Reproductive experiential brand extensions raise a question that prevailing accounts of brand extension fit do not fully answer. Traditional fit models rely on criteria such as category- and feature-based similarity and functional complementarity, while research on experiential extensions and brand heritage acknowledges tensions between fidelity and change without specifying which elements audiences treat as binding and which as open to reinterpretation. We distinguish two qualitatively distinct heritage-based fit standards rather than points on a single continuum: strict fit, under which deviation is treated as violating preservation expectations, and flexible fit, under which it may be legitimised as adaptation. Using 35,958 consumer reviews of 15 Disney live-action films, we combine aspect-based sentiment analysis with theoretically specified heritage anchors and dictionary-based measurement. Strict-fit activation is stronger in evaluations anchored in stability and longevity than in those anchored in adaptability, while one clear departure and one boundary case indicate that the standard activated is further qualified at the aspect level. The study therefore locates the boundary between preservation and reinterpretation: fit concerns the selective negotiability of heritage-anchored elements rather than overall similarity or a fidelity–change trade-off. For managers, it identifies where creative deviation carries evaluative risk and where it is legitimised.
This study examines factors influencing customers’ tolerance of service failures, focusing on brand attachment and loyalty in shaping responses. Specifically, the study examines how customers’ emotional and cognitive connections to a brand, along with their loyalty, shape their tolerance of service disruptions. Additionally, the study considers customer confidence and compensation received as moderating factors in service recovery. A survey of 221 U.S. respondents who experienced service failures at their preferred hotel brands within the past year provided data for analysis. The study employs hierarchical OLS regression to test nine hypotheses. The findings underscore the importance of the customer–brand relationship in fostering tolerance, suggesting that strong brand attachment and loyalty mitigate negative reactions. However, customer confidence and compensation received may not always enhance the positive effects of brand relationships, challenging conventional service recovery strategies. This study demonstrates that the customer–brand relationship remains resilient even in distress situations, emphasizing its enduring influence beyond routine interactions. By broadening the conceptual and empirical understanding of brand management literature on service failure and recovery, this study offers new insights into how brand attachment, loyalty, and trust shape customer responses.
This paper examines how the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in new product design influences consumer perceptions of brand quality, purchase intention, and willingness to pay a premium, with a focus on the moderating role of brand motive attribution (passion vs. profit) and the mediating role of brand extension authenticity. Two experiments were conducted using stimuli of wedding jewellery and craft beer, with data collected via an online panel. Data were analyzed using Generalized Linear Models (GLM) and mediation analysis (PROCESS Models 4 and 7). Results indicate that AI-designed products receive more favourable evaluations when associated with passion-driven rather than profit-driven brands. These relationships are explained by brand extension authenticity, with moderated mediation analyses demonstrating that the indirect effects are stronger for passion-driven brands. To our knowledge, this study is among the first to examine AI use in product design as a novel signal, contingent on brand motive attribution, with implications for brands employing extension strategies. We thus extend prior research on AI-enabled design and brand authenticity (e.g., Lee and Kim 2024; Xu and Mehta 2022) by proposing and testing a conditional-process model linking AI use, perceived authenticity, and brand quality evaluations.
The concept of brand rejuvenation has garnered increasing scholarly interest; however, the execution and efficacy of brand rejuvenation strategies remain underexplored. This paper proposes a research framework from the perspective of brand management to explore and conceptualise the brand rejuvenation process. Study 1 employs template analysis to examine the brand rejuvenation efforts of Chinese time-honoured brands (CTBs), resulting in the development of a typology comprising four distinct rejuvenation strategies: Maintenance, Experimental, Responsive, and Transformative. Study 2 further investigates the consumption experiences of Generation Z through semi-structured interviews, revealing that the success of brand rejuvenation efforts is contingent upon the strength of the historical connection between consumers and the brand. This study uncovers the dynamics of brand rejuvenation, offering a detailed typology and incorporates the critical perspective of Generation Z consumers.
Brand placement in music is generally considered to have a positive effect on the brand, particularly in rap lyrics, where brands tend to be valued. However, negative brand criticism in rap lyrics is increasing, and little is known about this phenomenon. Based on theories of normative influence and the boomerang effect, we hypothesise that rap consumers support brands that are criticised in lyrics. We conducted three experiments with 742 rap consumers. Our results show that negative brand criticism in rap lyrics is perceived as a violation of rap standards, generating a ‘surprise effect’ and triggering positive reactions towards the brand. Our research reveals that the ‘surprise effect’ and willingness to advocate the brand mediate the relationship between negative brand criticism in rap lyrics and support for the brand. This explains why rap music consumers are more likely to support brands that are challenged in rap lyrics than those that are promoted. These results provide evidence of brand immunity through a subculture.
