Purpose – The purpose of this study is to investigate differences in consumer reactions to high- versus low-equity brands in terms of consumer attitude toward the brand, involvement with the brand, company credibility and consumer purchase intentions. Design/methodology/approach – Experimental procedure is conducted to test three hypotheses using 317 consumer participants. The experiment is carried out comparing a high-equity personal computer (PC) brand and a low-equity PC brand involved in product-harm crisis. Findings – The results indicate that, in the case of product-harm crisis, negative consumer perceptions regardless of brand equity level; less negative perceptions for a high-equity brand than for a low-equity brand; and smaller loss in consumer perceptions for a high-equity brand than for a low-equity brand. Research limitations/implications – The findings highlight the importance of brand equity in crisis management explained by covariation theory of attributions. Practical implications – Although product-harm crisis is inevitable for many firms, continuous investment in brand equity can mitigate the negative consequences. Originality/value – Product-harm crisis can pose serious consequences for firms on both financial and intangible dimensions. Given the occurrence of numerous product-harm crises involving both reputable and less known brands, it is important to consider potential influences of brand equity on consumer reactions to such crisis.

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Diffusion in cell membranes is not just simple two-dimensional Brownian motion, but typically depends on the timescale of the observation. The physical origins of this anomalous sub-diffusion are unresolved, and model systems capable of quantitative and reproducible control of membrane diffusion have been recognized as a key experimental bottleneck. Here we control anomalous diffusion using supported lipids bilayers containing lipids derivatized with polyethylene glycol (PEG) headgroups. Bilayers with specific excluded area fractions are formed by control of PEG-lipid mole fraction. These bilayers exhibit a switch in diffusive behavior, becoming anomalous as bilayer continuity is disrupted. Diffusion in these bilayers is well-described by a power-law dependence of the mean square displacement with observation time. The parameters describing this diffusion can be tailored by simply controlling the mole fraction of PEG-lipid, producing bilayers that exhibit anomalous behavior similar to biological membranes. arXiv:1709.04698v2 [physics.bio-ph]