Research On Brand Lateral Extension Basing On Consumer’s Brand Learning Motivation

As a major means of accumulating and enlarging brand equity for enterprises, brand extension is one of the important strategy of the enterprise brand construction, it is also widely used both at home and abroad. But at present most companies rarely consider the consumer brand learning motivation when using brand extension. A lot of research scholars do many meticulous research on brand longitudinal extension, which is more than brand lateral extension, and is much more than brand lateral extension that based on consumer’s brand learning motivation. This paper studies factors of consumer’s brand learning motivation affecting brand lateral extension from empirical research perspective, which can learning the law of them specificly and detailly, which can also offer some guidance for enterprise’s brand horizontal extension.On the basis of summarizing predecessors’ research results, this paper analyses the relationship between consumer brand learning motivation and the horizontal extension, namely consumer brands learning motivation is the basis of lateral extension decision; according to consumer learning theory, motivation theory and brand extension theory. To efficiently induce the consumer brand learning motivation is the key to the success of brand lateral extension. By which the influence factors of brand learning motivation affecting lateral extension are analysed, and six major affecting factors are affirmed, including the function oriented motivation factors, emotional orientations motivation factors, image orientation motivation factors, conformity orientations motivation factors, brand to strengthen orientations motivation factors, example orientations motivation factors. Then the research hypothesis is put forward, namely, different gender, age, level of education, occupation and income level whether have influences on function orientation motivation, emotional orientations motivation, image orientations motivation, conformity orientations motivation, brand reinforcement orientations motivation, example orientations motivation or not, then the questionnaire is designed and the samples are collected, the collected data are analysed by excel and SPSS 19.0 software tools. Through factor analysis and single factor variance analysis, the factors that consumer brand learning motivation affecting brand lateral extension are got according to method that extracting the main factors. Also it is got that consumer’s importance ratings for different factors, confirming that different gender, age, level of education, occupation and income level do have influences on six major factors.Suggestion is proposed to take corresponding measures to implement brand lateral extension,including "brand strengthen orientation ", "emotion orientation", "function orientation", "conformity orientation ", "image orientation" and "example orientation".For example, using the brand communication strategy, which can promote the visibility of the brand and the lateral extension product; To make consumer realize emotion migration smoothly, it should be ensured that the lateral extension products have high correlation with the original brand; Lateral extension products high quality should be kept, to let consumer percept better service and thus forming brand preference; To increase public awareness of lateral extension products, the new media communication effect should be made full use of; To propaganda brand values and resonate with consumer, by which can help consumer make purchase decision fast, the lateral extension products which are similar to the parent brand personality should be set up; To play an example effect, celebrities such as appropriate stars as a brand ambassador should be used appropriately.