The factors which influence consumers evaluations of brand extensions have been an important research issue in the area of brand extensions. Regardless of its importance, there is a lack of study in brand extensions in Asia, particularly in Thailand. / Based on the review of previous research of brand extensions and integration into the elements of the conceptual combination literature, a conceptual model for evaluating brand extensions, which is relevant to Thai consumers, is proposed. The consumers evaluations of brand extensions are examined using similar and dissimilar hypothetical extensions of two different brands. / There were two main stages in data collection process; the focus groups and questionnaire survey. The first stage, involving the focus groups, was conducted to select the product category, original brands and hypothetical extensions which were relevant to target respondents. The second stage, the questionnaire survey, was conducted to examine the consumers responses to brand extensions. Two thousand participants were surveyed on the four hypothetical extensions derived from two original brands across the proposed scale for the main study. The probability sampling with a simple random sampling method was selected for the main study. The usable response rate was eighty-one percent. Thus, a total of one thousand and six hundred usable questionnaires were obtained during one and a half months period. / The findings of this study extended the brand extensions research by examining consumers trust, affection on the original brand and rational and emotional perception of fit between the original brand and extensions which are relatively new in the brand extension literature. Three different brand extensions revealed that brand trust, brand affection, emotional perception of fit and rational perception of fit played a significant role in evaluating brand extensions which in turn had an impact on the likelihood of trying brand extensions. Among these factors, emotional perception of fit was found to have the most significant impact in influencing the overall evaluation. Hence, Thai consumers relied less on rational perception of fit than emotional perception of fit when evaluating brand extensions. This study also found that brand trust on the original brand was particularly important in evaluating similar brand extension. Moreover, brand affection played a role in this study as it had a direct influence on the likelihood of trying brand extensions for similar extensions. / The present study contributes by extending prior brand extension research about consumer evaluations of brand extensions in the Thai context. The consumers trust and affection towards the original brand and their perception of fit between the original brand and extension are important consideration in implementing successful brand extension strategy. The present study provides an increased understanding of how consumers evaluate brand extensions in the Thai context as well as providing useful managerial application to businesses and managers in Thailand. / Thesis (PhDBusinessAdministration)--University of South Australia, 2006
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/267099 |
| Date | January 2006 |
| Creators | Kowathanakul, Suwanna |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | copyright under review |
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