Brand meaning and brand relationship in the context of a contradictory brand extension - A consumer perspective on ORGANICS by Red Bull
(2022) BUSN39 20221Department of Business Administration
- Abstract
- Companies have increasingly launched brand extensions in recent years while building on the credibility of the parent brand. Early brand extension research led to conservative statements about brand extensions and most research around them focuses on success factors from a quantitative perspective. Far less research addresses the brand meaning and the role of brand relationships in the context of brand extensions from a consumer perspective. Therefore, the aim of this research is to gain an understanding of how consumer-brand relationships and brand meaning influence consumers’ perspectives on brand extension. For the theoretical approach, the authors drew upon the two research fields brand management as well as consumer culture theory.... (More)
- Companies have increasingly launched brand extensions in recent years while building on the credibility of the parent brand. Early brand extension research led to conservative statements about brand extensions and most research around them focuses on success factors from a quantitative perspective. Far less research addresses the brand meaning and the role of brand relationships in the context of brand extensions from a consumer perspective. Therefore, the aim of this research is to gain an understanding of how consumer-brand relationships and brand meaning influence consumers’ perspectives on brand extension. For the theoretical approach, the authors drew upon the two research fields brand management as well as consumer culture theory. The authors identified key concepts and created a framework to combine both angles based on these two fields. This research applies a qualitative research approach with a relativist ontology. Following a single case study approach, this thesis looks at how consumers' brand relationship and Red Bull’s brand meaning influence the consumer perspective of their brand extension ORGANICS by Red Bull. In terms of data collection, this thesis implements a deductive approach and conducts two focus groups. Within the two focus groups, participants have been divided into consumers and non-consumers of energy drinks. The findings of this research imply that consumers and non-consumers of Red Bull have a distinct brand image, which is influenced by brand myths and results in an ambiguous brand meaning. Furthermore, consumers, as well as non-consumers, find the brand extension to be contradictory to its parent brand. However, their relationship is the deciding factor in how they experience the brand extension. Consumers, who have a strong relationship with the brand, feel sceptical and hesitant about the brand extension. Whereas non-consumers, who did not establish a relationship with Red Bull in the past, experience the extension as fitting. Thus, the case of Red Bull has demonstrated that brand relationship influences how consumers experience a contradictory brand extension significantly. Moreover, the parent brand’s brand meaning influences consumers' perspective on brand extension, as it is the decisive factor in whether consumers without a relationship to the brand are intrigued by the brand extension. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9090071
- author
- Burian, Celina LU and Euler, Ann LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- BUSN39 20221
- year
- 2022
- type
- H1 - Master's Degree (One Year)
- subject
- keywords
- Brand Meaning, Brand Relationship, Brand Extension, Red Bull, Brand Image, Brand Fit
- language
- English
- id
- 9090071
- date added to LUP
- 2022-06-28 09:53:15
- date last changed
- 2022-06-28 09:53:15
@misc{9090071,
abstract = {{Companies have increasingly launched brand extensions in recent years while building on the credibility of the parent brand. Early brand extension research led to conservative statements about brand extensions and most research around them focuses on success factors from a quantitative perspective. Far less research addresses the brand meaning and the role of brand relationships in the context of brand extensions from a consumer perspective. Therefore, the aim of this research is to gain an understanding of how consumer-brand relationships and brand meaning influence consumers’ perspectives on brand extension. For the theoretical approach, the authors drew upon the two research fields brand management as well as consumer culture theory. The authors identified key concepts and created a framework to combine both angles based on these two fields. This research applies a qualitative research approach with a relativist ontology. Following a single case study approach, this thesis looks at how consumers' brand relationship and Red Bull’s brand meaning influence the consumer perspective of their brand extension ORGANICS by Red Bull. In terms of data collection, this thesis implements a deductive approach and conducts two focus groups. Within the two focus groups, participants have been divided into consumers and non-consumers of energy drinks. The findings of this research imply that consumers and non-consumers of Red Bull have a distinct brand image, which is influenced by brand myths and results in an ambiguous brand meaning. Furthermore, consumers, as well as non-consumers, find the brand extension to be contradictory to its parent brand. However, their relationship is the deciding factor in how they experience the brand extension. Consumers, who have a strong relationship with the brand, feel sceptical and hesitant about the brand extension. Whereas non-consumers, who did not establish a relationship with Red Bull in the past, experience the extension as fitting. Thus, the case of Red Bull has demonstrated that brand relationship influences how consumers experience a contradictory brand extension significantly. Moreover, the parent brand’s brand meaning influences consumers' perspective on brand extension, as it is the decisive factor in whether consumers without a relationship to the brand are intrigued by the brand extension.}},
author = {{Burian, Celina and Euler, Ann}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Brand meaning and brand relationship in the context of a contradictory brand extension - A consumer perspective on ORGANICS by Red Bull}},
year = {{2022}},
}