The effects of ingredient brand exemplar reminders on new product development

Purpose This study aims to explore the impact of reminders of ingredient brand exemplar on consumer cognitive evaluations when companies adopt brand extension strategies for new product development. Design/methodology/approach A 2 × 2 × 2 experimental design was used, where the independent variable is the ingredient brand exemplar reminders, and the dependent variables are brand extension attitude and new product evaluation. The research framework also incorporated brand strength, knowledge of the new extension product and similarity as moderating variables. Findings This study reveals that reminders of ingredient brand exemplars have a significant positive effect on brand extension attitudes and new product evaluations. In addition, three moderating variables – brand strength, knowledge of extension products and similarity – demonstrate significant interaction effects with the reminders of ingredient brand exemplars. Practical implications The findings of this study provide timely insights for marketing practitioners. Specifically, for companies with weaker brand equity, collaborating with well-known ingredient brands during new product development can enhance market competitiveness. By using reminders of key ingredient brand exemplars in their communications with consumers, these companies can effectively leverage this strategy to enhance the market advantage of their new products. Originality/value This study applies the analogy learning theory from cognitive psychology and is the first to integrate ingredient branding with exemplar reminders to investigate their impact on consumers’ cognitive evaluations of brand extension strategies in new product development.