Ronald C. Goodstein

The Effect of Multiple Extrinsic Cues on Quality Perceptions: A Matter of Consistency

Building on past research, this article illustrates when a price-quality relationship holds in the presence of multiple extrinsic cues. When intrinsic information is scarce, the relationship is more pronounced when a positive price cue is paired with a positive second cue (e.g., strong warranty, positive country of origin, or strong brand). When the two cues are inconsistent, consumers find the negative cue more salient and overweight it in their evaluations. This interaction is moderated by the presence of abundant levels of intrinsic attribute information. Our predictions are replicated across five studies, and the underlying process is supported.

All Cues Are Not Created Equal: Obtaining Attitude Persistence under Low-Involvement Conditions

Attitude persistence research in consumer behavior has been predominantly associated with high- rather than low-involvement processing. Advertising, however, is most often processed as a low-involvement communication. The authors predict that different low-involvement cues lead to different degrees of attitude persistence. Consistent with this prediction, they find that under low-involvement conditions, when both related and unrelated peripheral cues evoke similar initial attitudes, only when the cue is related to the product category do attitudes persist over time. The results of two studies attest to the robustness of the phenomenon and add to current models of attitude persistence by showing that peripherally processed advertising cues (e.g., brand names and celebrity endorsers) may lead to persistence if they are related to the product being endorsed. Copyright 1997 by the University of Chicago.

Call back the jury: Reinvestigating the effects of fit and parent brand quality in determining brand extension success

Abstract Prior research indicates that extension fit and parent brand quality are the key determinants of extension evaluations in non-competitive contexts. However, the very nature of the retail environment means that extensions are introduced into competitive contexts. Therefore, this research reinvestigates the influence and relative importance of key drivers of brand extension success within competitive scenarios. It also tests whether perceptions of purchase risk associated with extensions underlie these effects. In two studies, we examine the effects of extension fit with parent brand, parent brand quality, and extensions’ relative brand familiarity on extension preferences and perceived risk. When there is competition, extension fit and parent brand quality are less crucial than an extensions relative brand familiarity in determining extension evaluations, especially with respect to consumer choice. Moreover, perceptions of extension risk mediate the effects of these factors.