Randi Priluck

Co‐branding: brand equity and trial effects

Co‐branding is an increasingly popular technique marketers use in attempting to transfer the positive associations of the partner (constituent) brands to a newly formed co‐brand (composite brand). This research examines the effects of co‐branding on the brand equity of both the co‐branded product and the constituent brands that comprise it, both before and after product trial. It appears that co‐branding is a win/win strategy for both co‐branding partners regardless of whether the original brands are perceived by consumers as having high or low brand equity. Although low equity brands may benefit most from co‐branding, high equity brands are not denigrated even when paired with a low equity partner. Further, positive product trial seems to enhance consumers’ evaluations of co‐branded products, particularly those with a low equity constituent brand. Co‐branding strategies may be effective in exploiting a product performance advantage or in introducing a new product with an unfamiliar brand name.

Relationship marketing can mitigate product and service failures

Relationship marketing is beneficial to firms because it can foster customer loyalty and re‐patronage behavior. Consumers engaged in relational exchanges are more satisfied than those in discrete transactions because of the ease and psychological comfort of purchasing from a familiar company. This research investigates the power of relationship marketing to mitigate in two situations. One exposes consumers to poor product performance and examines their levels of trust, commitment and satisfaction. The second presents a product failure that is followed by a lapse in service recovery and measures satisfaction and exit behavior. The findings of both studies suggest that relationships make up for increasingly strong negative encounters, providing a level of insulation for the marketer. Implications for service firms are discussed.

Integrating Information Technology into the Marketing Curriculum: A Pragmatic Paradigm

This article presents a framework for integrating information technology (IT) into the marketing curriculum in the context of the specific objectives of an undergraduate business program.The authors propose integration of IT via five technological modules: (1) Web-based communication among instructors and students, (2) use of the marketing department’s Web site as an educational resource, (3) the Internet as a marketing medium, (4) computer-supported market analysis and decision making, and (5) computer-enhanced business presentations. As an illustration, this article details the use of the five modules according to the specific program objectives at Seton Hall University. The article also outlines practical guidelines for the application of IT in teaching and learning and outcomes and assessments measures. Marketing educators can use this paradigm to promote more efficient teaching and better learning, and consequently students will be better prepared to manage and use IT in their professional careers.

Web-Assisted Courses for Business Education: An Examination of Two Sections of Principles of Marketing.

This research investigates student responses to two technologically different teaching methods for two sections of a Principles of Marketing course. A traditional method of teaching using lectures, in-class discussions, assignments, and exams is compared to a “Web-assisted” method in which 7 of the 14 class sessions met asynchronously online. Overall, students were more satisfied with the traditional course, preferred the traditional format, and felt the course was more effective in developing their skills and course knowledge. In addition, students in the traditional class felt that the course helped them develop their skills, including team building, critical thinking, oral and written communications, global perspective, and social interaction. Student performance on a comprehensive final exam was not, however, significantly different between the two sections. Implications for those considering such hybrid courses are provided for both faculty and administration.

The Role of Contingency Awareness, Involvement and Need for Cognition in Attitude Formation

This research investigates the role of involvement and need for cognition in influencing contingency awareness in attitude formation. Two experiments examine the nature of favorable attitudes formulated through established classical conditioning procedures. The results of Experiment 1 indicate that awareness influences attitudes toward a conditioned stimulus, particularly under conditions of high involvement and high need for cognition. Experiment 2 suggests that contingency awareness mediates the relationship between inferential belief formation and attitudes and that this effect is stronger under high involvement and high need for cognition. Implications for understanding the role of classical conditioning procedures in advertising are discussed.

When Students Complain An Antecedent Model of Students’ Intention to Complain

This article explores the factors that influence students’ intention to complain following a bad classroom experience using a customer service framework from the marketing literature. An online survey was conducted with 288 participants using the critical incident approach. Results indicate that predictors of intention to complain differ based on the target of complaint behavior (school, friends, or unknown others) and the mode of complaint (in person or using the web). Specifically, the more dissatisfied students are, the more likely they are to complain to the school and to friends either in person or using the web but not to unknown others. Students complain to the school only if the effort involved is minimal and they believe the school will respond. Students complain to friends and unknown others in person if they feel the school will respond to negative press. Personal characteristics also influence intentions to complain. Students with a propensity to complain broadcast their negative experience via the web, grade conscious students tell their friends but only in person, and heavy social media users inform their friends using the web. Implications for faculty and administrators are discussed.

The Effect of Co-Branding on the Brand Equity of Constituent and Composite Brands Before and After Trial

Branding strategies have become increasingly important to both marketing academics and practitioners in recent years. This research focuses on an emerging and popular branding strategy for consumer products – co-branding. Through an experiment, we investigated the impact of co-branding on consumers’ brand equity evaluations of both the co-branded product and the branded products that comprise it.