Consumer acceptance of brand extensions: Is parental fit preeminent?

The findings of prior research suggest that several factors, including consumer characteristics, parent brand characteristics, and extension characteristics, determine consumers’ acceptance of brand extensions. Our research posits that an extension’s associations, especially the one that transforms a product into a brand extension, are preeminent in determining consumer response to brand extensions. We present findings of five studies which show that the accessibility of the extension’s association with its parent brand is paramount in determining consumer response to brand extensions contingent upon fit, a moderating effect that persists even in the presence of additional highly diagnostic non-parental information. Implications of our findings are presented for brand extension researchers and managers.