Extending service brands into products versus services

Abstract

Despite the recognition that service brands can extend to other services (service-to-service brand extensions) or products (service-to-product brand extensions), little research considers the effect of the extension category on the drivers of service brand extension success. To address this gap, the present study proposes and empirically tests a conceptual framework that explicitly considers the extension category as a moderator of the relationship of brand-and consumer-level success drivers (perceived quality of the parent brand, parent brand conviction, brand reliance, consumer innovativeness) with perceived extension quality. The findings indicate a systematic, extension category-dependent influence on the effects of service brand extension success drivers. In particular, the influence of perceived parent brand quality and parent brand reliance is stronger, but the influence of parent brand conviction is weaker, when service brands extend to other services. These findings have significant implications for theory and practice.

Moderating effect of the extension fit and involvement in the relationship between the parent heritage brand attitude and extension loyalty. Application to the monumental complex of the Alhambra and the Generalife

“…Sin embargo, la mayor parte de los trabajos que existen en la amplia literatura sobre las extensiones de marca, son escasos los estudios centrados en el ámbito de los servicios (Sichtmann et al 2017) y en particular en el de las organizaciones artísticas (D' Astous et al 2007), o en el de los sitios patrimoniales, en concreto a aquellos con el sello World Heritage-WH (Prados-Peña y Del Barrio-García 2018;Del Barrio-García y Prados-Peña 2019;Kim et al 2019).…”

“…A pesar del interés de las extensiones de marca, es mayor el número de las investigaciones que se han centrado en la extensión de un bien físico; siendo la literatura relacionada con los factores de éxito de las extensiones de marca en el contexto de los servicios relativamente escasa (Sichtmann et al 2017); y en especial en marcas asociadas al patrimonio cultural (Prados-Peña y Del Barrio-Garcia 2018; Del Barrio-García y Prados-Peña 2019; Kim et al 2019; Prados-Peña y Del Barrio-Garcia 2020).…”

Effects of search, experience and credence attributes versus suggestive brand names on product evaluations

“…In this sense, exposures to incongruent brand names might evoke favorable evaluations if consumers lack access to attribute information or actual performance results, because they cannot detect the brand name–attribute conflict. Services literature also provides some insights into extrinsic product cues, such as suggestive brand names (Pimenta et al , 2014; Sichtmann et al , 2017; Turley and Moore, 1995). Notably, service branding strategies frequently rely on brand names that describe “a key benefit or aspect associated with the service” (Turley and Moore, 1995, p. 46), and such brand names evoke favorable evaluations of service brand extensions (Pimenta et al , 2014).…”

“…Notably, service branding strategies frequently rely on brand names that describe “a key benefit or aspect associated with the service” (Turley and Moore, 1995, p. 46), and such brand names evoke favorable evaluations of service brand extensions (Pimenta et al , 2014). Because of the unique emphasis on experience and credence attributes of services (Mitchell and Greatorex, 1993; Sichtmann et al , 2017), consumers rely heavily on extrinsic cues, such as brand names, to evaluate service offerings in particular.…”

Made for each other? Psychological contracts and service brands evaluations

“…Typically, the inference that can be made is that the PC would not only temper the customer’s view of the service entity as a whole but will also play a key role in directly shaping the customers’ relationship with the service brand. As brand-based differentiation can create and sustain competitive advantage (Aggarwal, 2004) by helping to further distinguish the brand (Berry, 2000; Grace and O’Cass, 2005; Sichtmann et al , 2017), this implies that PCs are a key element in attaining optimal relational based service brand outcomes. Managers, therefore, need to understand the role they potentially play in any RM efforts directed toward the customer and designed to help build their service brands.…”