本研究以原產品與延伸產品之「認知產品類別相似度」為中介變數，探討「品牌延伸」及「品牌傘」兩種新產品品牌策略對於消費者評價反向延伸之影響。反向延伸意指「當原屬於品類A（以下稱原品類）的廠商1（以下稱原廠商）品牌延伸至另一個品類B（以下稱延伸品類）後，原屬於品類B的廠商2（以下稱反向延伸廠商）亦反向延伸至品類A。」研究中並探討「消費者產品知識」與「原廠商品牌寬度」兩者對於新產品品牌策略的調節效果，進而影響消費者認知品類相似度及反向延伸評價。 本研究採2（新產品成功之品牌策略：品牌延伸策略、品牌傘策略）x2（原廠商品牌寬度：窄品牌Nokia、寬品牌LG）x2（消費者產品知識：產品知識高、產品知識低）之實驗設計，並設計無提供先前延伸成功經驗之控制組。根據前測結果，選定手機為原品牌之原產品、數為相機為延伸產品。推出新產品之原手機廠商之窄品牌為Nokia、寬品牌為LG，而數位相機廠商進行反向延伸的品牌則為Canon。 研究結果發現，原產品與延伸產品類別之認知品類相似度為新產品品牌策略與反向延伸評價之中介變數，且當原廠商跨產品類別推出新產品成功，相較於品牌傘策略，品牌延伸策略將使消費者對於認知產品品類相似度提升效果較大、反向延伸之評價也較好。調節效果方面，當消費者產品知識低時，消費者之認知產品類別相似度被提昇的程度較高，且有較佳之反向延伸評價，然其於不同品牌策略間所產生的差異較小；原廠商認知品牌寬度方面，當品牌寬度窄時，消費者之認知產品類別相似度被提昇的程度亦較高，且亦有較佳的反向延伸評價，然品牌寬度較窄的廠商於不同品牌策略間所造成的認知產品類別相似度及反向延伸評價之提升效果差異皆較大。

Cross-gender brand extensions are a developing and valuable strategy that has quickly grown to become a vital component of strategic communications management. The goal of this study is to gain a greater insight on what makes for a successful cross-gender brand extension. In order to expand upon the Basic Model of Brand Extension Evaluation (Doust & Esfahlan, 2012), this study examines how marketing factors, more specifically product positioning, combined with consumer gender roles and brand concept, affect how consumers evaluate cross-gender brand extensions. In the past gender and brand concept have been studied within cross-gender brand extension research. Yet, the present study focuses on gender roles, conceptualizing gender as levels of masculinity and femininity. The products featured were positioned as having either a symbolic or functional brand concept. The results from this study not only confirm that gender and gender roles are indeed two distinct concepts, but they also indicate that gender roles and brand concept have a significant effect on brand extension evaluations, especially when level of masculinity is a factor.