| This study examines the role of brand advertising as cognitive and affective priming on consumers' perceptions of a brand extension. The exposure to brand advertising of which the salient concepts are either congruent or incongruent with those of the extension category, and the consumer attitude toward the ad (Aad) are investigated as cognitive and affective priming, respectively. Each priming effect is examined either for a comparable brand extension (sneakers from denim clothing) or for a moderately noncomparable brand extension (perfume/cologne from denim clothing). The change in the subjects' perception of a brand extension in different priming condition is examined with regard to three specific criteria: accessibility of the brand attributes; perceived appropriateness of the brand attributes; and perceived similarity of the brand extension. The hypotheses are tested using a 3 (ad-exposure conditions) x 2 (extension comparability) experimental design. The findings indicate that exposure to brand advertising (cognitive priming) overall increases the accessibility of the brand attributes, the perceived appropriateness of the brand attributes, and the perceived similarity of a brand extension, over a no-ad exposure (no priming) condition. For a comparable extension, the increase is greater when the salient concepts of the ad are congruent with those of the extension category than when they are not. For a moderately noncomparable extension, the congruity does not show a consistent effect. Attitude toward the ad (affective priming) has a significant effect on the accessibility and the appropriateness of the brand attributes, but not on the perceived similarity. The pattern appears consistently for both a comparable and a moderately noncomparable extension. An additional analysis indicates that both ad-exposure conditions and Aad influence consumers' overall attitude toward a brand extension. Again, the ad congruity shows a predictable effect for a comparable extension, but not for a moderately noncomparable extension; Aad shows a stronger effect for a moderately noncomparable extension than for a comparable extension. |
