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When distraction may be a good thing: The role of distraction in low‐fit brand extension evaluation
Author(s) -
Zhang Yuli,
Kwak Hyokjin,
Puzakova Marina,
Taylor Charles R.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
psychology and marketing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.035
H-Index - 116
eISSN - 1520-6793
pISSN - 0742-6046
DOI - 10.1002/mar.21329
Subject(s) - distraction , psychology , agency (philosophy) , extension (predicate logic) , perception , construal level theory , product (mathematics) , orientation (vector space) , brand extension , social psychology , advertising , brand awareness , cognitive psychology , business , computer science , sociology , social science , geometry , mathematics , neuroscience , programming language
This study examines the effect of distraction after being exposed to information on low‐fit brand extension evaluation. We show that when consumers are distracted (vs. engaging in deliberate thinking) after encoding extension information they evaluate low‐fit brand extensions more favorably. Findings suggest that distraction can help establish connections of remotely associated information between a parent brand and a low‐fit extension. We also find that the effect of distraction is contingent on the individual characteristic of consumers' agency–communion orientation. The core effect holds strongly for consumers high in communion orientation, but not for those with an agency orientation. Finally, we examine how marketing communication strategies (i.e., manipulating product message construal level) interact with distraction to influence consumer perceptions of low‐fit brand extensions. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.