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Background: In Australia, brand substitution by pharmacists has been possible since 1994. There is no limit to the number of substitutions per prescription. Doctors have expressed concern that patients may receive a different product each time their prescription repeats are dispensed, which has the potential to confuse patients. It is unknown how often multiple substitutions per prescription occur. Objectives: We aimed to identify the number of switches per prescription for a range of medicines and to determine the number of different brand and generic products supplied on each prescription. Methods: Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme prescription claims between 1 January 2001 and 28 February 2006 were identified for atenolol, citalopram, enalapril, metformin, omeprazole, ramipril, and simvastatin. Original prescriptions with five repeats and all supplies dispensed were included. Switches were identified if a different product was supplied on consecutive repeat dispensings. Results: 533,279 original prescriptions were included. 488,735 (92%) had no switches on repeats and 37,513 (7%) had only one switch. Only 1% of all prescriptions had more than one switch identified on repeats, and in most cases only two different products were supplied. None of the prescriptions had a different product supplied on each dispensing. Conclusion and Implications: Multiple switches per prescription are uncommon and multiple different products are rarely supplied on repeats of the same prescription. The rules of the brand substitution policy appear to be adequate in allowing brand choice for patients, without leading to multiple switches per prescription. Key words: Generic substitution; generic drugs, pharmaceutical policy; pharmaco-epidemiology.

The different brand attitude formation processes are proposed and examined by ad execution format type. It is suggested that the process, by which brand attitudes are formed, depends on the nature of the ad to which consumers are exposed.

The evidence of perceived incongruence between product or attribute technologies and country capabilities influencing perceived fit is presented. It is found that perceived fit between products and attributes benefit from technological congruence and that perceived fit between countries and products or attributes asymmetrically favor higher technology capability countries regardless of the level of technological incongruence.

The effects of coupons on consumers' brand categorization and choice processes are examined using fast food restaurants in China. The data obtained in Beijing shows both direct and cross-advertising effects and these results are discussed in light of the important implications they have for brand management in multibrand situations and international management of sales promotions.

In a study of consumer experiential learning using a memory perspective, three taste-test tasks are used to investigate whether and how distinctive brand names and packaging may facilitate the learning of intrinsic quality differences among products. The implications of the results for consumer decision theory, brand equity management, and trademark policy have been discussed.

Property rights theory is used to analyze the degree of centralization of decision-making in franchising networks. The results obtained from the Austrian franchise sector suggests that the franchiserEs intangible system-specific know-how and brand name assets have a stronger influence on the allocation of residual decision rights in the franchising network than the franchiseeEs intangible local market assets.

The information revolution is making consumer disaggregation vastly more efficient and profitable than aggregation, the traditional source of brand power. This raises a fundamental question: Brands are an indispensable part [...]

Brand asymmetry exists when two brands do not behave in an identical manner for changes in marketing variables. Although researchers have acknowledged the differential performance of brands as an essential ingredient of a brand's market power, there is no comprehensive examination of the various manifestations of asymmetry and their measurement in marketing or related literature.

Byline: Yih Hwai Lee (1), Swee Hoon Ang (1) Keywords: picture incongruency; brand name suggestiveness; interference theory Abstract: This study investigates the superiority effects of picture incongruency and brand name suggestiveness on recall of target benefit claims. Depending on the juxtaposition of the picture and brand name with these claims, a relevant picture can interfere with and inhibit recall of a brand name claim under selected conditions. Specifically, recall of brand name claim was higher under an irrelevant rather than a relevant picture condition. Similarly, a suggestive brand name interfered and diminished recall of a picture claim compared to a nonsuggestive brand name. Additionally, the recall patterns of the picture (source) versus the picture claim (target) under various incongruency conditions showed that the effectiveness of picture incongruency on traditional picture recall measure cannot be extended to picture-related claim recall performance. Explanations based on theoretical extensions to the associated network model and interference theory are furnished together with the managerial implications regarding the effective use of picture incongruency and brand name suggestiveness. Author Affiliation: (1) Department of Marketing, NUS Business School, National University of Singapore, 1 Business Link, Singapore, 117591, Republic of Singapore Article History: Registration Date: 07/10/2004

Canadian journalist Naomi Klein may have cried 'No Logo' in her recent anti-globalisation tirade--but a strong brand is increasingly recognised as one of the most significant components of shareholder value. [...]

Product brands can influence a consumer's decision making at various stages of the choice process. This paper examines brand-effects and analyzes whether a consumer's value on product utility or price is impacted by a brand's credibility.

A study examining the psychological factors that influence the youngsters in choosing clothing brand names, is presented. The study also examines the psychological, social and socio-economic factors governing the variance in their brand sensitivity.