (MNL), in which choice probabilities could beevaluated quickly on a computer. But the MNL only makes sense as abehavioral model under very special circumstances. Recent advances incomputation make it possible to estimate richer behavioral models thatgenerate very complex choice probability expressions. This paper discusses anumber of possible avenues for future research in the discrete choice areain light of these developments. Author Affiliation: (1) 035 Management and Economics, University of Minnesota, 271 19th Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN, 55455 Article History: Registration Date: 22/09/2004

'The Warm Up' When Bill Shankly said football was more important than a matter of life or death, he probably really believed it. Football has been likened by many to [...]