品牌延伸对母品牌的不利影响【(外文翻译)】—-毕业论文设计

毕业论文（设计）外文翻译
标题：
The negative impact of brand extensions on parent brand image
原文：
1. Introduction
If we analyse any general definition of a product, we find that there are three levels: the first is the product itself, which includes the physical and tangible aspects of the same (design, features, packaging, etc.); the second level encompasses the added services (warrantees, finance, after sales service, etc.); and the third level includes the most intangible aspects such as the brand name, quality perceptions, reputation, etc. (de Chernatony and McDonald, 1998).
Intangible aspects
Among the intangible aspects of the product, the brand is the most important, given that the majority of marketing strategies tend to highlight the brand – including all of its added elements like logotype or slogan – more than the product is being sold. Therefore, the brand is one of the most important assets that companies have, and as such, companies take advantage of it in their business strategy.
In recent years, companies have used brand extension strategies to launch new products onto the market, given that this strategy decreases the risk of failure of these products, because consumers will better accept the new products launched under known symbols. However, this strategy can also cause negative effects in the perceptions of consumers, which translate into a dilution of the brand image.
The objective of this study is to look deeply into the negative effects that brand extension strategies may have on the brand image, taking into account the most relevant variables considered in the literature. For this reason, the next two sections present a review of the studies about both brand image and brand extensions. The fourth section includes the hypotheses to be tested, and the next section describes the methodology used. The information is subsequently analysed, and the main conclusions and implications are presented in the last section.
2. Brand image
Like other abstract concepts, such as brand value, brand image can have multiple meanings and interpretations according to the various points of view linked to business studies (e.g. psychology perspective). One of the definitions of brand image that is widely accepted in the literature is the one contributed by Keller (1993), which defines this term as the “perceptions about a brand reflected as associations existing in the memory of the consumer”. According to this author, the associations can be created from direct experience[1] with the good or service, from the information communicated (by the company itself, by other commercial sources and by word-of-mouth) and by making inferences according to pre-existing associations about the company, the origin, etc.
Inherent associations
The associations that make up the brand image can refer to both tangible and intangible aspects, intrinsic or extrinsic, and can be the result of both external and internal stimuli to each individual, depending on their own experience with the brand in question. Therefore, setting the limits of the kinds of associations inherent to a particular brand is no minor task, and numerous efforts have been directed at attempting to systematise and specify the possible dimensions that can significantly influence the image component.
Aaker (1994) indicates that the associations are based on aspects such as the attributes of the product, intangible factors (perceived quality, technological leadership, etc.), benefits provided to the customer, relative price, use or application, the kind of user or customer, a known personage who serves as promotional presenter, lifestyle, brand personality, class of product, competitor products and country of origin.
Classifying method
Keller (1993) presents a more structured classifying method for these variables, in addition to considering other dimensions, and indicates that brand associations may be broken down into attributes, benefits and attitudes. According to this author, consumers will evaluate the brand overall (attitudes), to the extent that the descriptive
characteristics of the good or pertinent service (attributes) adapt to the consumers (benefits). Thus, Keller affirms that the kinds of associations will be more or less strong in the memory of the individual according to the amount of information supplied and the information process; and the favourable attitude towards a brand will depend on the degree to which the attributes and benefits of the brand serve to satisfy its target market. Moreover, Keller indicates the need to measure the congruence between the various associations for a given brand and the leverage by secondary associations regarding the company (reputation, credibility, etc.), the country of origin, the distribution channels (price, advising, quality, service, etc.), and the event or existence of a celebrity spokesperson or someone encouraging customers to buy the product or service.
Finally, among the many other works that reiterate the relevance of some of the variables considered (e.g. see Porter and Claycomb (1997) and Gwinner and Eaton (1999), who point out the relevance of retail setting and event sponsorship respectively), we can highlight the contribution by García Rodri´guez and Bergantiños (2001), who indicate that the key aspects that can influence the image are the benefits of the product, the packaging, the distribution channel, the communication, the name of the brand and the symbol and slogan.
Three dimensions
The verified existence of a multitude of variables affecting the associations that constitute the brand image is a considerable obstacle for empirical research. Therefore, in order to facilitate the analyses, and while attempting to seek a balance between cost, viability and the totality of all possible indicators, Aaker and Álvarez del Blanco (1995) propose the use of just three dimensions for appraising the image of a brand, which are the perceived value, the personality and the organisation. The perceived value involves the functional benefits of the product, and it attempts to measure whether or not a suitable relationship exists between the performance and the price of the brand; the personality refers to the symbolic and emotional benefits originating from the brand; and finally, the organisation component is closely connected with the organisat ion’s image and aims at the degree of admiration for the company, the level
of confidence in the brand and in general the several feelings of both the brand image itself as well as the corporate image, which can decisively affect the perceptions of an individual.
One term intrinsically tied to the brand image, although clearly differentiated from it, is the brand identity. One of the most common errors in evaluating brand image is the belief that both aspects are identical, what Aaker (1996) calls the “brand image trap”. The confusion between brand image and brand identity not only transcends the lexical plane, but it also translates into erroneous business management. Therefore, when an image is created, the signs derived from the associations must be analysed, in addition to the manner in which the perceptions can be influenced and what the undesirable signals may be generated, given that the attributes that the manufacturer highlights as advantages of the product might have negative connotations (García Rodri´guez and Bergantiños, 2001) and might vary depending on typologies of consumers.
Various associations
Aaker (1996) defines the brand identity as a set of assets (and liabilities) linked to the name and symbol of the brand that embody (or take away from) the value provided by a product or service for a company and/or its customers. The identity of the brand alludes to the various associations that the company attempts to communicate, regardless of the fact that in the end they translate into truly perceived associations (image). This business variable is going to become very relevant when considering the possible brand strategies that a company can follow. Thus, Cruz and Cerviño (1996) include the concept of the brand identity prism, which encompasses aspects such as physical attributes, personality, the image itself, representation and relationships. These authors use the brand identity prism, together with the schema by Rao and Ruekert (1995), to propose a model that evaluates the alliances among brands that are ready to launch new products onto the market, something that, in fact, could be understood as a brand extension strategy.
It becomes evident that interactions exist between the extension strategy and the brand identity that the company wants to transmit. Nevertheless, we have to raise
the question that, before starting to analyse the relationships existing between what the company wants to transmit to the market (identity) and the brand extension strategy, we have to know the perceived associations by the consumers (image) and how they are influenced by the brand extension strategy, given that the changes to the image that this strategy may produce will determine the acceptance or not of the extension on the market.
3. Brand extensions
In order to avoid the high rates of failure of new products, the brand extension strategy has been used as one of the most profitable growth options for companies in recent decades. The estimates vary, but in general, eight out of every ten new products are introduced as an extension of an existing brand (Ourusoff et al., 1992). Marketing costs
The success of this strategic option resides in the broad consensus that the use of brands established on the market for entering into new classes or categories of products substantially reduces the initial marketing costs (especially the communication and distribution costs), increases the effectiveness of the market actions and reinforces the probability of acceptance of the new product –and therefore business success (Morrin, 1999). There are numerous studies that vouch for this phenomenon. For example Smith and Park (1992) demonstrate the positive effects that are derived from brand extensions as regards the market share and the advertising effectiveness. In addition, Park et al. (1986) affirm that through proper management, extensions can reinforce positioning.
In general, brand extensions and line extensions are distinguished from each other, although a certain confusion can be found in the literature, and both of these strategic alternatives tend to be included under the generic name of brand extensions. Through a line extension, a brand name is used in order to market a new product in the same category class, which can be oriented to a new market segment or be directed to the current target market presenting minor modifications. With the brand extension option, a completely different category of product is meant to be marketed (Aaker and Keller, 1990). For example, Sony has performed both line extensions like
new models of current television sets and brand extensions when Sony got in the digital cameras market.
Brand extendibility
The decision to use an extension, as well as its magnitude, is motivated by various internal and external considerations that are intrinsic and extrinsic to the brand. Rangaswamy et al. (1993) affirm that the extendibility of a brand depends on the value that it has for consumers, according to whether it provides them with more or less utility as regards its tangible (attributes) or intangible characteristics. On the other hand, while analysing the personal computer industry, Putsis and Bayus (2001) indicate that the sector where the company develops is a substantial variable.
There are various factors that indicate the greater or lesser acceptance of the brand extensions by the target market. Generally, researchers coincide in pointing out the degree of similarity or “fit” between the original brand and the category of the extended product, as the decisive factor for both analysing the extensions and with regard to the retroactive effects to the parent brand. In addition to the fit, which is indicated by almost all existing studies, there are an endless number of other variables –among which we can highlight the perceived quality of the brand –that seem to hold a prominent role (Sunde and Brodie, 1993; Nijssen and Hartman, 1994; Bottomley and Doyle, 1996). For instance, in both Aaker and Keller’s (1990) work and later similar research, a direct or indirect effect of the perceived quality of the brand in brand extension acceptance has been found.
Several authors have suggested that individuals will transmit their beliefs about the brand to the extension if they observe a fit between both elements (Fiske and Pavelchak, 1986; Rothbart and Lewis, 1988). The studies that have used the fit variable have reached different results, which initially seems logical, given the diversity of measurement approaches and methods used. Even though the majority coincide in pointing out the positive effects of the fit in the brand extension (Aaker and Keller, 1990; Boush and Loken, 1991; Park et al., 1991; etc.), we can also find authors who provide evidence that this variable does not exercise any influence (Smith and Andrews, 1995; Park and Srinivasan, 1994; Broniarczyk and Alba, 1994).
According to Boush and Loken (1991), the perception of fit will depend on the variability between the kinds of products marketed under the same brand umbrella (brand breadth) such that the greater the breadth, the more probable it is that links are identified between scarcely similar extensions.
出处：Eva Martínez and José M. Pina. The negative impact of brand extensions on parent brand image[J]. Journal of Product & Brand Management. 2003. 12(7), pp: 432-448
品牌延伸对母品牌的不利影响
译文：
1、介绍
如果我们分析任何一种一般定义的产品，我们会发现有3个等级：第一级是包括物理一样的有形方面的产品本身（设计、特点、包装等）；第二级包括增加的服务（被担保人、金融、售后服务等)；第三个级别包含了最无形方面例如品牌名称、质量认知、信誉等。

（de Chernatony and McDonald, 1998）。

无形方面
在非物质方面的产品中，品牌是最重要的，考虑到大多数的营销策略倾向于突出品牌——包括所有的增加元素像标识或标语——超过出售产品。

因此，品牌是公司所有的最重要的资产之一，同样地，公司在他们的商业策略中也最利用品牌的优势。

近年来，公司利用品牌延伸策略来开发新产品投放市场，考虑到这个策略会减少这些产品失败的风险，因为消费者将更好地接受新发布的产品在已知的品牌下。

然而，这个策略也会引起负面效应影响消费者的看法，因为其中有被延伸而导致品牌的弱化，稀释品牌形象。

本课题研究的目的是为了深入观察品牌延伸策略可能对品牌形象负面影响，考虑最相关的变量进行了研究。

为此，接下来的两部分的研究提出一份对于品牌形象及品牌延伸的评论报告。

第四部分包括假设测试，再接下去一个部分描述的是使用的方法。

最后一节的信息呈现了主要的分析，并提出了结论和影响。

2、品牌形象
像其他抽象的概念，如品牌价值、品牌形象可以有多个意义和解释根据各种不同的角度与商业研究等（如心理学观点）。

品牌形象其中一个定义被广泛接受了的文献是Keller（1993）的贡献，这定义的术语为“对品牌的认知体现为关联存在于消费者的记忆中”。

笔者认为，这关联是可以创造的，从直接的产品和服务的体验，从信息沟通（通过公司本身、其他商业资源和通过口头），从根据先已存在关联的公司、来源等做出推论。

内在关联
构成关联的品牌形象，都指有形和无形的方面，内在或者外在，依靠自己的
经验与品牌在问题可能导致外部和内部刺激到每一个人。

因此，给各种固有某个品牌设定相关关联的范围并非易事，针对试图使之系统化的众多的努力和指定合适的规模，可以显著影响形象的组成部分。

Aaker（1994）指出关联是建立在各方面的基础上的，这些基础是例如产品属性，无形因素（认知品质、技术领先地位等），给客户的福利，相对价格，使用或应用，这种用户或客户，一个已知的人士作为促销主持人，生活方式，产品类别，竞争对手的产品和生产国家。

分类方法
Keller（1993）指出一个把这些变量除了考虑其他的规模分类成更加有条理的方法，还表明，品牌关联可分解成属性、利益和态度。

笔者认为，消费者将会评价这个品牌总体（态度），在某种程度上，描述的好特点或相关的服务（属性）适应消费者（带来的好处）。

因此，Keller肯定关联的种类或多或少都将是强大的个人的记忆中根据信息的数量供应和信息的过程；对品牌的赞成态度将取决于属性的程度和品牌的利益服务，来满足目标市场。

此外，Keller表明需要在各种关联关于公司的已知的品牌和继发关联的影响力之间的适合测量（名声、信誉等），原产国，分销渠道(价格、咨询、质量、服务等)，某位名人的发言人或某人鼓励顾客购买产品或服务那样的事件或存在。

最后，在许多其他的作品中的重申一些变量考虑的相关性（像看到Porter 和Claycomb(1997)和Gwinner和伊顿(1999)他们指出零售环境和各自的事件赞助之间的相关性），我们可以突出García Rodri´guez和Bergantiños (2001)指出,关键因素能影响形象的是产品的好处，包装，分销渠道，通讯，品牌名称和符号、标语这个贡献。

三维空间
经过验证的存在大量的变量关系构成了影响品牌形象是对进行实证研究一个相当大的障碍。

因此，为了方便分析,同时还要努力在成本、可行性和全部的所有可能的指标之间寻求平衡。

Aaker和Álvarez del Blanco提出了利用三维来评价品牌形象，被认为是知觉价值、个性或组织。

知觉价值包含产品功能的好处，它试图测量性能和品牌的价格是否存在一定的关联性；个性是指这些符号和情感的益处来源于品牌；决定性的，该组织的组成是紧密联系组织的形象、针对公司
在一定程度上的赞赏和在认知程度上对品牌的自信，总之在许多感觉上品牌形象本身同企业形象一样，可以果断的影响个人的看法认知。

在本质上有一个单项就是品牌识别关联着品牌形象，虽然明确区别。

其中最常见的一个错误是评估品牌形象时相信两方面都是相同的，被Aaker (1996)叫做“品牌形象陷阱”。

混淆的品牌形象和品牌认知不仅超越了词汇程度，而且也转化为错误的企业管理。

因此，当一个形象被创造，那标志来源于必须的关联分析，除了认知的方式可以被影响和不良信号可以被创造，考虑到属性就是制造商突出产品的优点可能负面的含意（García Rodri´guez and Bergantiños, 2001）而且可能取决于消费者的类型。

各种关联
Aaker(1996年) 定义了品牌标识是一种资产（和负债）联系着品牌的名称和符号体现（或挪走）通过提供价值的产品或服务的公司和/或其客户。

品牌身份暗示各种关联以至于公司试图沟通，不管事实最后他们转化为真正地感观的关联（形象）。

这个商业变量在当考虑到公司可以遵循的品牌战略时将会变得非常关键。

那样Cruz 和Cerviño (1996) 包括品牌识别的概念棱镜，概念棱镜包括物理属性、个性、形象本身、表现形式和关系等方面。

这些作者使用品牌识别棱镜和Rao和Ruekert (1995)提出的模式一起，来提出一种模式，评价那些准备好开发新产品投放市场的品牌联盟,。

那些事实上可以理解为品牌延伸策略。

可以明显地看出延伸战略和公司想传达的品牌识别之间存在着相互作用。

虽然如此我们必须提出这样的问题，在开始分析延伸战略和公司想传达的品牌识别之间存在着的关系之前，我们必须知道被消费者(形象)感知到的关联以及它们如何受品牌延伸策略影响，考虑到这种策略可能会产生形象的变化，而这种变化将决定接受或不扩大市场。

3、品牌延伸
为避免高速率的失败的新产品，品牌延伸策略在最近几十年里被作为公司中利润增长最快的选择之一。

估计的不同，但一般每十中有八个新产品是作为现有的一种品牌的扩展被介绍的(Ourusoff et al., 1992)。

营销成本
这个战略选择的成功在于为进入的新的阶级或分类的产品，提供了已有的商
标使用已经立足市场并存在于广泛共识而大幅度降低了初期营销成本（尤其是沟通和分销成本），增加了市场行动的有效性，并进而强化的采用新产品概率——所以商业成功(Morrin, 1999)。

有众多研究证实这一现象。

例如Smith and Park (1992)证明源于品牌延伸的积极作用，关于市场份额和广告效果。

此外，Park et al. (1986)确认通过适当的管理，延伸可以强化市场定位。

一般来说，品牌延伸和产品线延伸是不同的，尽管在一些文献中存在着一定的混淆，且这两种可供选择的策略方案都倾向于将其归入一般品牌的扩展名。

通过产品线延伸，一个品牌的名字是用于以把新产品在同一类班放到市场上，可以是面向一个新市场细分或是直接到当前的目标市场呈现小小的改动。

品牌延伸策略的选择，就是一个完全不同种类的产品是为了出售(Aaker and Keller, 1990)。

例如，Sony同时进行了产品线延伸像新型电视机和品牌延伸当索尼进入到了数码相机市场。

品牌可扩展性
使用扩展的决定，它的重要是受各种内部和外部考虑的是品牌的本质、外在。

Rangaswamy et al. (1993)断言品牌可延伸的价值取决于是消费者，根据是否向他们提供或多或少的效用关于有形(属性)或无形的特点。

另一方面，在分析个人计算机产业，Putsis和Bayus(2001)指出那个对公司发展很重要的变量的这个部门。

有很多因素表明目标市场会接受或多或少的品牌延伸。

一般地，研究人员不约而同指出相似性或在原有的品牌和延伸了的产品分类之间的“合适”，因为作为决定性因素的是分析延伸和对母品牌的反馈作用。

除了适合，被几乎所有现有研究指出有无穷无尽的许多其他变量——其中我们可以突出品牌认知度——这似乎拥有一个明显的作用(Sunde and Brodie, 1993; Nijssen and Hartman, 1994; Bottomley and Doyle, 1996)。

例如在同时Aaker和Keller’s (1990)的作品中和后来的类似的研究，直接或间接的品牌认知度在品牌延伸上的影响接受被发现。

许多作者暗示个人将会把自己信仰的品牌推广如果他们遵守合适的二者之间的元素(Fiske and Pavelchak, 1986; Rothbart and Lewis, 1988)。

这些研究，使用了合适的变量已经达到了不同的结果，是最初似乎合乎逻辑，给出了测量的多样性途径与所使用的方法。

尽管大多数不约而同地指出最合适的品牌延伸的积极影响(Aaker and Keller, 1990; Boush and Loken, 1991; Park et al., 1991; etc.)。

我们也可
以找到些作者他们提供了一些能表明这个变量不产生任何影响的证据(Smith and Andrews, 1995; Park and Srinivasan, 1994; Broniarczyk and Alba, 1994)。

根据Boush 和Loken(1991)，适合的感知取决于在相同的品牌伞（品牌宽度）那样的更宽的市场销售产品的类型之间的可变性，更可能是它的连接是确认那些几乎相似的延伸之间。

出处：Eva Martínez and José M. Pina. The negative impact of brand extensions on parent brand image[J]. Journal of Product & Brand Management. 2003. 12(7), pp: 432-448。