Association Ambiguity in Brand Extension.

A research method is developed to effectively identify associations that significantly influence the perceived fit of brand extensions. Contrary to extant brand extension studies that mainly focus on the fit of associations, the current study considers the ambiguity of associations. The proposed measure of association ambiguity, defined as the level of uncertainty based on the perceived conflict of a particular association in a brand extension indicated by the similarity and intensity level of perceived association distance to the parent brand and extension category, was tested and validated using several brand extension cases. Identifying an association's level of ambiguity and the magnitude of its impact on the perceived fit will allow advertisers to adjust their advertising messages and increase consumer receptiveness toward brand extensions. Implications for advertising practitioners and future research are discussed.

In this article, Kim explains that oftentimes there is a disconnect between a product and its parent brand among consumers, prohibiting them from seeing the congruence between the two. “If ambiguity increases, fit will decrease," Kim said. It falls upon advertisers to illustrate the relationship between a product (such as mouthwash) and its parent brand (Crest).

While previous research has revealed methods to show which aspects of brand extension align most with consumer perception of a parent brand, Kim has developed a method that works in the reverse. Using his model, advertisers can pinpoint what feelings toward the brand extension contrast feelings toward the parent brand.

In his paper, he uses the example of Crest, which has associations of "clean" and "white." He found that these same associations when applied to mouthwash, one of Crest's brand extensions, caused ambiguity among consumers because of mouthwash's color. Using a slogan such as "Crest Mouthwash, for whiter teeth," however, could decrease this ambiguity by increasing the association between mouthwash and "white."

Other advertisers to reveal the negative associations or ambiguities that exist among brand extension products can use Kim’s method. They can then determine which associations to emphasize in their advertisements, making them more effective than ever.

Works Cited


Journal of Advertising. Winter2013, Vol. 42 Issue 4, p358-370. 13p. 2 Diagrams, 5 Charts.