Logo design in marketing communications: Brand logo complexity moderates exposure effects on brand recognition and brand attitude

Although good logos are essential for creating brand awareness and brand equity, the effects of logo design features have not been tested empirically. Extending previous findings regarding the effects of design complexity and exposure in advertising to the field of brand logos, two experiments tested the effects of logo complexity and exposure on brand recognition and brand attitude. It was hypothesized that logo complexity moderates the effects of exposure on logo recognition and brand attitudes, such that exposure increases recognition and positively impacts brand attitudes in particular for complex logos. Experiment 1 (N = 68) tested the effects of six unfamiliar logos on recognition (in milliseconds) in a 2 (logo design complexity: simple vs complex) × 2 (logo exposure: one vs four) mixed design. Experiment 2 (N = 164) tested the effects of eight familiar logos on logo recognition and brand attitudes in a 2 (complexity: simple vs complex) × 2 (logo exposure: well-established vs recently established) within-subjects design. Findings showed that increases in exposure led to an increase in brand recognition and to more positive attitudes in particular for complex brand logos, suggesting short-term benefits for simple brand logos, and long-term benefits for complex logos.     

May the force drag your dynamic logo: The brand work-energy effect

We introduce force in dynamic brand logos as a cue to brand work and subsequent brand energy; constructs we develop and distinguish from brand engagement. We argue the phenomenon observed is due to a brand work-energy effect, whereby the depiction of a drag force (opposite direction to motion) in brand logos enhances consumer judgments of brand work, which results in greater perceived brand energy. Taking a Newtonian physics lens, we argue that the presence of a drag force within a dynamic brand logo positively affects an individual's judgment of the brand's work (effort and trying hard) and brand's energy (momentum, power, and drive) and, subsequently, their brand attitude, purchase intention, and actual behavior. Across four experiments we manipulate brand logo design through the absence of force without motion (static logo), the absence of force with motion (kinematic logo), and the presence of force with motion (i.e., gravitational, spring, air resistance, and tension force; dynamic logo). Results demonstrate that the presence of a drag force in brand logos increases brand attitude and behavior. We demonstrate that brand work and brand energy, rather than brand engagement, sequentially explain attitudinal and behavioral judgments derived from brand logo drag force through a brand work-energy effect and a brand energy halo effect. We also determine that a thrust force of air propulsion results in attenuation of our brand work-energy effect, with high magnitude of a drag force enhancing the effect.     

The influence of brand personality and relative brand identification on brand loyalty in the European mobile phone market

This study investigates the influence of brand personality on consumer loyalty and the moderating role of relative brand identification for multiple brands in the same product category. Survey data were collected from 1,651 respondents in the United Kingdom, France, and Germany. Results indicate that dimensions of brand personality that are positively associated with consumer brand loyalty vary across brands in the mobile phone category. Furthermore, relative brand identification not only positively affects consumer loyalty, it also moderates the relationship between brand personality and consumer loyalty. Copyright © 2015 ASAC. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Support for the underdog brand biography: Effects on consumer attitude and behavior

Conflict between favorites and underdogs is an everyday phenomenon. Research suggests that people support the underdog as they see a reflection of their own self in the person at a disadvantaged position. Two studies examine the effect of underdog brand biography in two different contexts. Study 1 provides support for the notion that underdog brand biographies for established brands elicit stronger consumer response than underdog brand biography for new brands. In study 2, a 2 × 2 between-subjects experimental design measured respondents’ reaction toward an underdog brand biography over a top dog brand biography under conditions of public versus private consumption. Results demonstrate that consumers exposed to underdog brand biographies in the private consumption condition will be more likely to respond favorably than when they are exposed to the public consumption condition. Based on the results it is suggested that advertisers make use of underdog brand biographies in case of established brands. Furthermore, choice of underdog brand narratives is likely to bring positive results under conditions of private consumption.     

National versus private brand: A regulatory focus perspective

Why do consumers choose a private versus national brand? A between-subjects factorial design was used to address this question in two product categories: shampoo and athletic shoes. Three determining factors were used—regulatory focus: promotion versus prevention; brand types: national versus private; and attribute framing: hedonic versus utilitarian—to predict consumer attitude towards the brand, its ad, and purchase intention. The results provide support for the interactions between regulatory focus and attribute framing for shampoo, and between regulatory focus and brand types for shoes. When exposed to shampoo ads, promotion focused consumers have a more positive attitude toward the ad and a higher purchase intention if the ad features utilitarian rather than hedonic attributes. Further, both promotion and prevention focused consumers prefer national brands of shoes to private labels. One possible explanation may lie in private versus public consumption of shampoo and shoes.     

Cute brand logo enhances favorable brand attitude: The moderating role of hope

A brand logo has significant influences on consumer evaluations of a brand. However, little research has examined the effectiveness of brand logo design. The present research thus seeks to extend the literature in this area by examining how cuteness associated with a brand logo might produce a more favourable brand attitude. Across two experimental studies, this research provides empirical evidence that a cute (vs. non-cute) brand logo can increase positive consumer attitude toward a brand, especially among those experiencing the emotion of hope (but not happiness or a neutral emotional state). Further, this effect is driven by the perceptions among consumers feeling hopeful (but not happy) that a cute (vs. non-cute) brand logo has higher levels of growth potential. The findings of this research thus make theoretical implications on the literature on brand logo, cuteness, and emotion literature, and offer managerial implications in terms of brand logo design effectiveness.     

The visual naturalness effect: Impact of natural logos on brand personality perception

A logo is a critical visual element that uniquely identifies a brand and can affect consumers' brand perceptions. Naturalness reflects the degree to which a sign depicts objects from the natural and sensitive world. The logo strategy literature identifies naturalness as a universal and critical design dimension influencing consumers' cognitive, affective and behavioural reactions. In practice, both high and low natural logos are frequently used by brands. However, the current understanding of the effects of logo naturalness is limited. This research thus investigates the influence of natural logos on consumer perceptions of brand personality. The data were collected in four experiments using a set of 10 manipulated logos as stimuli. Our results suggest that high (vs. low) natural logos positively affect the perception of brand sincerity personality and that this effect occurs because high natural logos are easier to process and elicit stronger impressions of authenticity. Moreover, we demonstrate that the positive effect of logo naturalness is enhanced among brands with products made from natural-made (vs. human-made) ingredients. These findings therefore suggest that brands should avoid using low natural logos if their sincerity perception is critical or if most of their products contain high levels of natural ingredients. Hence, our results reinforce the visual design and branding theories and offer marketing practitioners actionable insights.     

Communicating brand gender through type fonts

The marketing literature suggests that positioning a brand in terms of brand gender (i.e., brand masculinity and brand femininity) generates favorable consumer responses, yet there is little research on how brand gender perceptions arise. This research examines whether type font can be employed to create brand gender perceptions in the context of unfamiliar brands. Building on the theoretical framework of personality inferences based on static cues, three studies involving a range of type fonts, brand names, and product categories demonstrate that type font influences consumers’ perceptions of brand gender. Type font effects emerged for brand names presented in isolation (Study 1), brand names presented on signage (Study 2a), and brand names on product labels (Studies 2b and 3). Importantly, type font effects on brand gender persisted in the presence of a competing brand gender cue (i.e., brand name with gender associations), and type font and brand name influenced brand gender perceptions independently. A fourth study demonstrates that type fonts representing the brands influence consumers’ likelihood to recommend the brand. The article concludes with a discussion of theoretical and brand management implications.     

Claiming a family brand identity: The role of website storytelling

This study focuses on the creation of a family identity as a central communication objective in business storytelling. We contribute to the field of business website marketing by identifying, through textual analysis of US winery website narratives, how businesses communicate family brand identities. Results show that three claims that are critical for family brand identities—character, temporal continuity, and distinctiveness—do appear in the website texts. Our study provides beginning evidence that family identity does not require family ownership alone but can be built upon complementary narrative elements and tactics, including kinship references and heritage storytelling. Both content and linguistic style of narratives are useful in conveying a family brand identity to an external public for website design. Implications are discussed.     

Why negative brand extension evaluations do not always negatively affect the brand: The role of central and peripheral brand associations

This research introduces the concept of brand association centrality and distinguishes central brand associations (CBAs) and peripheral brand associations (PBAs). Study 1 shows that the consistency with CBAs and PBAs influences perceived brand extension fit. However, the brand extension consistency with CBAs positively affects consumer–brand extension evaluations, while the brand extension consistency with PBAs does not have a significant effect. Study 2 demonstrates the mediating role of perceived fit between brand extension consistency with CBAs and brand extension evaluations. The study shows that the more inconsistent the product extension is with CBAs, the more the brand's image is altered and the faster brand evaluations deteriorate. In contrast, the brand extension inconsistency with PBAs does not affect brand evaluations.     

Blending package shape with the gender dimension of brand image: How and why?

We investigate the congruence of brand image and package shape on product preferences, the moderating role of a creative mindset, and the underlying processes. Across four studies, we show that consumers generally prefer products with curved-shaped (versus angular-shaped) packaging for a “feminine” brand and prefer products with angular-shaped (versus curved-shaped) packaging for a “masculine” brand (Study 1a). This effect is mediated by the perceived congruence between brand image and package shape (Study 1b). We further demonstrate that the congruence effect is reversed when consumers adopt a creative (versus less creative) mindset (Study 2), since a creative mindset leads consumers to perceive curved-shaped packaging as more congruent with a masculine (versus feminine) brand and angular-shaped packaging as more congruent with a feminine (versus masculine) brand (Study 3).     

The logo matters: the effect of the logo type on the attitude towards co-products

ABSTRACT

This study investigates the effect of the type of logo used to promote co-products. In the case of an added logo, the logos of the constituent brands are lined up next to each other. An integrative logo is composed of the elements of both original brand logos. A novel logo does not contain any elements of the original brand logos. We found that the use of an integrative logo results in more favourable perceptions of brand cooperation, higher perceptions of co-product quality, more positive feelings and a more favourable attitude towards the co-product compared to the use of an added or novel logo. For a novel logo of co-products, consumers reported feelings of irritation and frustration and a less favourable attitude compared to an added logo.     

The Role of Logo Recoloring on Perceptual Fluency in Cause-Related Marketing Campaigns

Abstract

This article investigates the influence of brand esthetics on consumer response to cause-related marketing campaigns. Drawing on brand visual identity and advertising research, a processing fluency perspective is explored in the relationship between stimulus characteristics and consumer judgment. Processing fluency suggests color enhances the ease with which consumers recognize and process brand elements, and more broadly, cause-related marketing campaigns. Brand logos were recolored to enhance the perceptual fluency of the two entities. Its joint effect with conceptual congruence (e.g., fit) indicate that both low and high fit brands benefit from enhanced processing fluency, with a more robust outcome for high fit brands. These effects were mediated by logo evaluation, leading to a new path of fit perceptions in CRM initiatives.     

Brand and quality effects on introduction of store brand products

This paper considers a supply chain with a single manufacturer selling a national brand product via a single retailer. The retailer has the option to introduce a product under his own brand into the market with the same functionality as the national brand product. We simultaneously consider the consumer bases of the national brand and store brand along with consumers' willingness to pay for quality and the supply chain control (centralized vs. decentralized). By analyzing the game-theoretic models, we offer managerial insights about the influences of brands' consumer bases on the quality and pricing decisions of the retailer, and on the manufacturer's willingness-to-collaborate when the retailer introduces the store brand product. We find that, although it is usually easier for the retailer to introduce a product under a store brand with a large consumer base, doing so with manufacturers of well established national brands can be difficult, when the retailer often has to greatly mark down his store brand product's quality and price. We also find that a store brand product with a small consumer base shall be launched only when the supply chain is switched to a centralized control and when the manufacturer's national brand has a large consumer base. These important findings offer guidance to both national brand manufacturers and retail store managers regarding the launch of store brand products.     

Beyond brand loyalty: Brand sustainability

Historically, measures of brand value have focused on brand awareness, customer brand equity and measured brand loyalty. While useful, these generally provide little visibility for the future of the brand. A new measure, brand sustainability, is proposed, described and illustrated. Drawing on over 1 million responses to online customer questionnaires, over a 10-year period, covering brands in 73 FMCG product categories, we create, illustrate and demonstrate a brand sustainability measure. That measure consists of brand share of preference, a calculation of their average annual growth rate. That is then compared to the consumer-stated no brand preference in that category. Net promoter scores are used to support those calculations. Findings show that manufacturer brands are challenged, not by private label, but by no brand preference in the category. Research suggestions are made on how to develop and use brand sustainability and the impact of that measure on future brand growth and development.     

消费者品牌延伸评价中的"拥有者效应"

A two levels of product similarity times two levels of brand image consistency times three levels of ownerships factorial experiment was designed to explore the ownership effects when consumers evaluate brand extensions and judge parent brand after receiving brand extension information. Evidence shows that ownership effects do exist in both extension and parent brand evaluations. Brand image consistency is the most influential factor for parent brand owners while product similarity is more important factor for non-users in attitude formation towards the extension. The owners of competitive brands favor low image consistency extension more than high image consistency extension. Furthermore, there is an interaction effect between brand image consistency and product similarity for brand owners, whereas this effect is non-existent for non-owners and non-users. This again shows that brand owners care much more about brand image consistency than other consumer groups do. In evaluating a parent brand, owners and non-owners differ. The authors draw the conclusion that consumers’ brand extension evaluation is more like a “benefit oriented” process rather than a “pure affect transfer” process.     

Media amplification of a brand crisis and its affect on brand trust

Abstract

This paper explores the ways in which consumers' brand trust during a brand crisis is affected through direct experience versus when it is amplified through mass media. By using case-study methodology, our findings reveal that generalised public images of a product crisis initiate a public perception of risk, which provides more negative effects on brand trust than the actual consumers' experience does. We introduce the media as a third partner influencing the trust relationship between consumers and brands, and offer suggestions for restoring and preserving customers' brand trust.     

弘扬民族品牌文化底蕴的移情手法

民族品牌没有正式的定义,但是却有深厚的文化底蕴。弘扬这些文化底蕴,是宣传民族品牌的捷径。移情作用在传达人的情感时有重要意义,因此,品牌宣传中,使用移情手法,传播速度最快,影响最深刻。古典诗词的韵味对民族品牌的文化底蕴有特殊的影响,在广告标识语中运用文化移情方法,可以产生绵长的韵味,加深民族品牌的文化底蕴。     

The effect of negative online customer reviews on brand equity and purchase intention of consumer electronics in South Africa

This study investigated the effect that negative online customer reviews have on brand equity and purchase intention. This research examined the influence of negative electronic word of mouth (eWOM) on brand equity, as influenced by customer review quality, product involvement and source credibility. A 3 (high quality review versus low quality review versus no review) × 2 (high product involvement versus low product involvement) factorial experiment with 236 respondents was conducted. The results revealed that the presence of negative eWOM has a significant detrimental effect on brand equity and purchase intention. Furthermore, the effect of negative online customer reviews is more detrimental to the brand equity of a high involvement product than a low involvement product. The results also revealed that high quality reviews are more influential than low quality reviews with respect to brand equity, and the difference between the levels of eWOM source credibility has no significant effect on brand equity.