Study On Consumer Attitudes Toward Brand Extension Based On Brand Gender Traits

For positioning, a brand establishes spcific gender traits in consumers'mind. And to cover more market segments, managers will consider extending the brand to other segments by new products, which gender traits differ from original products. Managers want to know factors influencing consumers'attitudes toward extension products, and the influencing mechanism. Based on Gender Schema Theory and Self-concept Congruity Model, and theories of brand extension, this paper analyzes the thesis systematically.Firstly, the paper utilizes the method of criterion research to analyze the construct of brand's gender traits by integrating the Gender Schema Theory with the Self-concept Congruity Model, and create a model of brand gender traits. And then, based on the model of brand gender traits, this paper develops a brand gender traits scale by the glossary induction. The model of brand gender traits is composed of two independent dimensions, on the other hand, the brand gender traits scale is consisted of masculine sub-scale containing 11 items and feminity sub-scale containing 13 items. With ideal reliability and construct validity, the brand gender traits scale is a tool to measure brand gender traits.Furthermore, combining Self-concept Congruity Model with theories of brand extension, this paper indicates both self-concept congruity and perceived similaity are factors influencing consumers'attitudes toward brand extension based on gender traits. After an experimental analysis of these factors'effect, this paper finds that, in terms of brand extension along gender traits, consumers'self-concept congruity influences purchasing intention positively but not perceived quality, and perceived similarity influences perceived quality positively but not purchasing intention. In other words, while extending brand gender traits, self-concept congruity affects purchasing attitude toward brand extension, and perceived similarity affects quality attitude toward brand extension. Moreover, this paper finds that consumers'perceived quality of the same extension dosen't vary with different gender identities, while an extension product has a typical gender trait, among four gender identities, consumers with the same gender trait purchase the extension product most possibly.Finally, in the view of managers, the model and scale of brand gender traits are a theory and a mearsure for them to manage brand gender traits. When extending gender traits of brand, manager should segment the market with gender identity and launch new products consistent with consumers'self-concept if focusing on purchasing intention, on the other hand, should launch new products similar to original products to receive consumers'agreement with quality.