Effect Of Brand Collaboration On Consumer's Image Congruence

PurposeThis research aims to identify the effect of collaboration act on consumers'mind. Specifically, there are three main purpose of the research. First, define the relationship between collaboration strategy and dimension of image congruence, that is, how the focal brand affects to another associated brand, vice versa from a brand awareness point of view. Second, verify how the difference level of brand awareness within a collaboration strategy affects to brand attitude. Since collaboration strategy is not just consisted of single brand, there should be the interplay between two brands within collaboration strategy. Third, as the collaboration strategy shares not only an image of the brand, but also customer related to each brand, relationship of one brand will affect to another brand within collaboration. We will define how the collaboration strategy affects to the dimension of brand relationship between two brands affiliated with collaboration strategy.Design/MethodologyBased on the recommendations of extant research, the scale constructed to measure emotional process in this research included image congruence, brand attitude and brand relationship measures. Each of variables was measured using a different set of items using questionnaire. In this research, variety samples were used to measure those variables more realistically across 13 countries nationalities, age range of 18 to 45, and not just a student samples, but variety of employment status (Student, Part-timer, Full-timer, not in paid worker). ANOVA and simple regression analysis were used to measure three variables across four brands, four collaboration combinations and each of four brands independently. FindingsThe results of empirical test support the effect of collaboration over the dimension of image congruence, brand attitude and brand relationship only when the gap of brand awareness is large. Some of the finding may be useable for someone to match up collaboration partners. Furthermore, this research contributes to the in-depth understanding of how the collaboration affects consumers'emotional process.Originality / ValueThe value of this research is that it provides empirical evidence of the collaboration strategy related to consumers'emotional react, supporting Aaker's and Keller's (1990) conceptualization of Consumer evaluations of brand extensions. In addition, this research strengthens the emotional process beneath the surface, that is, relationship between image congruence and brand attitude as well as brand relationship, whereas earlier researches were more focused on the consumers'behavior related to image congruence, which is outward movement.