Reciprocal Effects Between Multichannel Retailers’ Offline and Online Brand Images

Two experiments were conducted to disentangle reciprocal relationships between multichannel retailers’ offline and online brand images. Results support the cross-channel effect of prior offline brand image on online brand beliefs (biased assimilation) and that of online performance on offline brand beliefs (impact). Consumers’ online and offline brand attitudes were influenced by not only brand beliefs from the respective channel but also by beliefs from the other channel. But, strong prior offline brand image was found to mitigate the impact of online performance on offline brand beliefs in the presence of negative online performance (impact minimization) as a way to eliminate cognitive dissonance.

[1]  David W. Wallace,et al.  Customer retailer loyalty in the context of multiple channel strategies , 2004 .

[2]  L. Festinger,et al.  A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance , 2017 .

[3]  R. Gulati,et al.  Get the right mix of bricks & clicks. , 2000, Harvard business review.

[4]  Maria G. Piacentini,et al.  Symbolic consumption in teenagers' clothing choices , 2004 .

[5]  K. Ruyter,et al.  Multi-channel service retailing: The effects of channel performance satisfaction on behavioral intentions , 2006 .

[6]  D. O’Keefe.  Persuasion : theory & research , 2002 .

[7]  J. Cacioppo,et al.  Negative information weighs more heavily on the brain: The negativity bias in evaluative categorizations. , 1998 .

[8]  M. Holbrook,et al.  Assessing the Role of Emotions as Mediators of Consumer Responses to Advertising , 1987 .

[9]  A. Bergstrom.  Cyberbranding: leveraging your brand on the Internet , 2000 .

[10]  Z. Kunda,et al.  The case for motivated reasoning. , 1990, Psychological bulletin.

[11]  Fred D. Davis,et al.  User Acceptance of Computer Technology: A Comparison of Two Theoretical Models , 1989 .

[12]  Eva Martínez,et al.  The negative impact of brand extensions on parent brand image , 2003 .

[13]  Ruth Ann Smith.  The Effects of Visual and Verbal Advertising Information on Consumers' Inferences , 1991 .

[14]  Jacques Nantel,et al.  My virtual model: Virtual reality comes into fashion , 2004 .

[15]  E. Aronson,et al.  Some hedonic consequences of the confirmation and disconfirmation of expectancies. , 1963, Journal of abnormal and social psychology.

[16]  Robert P. Abelson,et al.  Modes of resolution of belief dilemmas , 1959 .

[17]  Helge Thorbjørnsen,et al.  Brand extensions: brand concept congruency and feedback effects revisited , 2005 .

[18]  Barry Berman,et al.  A guide to developing and managing a well‐integrated multi‐channel retail strategy , 2004 .

[19]  L. Festinger.  Conflict, Decision, and Dissonance , 1964 .

[20]  Yi-Ching Hsieh,et al.  Maintaining a committed online customer: A study across search-experience-credence products , 2005 .

[21]  Kevin Lane Keller,et al.  Understanding retail branding: conceptual insights and research priorities , 2004 .

[22]  Martin Fishbein,et al.  Acceptance yielding and impact: cognitive processes in persuasion. , 1981 .

[23]  Kevin Lane Keller.  Conceptualizing, Measuring, and Managing Customer-Based Brand Equity , 1993 .

[24]  Deborah Roedder John,et al.  Diluting Brand Beliefs: When Do Brand Extensions Have a Negative Impact? , 1993 .

[25]  M. Dekimpe,et al.  The Market Valuation of Internet Channel Additions , 2002 .

[26]  David M. Lane,et al.  Generalizing across stimuli as well as subjects: A neglected aspect of external validity. , 1985 .

[27]  I. Ajzen,et al.  Understanding Attitudes and Predicting Social Behavior , 1980 .

[28]  James E. Crandall,et al.  “Negativity Bias” in Evaluative Ratings , 1975 .

[29]  Carol Kaufman–Scarborough,et al.  E‐shopping in a multiple channel environment , 2002 .

[30]  Dhruv Grewal,et al.  The Effect of Multiple Extrinsic Cues on Quality Perceptions: A Matter of Consistency , 2005 .

[31]  Rohini Ahluwalia.  Examination of psychological processes underlying resistance to persuasion , 2000 .

[32]  Martin Fishbein,et al.  Readings in attitude theory and measurement , 1968 .

[33]  L. Ross,et al.  Biased Assimilation and Attitude Polarization: The Effects of Prior Theories on Subsequently Considered Evidence , 1979 .

[34]  Irwin Katz,et al.  Racial ambivalence and American value conflict: Correlational and priming studies of dual cognitive structures. , 1988 .

[35]  James A. Scepansky,et al.  Motivated sensitivity to preference-inconsistent information. , 1998 .

[36]  Michelle L. Roehm,et al.  Strategies to offset performance failures: The role of brand equity , 2008 .

[37]  Reza Barkhi,et al.  A Model of the Determinants of Purchasing from Virtual Stores , 2008, J. Organ. Comput. Electron. Commer..

[38]  Fred D. Davis.  A technology acceptance model for empirically testing new end-user information systems : theory and results , 1985 .

[39]  A. Fiore,et al.  The role of the technology acceptance model in explaining effects of image interactivity technology on consumer responses , 2006 .

[40]  Vijay Vishwanath,et al.  Multi-Channels: The Real Winners in the B2C Internet Wars , 2001 .

[41]  Dirk Morschett,et al.  Perception of store attributes and overall attitude towards grocery retailers: The role of shopping motives , 2005 .

[42]  Srinivas K. Reddy,et al.  The impact of parent brand attribute associations and affect on brand extension evaluation , 2001 .

[43]  Jon A. Krosnick,et al.  Measures and manipulations of strength-related properties of attitudes: Current practice and future directions. , 1995 .

[44]  B. Kahn,et al.  Cross-category effects of induced arousal and pleasure on the Internet shopping experience , 2002 .

[45]  Linda Simon,et al.  Trivialization: the forgotten mode of dissonance reduction. , 1995 .

[46]  Subhash Sharma,et al.  Effects of online communication practices on consumer perceptions of performance uncertainty for search and experience goods , 2007 .

[47]  G. Zinkhan,et al.  In Search of Brand Image: a Foundation Analysis , 1990 .

[48]  B. Sternthal,et al.  Ease of message processing as a moderator of repetition effects in advertising. , 1990 .