IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jbrese/v171y2024ics0148296323007257.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Shaping extendibility: The influence of circular versus angular shapes on consumer brand extension evaluation

Author

Listed:
  • Wu, Yi
  • Cai, Yuanyuan
  • Zhou, Xiaohan
  • Huang, Xinyi

Abstract

This study proposed a novel sensory marketing strategy (shape cues) to alter consumers’ reactions to distant brand extensions. Across five studies, circular (vs. angular) shapes lead to a more favorable overall evaluation of distant rather than close brand extensions. These effects are mediated sequentially by consumers’ cognitive flexibility and fit perceptions. In line with the “cognitive flexibility” account, this study found that the influence of shapes on brand extension evaluation diminishes when a sub-branding strategy is adopted to introduce the extension product. When a direct-branding strategy was used, shape was not affected. These effects were replicated across different product categories and cultures using different approaches to demonstrate shape cues, and employing both fictitious and real brand stimuli. In addition, theoretical and managerial implications were also discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Wu, Yi & Cai, Yuanyuan & Zhou, Xiaohan & Huang, Xinyi, 2024. "Shaping extendibility: The influence of circular versus angular shapes on consumer brand extension evaluation," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 171(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:171:y:2024:i:c:s0148296323007257
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2023.114366
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0148296323007257
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jbusres.2023.114366?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Liu, Stephanie Q. & Bogicevic, Vanja & Mattila, Anna S., 2018. "Circular vs. angular servicescape: “Shaping” customer response to a fast service encounter pace," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 47-56.
    2. Rod Duclos & Echo Wen Wan & Yuwei Jiang, 2013. "Show Me the Honey! Effects of Social Exclusion on Financial Risk-Taking," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 40(1), pages 122-135.
    3. Cohen, Joel B & Basu, Kunal, 1987. "Alternative Models of Categorization: Toward a Contingent Processing Framework," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 13(4), pages 455-472, March.
    4. Park, C Whan & Milberg, Sandra & Lawson, Robert, 1991. "Evaluation of Brand Extensions: The Role of Product Feature Similarity and Brand Concept Consistency," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 18(2), pages 185-193, September.
    5. Rui (Juliet) Zhu & Jennifer J. Argo, 2013. "Exploring the Impact of Various Shaped Seating Arrangements on Persuasion," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 40(2), pages 336-349.
    6. Yuwei Jiang & Gerald J. Gorn & Maria Galli & Amitava Chattopadhyay, 2016. "Does Your Company Have the Right Logo? How and Why Circular- and Angular-Logo Shapes Influence Brand Attribute Judgments," Journal of Consumer Research, Oxford University Press, vol. 42(5), pages 709-726.
    7. Ahluwalia, Rohini & Gurhan-Canli, Zeynep, 2000. "The Effects of Extensions of the Family Brand Name: An Accessibility-Diagnosticity Perspective," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 27(3), pages 371-381, December.
    8. Wang, Haizhong & Liu, Di, 2020. "The differentiated impact of perceived brand competence type on brand extension evaluation," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 117(C), pages 400-410.
    9. Chen, Nuoya & Jiao, Jinfeng (Jenny) & Fan, Xiucheng & Li, Shaobo (Kevin), 2021. "The shape of loneliness: The relationship between loneliness and consumer preference for angular versus circular shapes," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 136(C), pages 612-629.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Zheng, Chundong & Qian, Fangyuan & Song, Jiehang & Wang, Han, 2024. "Make the photo in good shape: The matching effect of photo shapes and donation appeals on donation intentions," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    2. Chen, Nuoya & Jiao, Jinfeng (Jenny) & Fan, Xiucheng & Li, Shaobo (Kevin), 2021. "The shape of loneliness: The relationship between loneliness and consumer preference for angular versus circular shapes," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 136(C), pages 612-629.
    3. repec:dau:papers:123456789/2386 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. Justina Sidlauskiene & Yannick Joye & Vilte Auruskeviciene, 2023. "AI-based chatbots in conversational commerce and their effects on product and price perceptions," Electronic Markets, Springer;IIM University of St. Gallen, vol. 33(1), pages 1-21, December.
    5. E. Bacchiega & M. Colucci & M. Magnani, 2019. "What goes around, comes around: Reciprocal effects and double-sided moral hazard in the choice of brand licensing," Working Papers wp1136, Dipartimento Scienze Economiche, Universita' di Bologna.
    6. Kim, Kyeongheui & Park, Jongwon, 2019. "Cultural influences on brand extension judgments: Opposing effects of thinking style and regulatory focus," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 36(1), pages 137-150.
    7. Liu, Stephanie Q. & Bogicevic, Vanja & Mattila, Anna S., 2018. "Circular vs. angular servicescape: “Shaping” customer response to a fast service encounter pace," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 47-56.
    8. Li, Ruiqin & Wang, Yan & Zhang, Hongli, 2023. "The shape of premiumness: Logo Shape's effects on perceived brand premiumness and brand preference," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    9. Beichen Liang & Wei Fu, 2021. "The choice of brand extension: the moderating role of brand loyalty on fit and brand familiarity," Journal of Marketing Analytics, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 9(1), pages 17-32, March.
    10. Quamina, La Toya & Xue, Melanie Tao & Chawdhary, Rahul, 2023. "‘Co-branding as a masstige strategy for luxury brands: Desirable or not?," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    11. Miniard, Paul W. & Alvarez, Cecilia M.O. & Mohammed, Shazad M., 2020. "Consumer acceptance of brand extensions: Is parental fit preeminent?," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 118(C), pages 335-345.
    12. Martínez Salinas, Eva & Pina Pérez, José Miguel, 2009. "Modeling the brand extensions' influence on brand image," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 62(1), pages 50-60, January.
    13. Liu, Stephanie Q. & Choi, Sungwoo & Mattila, Anna S., 2019. "Love is in the menu: Leveraging healthy restaurant brands with handwritten typeface," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 289-298.
    14. Wang, Wangshuai & Yi, Yanxi & Li, Jie & Sun, Gong & Zhang, Mo, 2022. "Lighting up the dark: How the scarcity of childhood resources leads to preferences for bright stimuli," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 139(C), pages 1155-1164.
    15. Colucci, Mariachiara & Montaguti, Elisa & Lago, Umberto, 2008. "Managing brand extension via licensing: An investigation into the high-end fashion industry," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 25(2), pages 129-137.
    16. Kevin Lane Keller & Donald R. Lehmann, 2006. "Brands and Branding: Research Findings and Future Priorities," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 25(6), pages 740-759, 11-12.
    17. Nicolas Pontes & Vivian Pontes, 2021. "Spillover effects of competitive rivalry on brand extensions," Journal of Brand Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 28(4), pages 402-412, July.
    18. Xenia Raufeisen & Linda Wulf & Sören Köcher & Ulya Faupel & Hartmut H. Holzmüller, 2019. "Spillover effects in marketing: integrating core research domains," AMS Review, Springer;Academy of Marketing Science, vol. 9(3), pages 249-267, December.
    19. Christophe Bezes & Maria Mercanti-Guérin, 2017. "Similarity in marketing: Scope, measurement, and fields of application [La similarité en marketing : périmètre, mesure et champs d'application]," Post-Print hal-02086666, HAL.
    20. Deng, Qian (Claire) & Messinger, Paul R., 2022. "Dimensions of brand-extension fit," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 39(3), pages 764-787.
    21. Vladimir Sashov Zhechev & Evgeni Stanimirov, 2017. "Image Effects of the Extension of Niche Class F Vehicles in Bulgaria," Economic Studies journal, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences - Economic Research Institute, issue 2, pages 132-171.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:171:y:2024:i:c:s0148296323007257. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/jbusres .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.