Dimensions of brand-extension fit

Abstract

A sizable research stream in marketing finds that a strong fit between a brand extension product and its parent brand encourages positive consumer responses. Yet this large body of literature fails to provide managers with specific practical guidance about how to create brand-extension fit for optimal results. The problem is a lack of understanding of what brand-extension fit really is, and there has been little work to address this issue by synthesizing the key dimensions of brand-extension fit. The current article addresses this gap by identifying the key constituent dimensions of brand-extension fit. This is an important topic because brand extensions are essential for business renewal and growth.

We identify six dimensions of brand-extension fit: feature-based, function-based, resource-based, usage-occasion-based, market-based, and image-based fit. Each dimension addresses a different aspect of brand-extension fit and suggests ways for brand managers to create brand-extension fit. Less expected is that studies that use a strict subset of these dimensions overweight those fit dimensions that are included, and the associated estimated coefficients are biased. From a managerial perspective, counterfactual analysis also shows that reliance on a strict subset of these dimensions results in suboptimal decisions.

The article, Dimensions of Brand-extension Fit, co-authored by Paul R. Messinger, has been published in the International Journal of Research in Marketing.

Paul R. Messinger is Marketing Group Ph.D. Coordinator and Associate Professor of Marketing both at the University of Alberta School of Business and immediate Past-Chair of the INFORMS Service Science Section. Paul has served on the Editorial Boards of Service Science and Marketing Science and as Guest Area Editor of Information Technology and Management. Paul has over 35 peer-reviewed articles and chapters and four books about service science, emerging retail formats, pandemic response, consumer behavior and pricing, 3D mediated virtual worlds, e-commerce, and recommendation systems. https://apps.ualberta.ca/directory/person/paulm