The impact of Janus fit brand extensions on perceived brand innovativeness

Loading...
Thumbnail Image

Access rights

openAccess

URL

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

A1 Alkuperäisartikkeli tieteellisessä aikakauslehdessä

Date

2024-06

Major/Subject

Mcode

Degree programme

Language

en

Pages

17

Series

Journal of Business Research, Volume 179, pp. 1-17

Abstract

This research addresses “Janus fit” brand extensions: extensions that are perceived to have both “fitting” and “unfitting” associations vis-a-vis the parent brand. One pre-experiment and three main experiments show that when a brand introduces a Janus fit brand extension, it is perceived to be more innovative than when it introduces either a traditional high fit extension or a low fit extension. The effects are mediated by surprise feelings. Specifically, the high brand innovativeness ratings obtained by the Janus fit extensions are explained by the fact that they elicit moderately high surprise feelings in consumers, instead of low surprise feelings (as high fit extensions) or excessively high surprise feelings (as low fit extensions). The Janus fit extensions can also be seen to evoke a “Eureka surprise experience”: an initial feeling of surprise, followed by a sudden realization that the brand extension after all makes sense for the brand in question.

Description

Publisher Copyright: © 2024 The Author(s)

Keywords

Brand extension, Brand innovativeness, Perceived fit, Perceived unfit, Surprise

Other note

Citation

Falana, W O, Aspara, J & Frösén, J 2024, ' The impact of Janus fit brand extensions on perceived brand innovativeness ', Journal of Business Research, vol. 179, 114674, pp. 1-17 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2024.114674