Is Co-Branding a Double-Edged Sword for Brand Partners?

Chia-Lin Lee

European Research Studies Journal, 2014, vol. XVII, issue 4, 19-34

Abstract: Co-branding is a popular business practice, but marketing scholars have paid very limited attention to co-branding success in the horizontal co-branding context. The aim of the current study is therefore to investigate the impact of a good product-fit in terms of attributelevel complementarity on co-branding success. We first define co-branding success, as one of two effects — a synergy effect and a positive spillover effect. Then, assuming attributelevel complementarity exists, we test two hypotheses that correspond to each effect by using a simple perceptual measure of consumer-based brand equity (CBBE) in a laboratory experiment. We find that, counterintuitively, attribute-level complementarity may not lead to a “higher-value†co-branded product and, in fact, may damage both brands’ equity. That is, synergy and positive spillover effects may not always occur, even under the scenario of a good product-fit. Thus, a horizontal co-branding partnership with attribute-level complementarity could be a double-edged sword for brand partners. The present paper demonstrates the connection between the affect-transfer of attribute beliefs and co-branding success. For brand managers, the proposed CBBE measure can provide an ex-ante evaluation of an intended partnership.

Keywords: Co-Branding; Attribute-Level Complementarities; Consumer-Based Brand Equity; Spill over Effect; Product-Fit (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: M31 M37 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ers:journl:v:xvii:y:2014:i:4:p:19-34

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