The Impacts of Dialectical Thinking and Perceived Fit Between Brand Personalities on Cobrand Evaluations: An Extended Abstract

Abstract

Cobranding is a popular marketing strategy employed by many of today’s leading brands. It often involves two parent brands joining forces to launch a new product line. For example, Bulgari and Ritz-Carlton jointly market the Bulgari hotels and resorts. Nike and Apple brought music and exercise together when develop the Sports Kit. The choice of which company to team up with is always a concern to marketing academics and practitioners. The image consistency theory suggests that brands should collaborate with those who share similar brand personality. Little research addresses how consumers respond to cobrands with two distinct and conflicting brand personalities. Given that much of branding strategies involves creating a desired personality, which has been linked directly to consumer preference (Aaker 1999), this gap is significant.