Does the tail wag the dog? Brand personality in brand alliance evaluation

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of the paper is to identify and test some strategic elements that consumers use when evaluating brand alliances. Design/methodology/approach The paper explores branding elements previously identified in the literature as being important to understanding brand extensions, and seeks to identify whether these elements apply to brand alliances. Consumer reactions to, and their beliefs and attitudes about, various fictitious brand alliances are explored. Findings Managers should focus on finding a similarity between brand alliance partners, not only in concrete dimensions but also in areas such as brand personality. Where brands do fit together, the likelihood of consumers purchasing the new product is improved Originality/value When looking for brand alliance partners, there are strong consumer‐based brand equity issues that need to be considered. This study shows that there are other ways to measure these variables, and because of their impact on consumers' decisions, they should be investigated along with financial factors when considering an alliance.