| Abstract [eng] |
101 pages (including annexes), 19 charts, 4 pictures, 79 references. Keywords: consumer innovativeness, horizontal and vertical brand extensions, extension evaluation, brand trust, extension distance, perceived category fit. The main purpose of this master thesis is to theoretically support and empirically verify the links between consumer innovativeness and evaluation of different types of brand extensions when a new product is introduced to the market. The work consists of three main parts: the scientific literature analysis, the research part and research results, conclusion and recommendations. The analysis of scientific literature presents the analysis of brand extension strategies, types and types of extensions and determines the criteria according to which the extension is positively evaluated by consumers. Innovative consumers have unique behavior and are early adopters of innovative products. Based on the diffusion theory, it is predicted that it is necessary to attract a segment of innovative users at the stage of introducing the extension to the market. Research analysis revealed that the main criteria that determine the evaluation of a brand extension are trust in the main brand, innovativeness of consumers, perceived fit of the extension. In order to reflect the different conditions of the extension name, three research models were constructed. Hypotheses examines the relationships and influence between consumer innovativeness and brand extension evaluation. The construction of the quantitative research instrument is based on the scales used in previous studies. Data from 339 respondents, divided into three samples, were collected using non-probability sampling and an experimental online survey. The analysis of the research data confirms that consumer innovativeness has an impact on the evaluation of brand extension, when the extension is carried out with the same or new brand names. Consumer evaluation is also based on trust in the parent brand, perceived category fit, and the interaction of these criteria. At the end of the work, the conclusions of the work based on theoretical and practical analysis, practical possibilities of application of the results and recommendations are presented. The most important finding is that consumer innovativeness has a significant impact on consumer acceptance of brand extensions when the distance of the extension, consistency of the concept, and terms of the brand name of the extension are also examined. |
