Kaleel Rahman

This research tests for differences in the number of brand associations between parent brands and their sub-brands. Intuitively, one might expect sub-brands would elicit more associations than parent brands. However, based on categorization theory and Goldberg's (1986) levels of category, it is hypothesized that parent brands have a higher number of associations than sub-brands. The results of this study support the hypothesis. The study analysed 18 parent and sub-brand pairs from the Australian services sector and found that in 17 out of 18 brands, parent brands have a higher number of associations than their sub-brands. The implications are discussed.

This report presents the first study to address sentiment toward advertising, materialism, and vanity in the globalized city of Dubai. A conceptual model is developed and subsequent hypotheses are tested via structural equation modeling. The main research findings suggest that consumers in Dubai exhibit positive perceptions of advertising as well as higher levels of materialism and vanity. Sentiment toward advertising

The idea that endless numbers of brands shape people's day-to-day life is known as' brandscape' (Biel, 1993; Sherry, 1998; Soloman, 2003). When consumers live in another country for an extended period of time not only it is necessary to engage in various consumer ...

This research examines the determinants of consumers’ willingness to buy counterfeit brands in UAE using a sequence of three methods: a projective technique, an exploratory stepwise regression modeling, and a structural equation model. Of the several variables examined, frequent change in fashion was found to be the dominant driver of willingness to buy counterfeit brands.

The idea that endless numbers of brands shape people's dayto- day life is known as “brandscape” (Biel, 1993; Sherry, 1998; Soloman, 2003). When consumers live in another country for an extended period of time not only it is necessary to engage in various consumer behaviors in order to conduct everyday life but also brandscape becomes part of their life. The aim of this study was to explore consumer acculturation to an unfamiliar brandscape. A grounded theory analysis of case study type interviews resulted in three broader domains with seven themes: “sentiments” with experiential tension, nostalgia and patriotism; “brandscape” with global brands, missing brands, ethno-brands and beloved brands; and “consumer acculturation”. The paper discusses the findings of the study and the implications of the emergent themes. Yes Yes

ABSTRACT Despite some advances in understanding the meaning and origin of the slang word'cool', literature uncovering the meaning of coolness is still in its infancy in consumer research. Yet, cool has attracted the attention of many marketing practitioners. In this paper, we examine the meaning of coolness using possible consumer behavior constructs associated to the term.

This paper presents an integrative model of service sub-branding that distinguishes between generic sub-brands that are nothing more than service category identifiers, versus genuine attempts to establish equity at the sub-brand level. Within this generic versus genuine continuum, sub-branding strategies depend on (a) whether the newly branded service is an extension of an existing line versus a completely different service

ABSTRACT Some researchers argue that the "company is the brand" for services, emphasising the pre-eminence of corporate brand image, while others advocate developing strong sub-brands for specific service offerings. This paper presents the arguments for the "company as the brand" notion for services, and addresses these arguments in favour of suggesting that sub-brand development is desirable for many services. Firstly, cases from both industry and the literature are provided to support the sub-branding possibilities for services. Secondly it is argued that the characteristics of services - intangibility, heterogeneity, inseparability, perishability (IHIP) - all lend themselves to sub level branding in services. Finally, proponents of the "company as the brand" notion posit that consumer confusion and copycat strategies limit sub-brand development in services, but the present paper argues that this issue is not unique to services.

ABSTRACT Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the common meaning of vernacular usage of “cool” in terms of the related concepts consumers use to describe the term, using the symbolic interactionist perspective. Design/methodology/approach – Using literature review, we first analyse how cool has evolved from its original meaning to its contemporary form in global consumer culture (GCC). Next, from a content analysis approach, using associative group analysis (Szalay and Deese, 1978) we determine the cultural meaning of cool from a sample of young respondents (n=127) drawn from United Arab Emirates. Then, using another set of respondents (n=98), we assess the statistical reliability of our themes. Findings – Results of our analysis indicate that there is a common set of themes describing the term cool: fashionable, amazing, sophisticated, unique, entertaining, eye-catching and composed. Fashionable theme significantly dominates the meaning of cool. Research limitations/implications – The findings are only limited to GCC and cannot be generalised to others. Practical implications – Even though the meaning of cool is attributed to emotional control and detachment in the literature (Pountain and Robins, 2000), manifestation of coolness in its meaning of fashionable, amazing and eye-catching dominate the concept in GCC. Originality/value – Cool is a heavily used term by marketing practitioners. However, empirical literature uncovering the meaning of cool is still in its infancy in marketing. This research provides a view of what cool means to consumers in a GCC.

ABSTRACT This research presents a framework for branding new products that distinguishes between combining a parent brand with a generic sub-brand that is little more than product category identifier, combining a parent brand with a genuine sub-brand that creates associations unique to the new product, and developing a completely new brand with no reference to the parent brand. Within the framework, branding strategies for new products depend on the fit of the new product category with product categories in which the parent brand already exists, and the congruity of the positioning strategy of the new product with the current positioning of the parent brand. Discussing examples from various industries in multiple countries, this research identifies a number of factors that influence product category fit and brand positioning congruency, and hence, determine how much product-specific brand equity is necessary to leverage the launch of the new product.

ABSTRACT Importance of branding as a strategic thrust is well understood by services marketing practitioners. Yet, in developing brand architectures, some researchers have suggested that the company is the only meaningful brand for service products, whereas others have argued for the development of strong sub-brands at the product level. The main objective of this study is to assess whether services in general have the capacity to develop successful brand architectures. Using a sample of 14 representative service companies, brand associations were elicited through a free association technique. These associations were categorised under a taxonomy with five brand meaning components and were hypothesised to have a competing impact on the overall attitudes towards the service product. The results of this research support the idea of brand architecture strategies and that services have equity at the sub-brand level in cases where the sub-brand has been built up meaningfully.

This report presents the first study to address sentiment toward advertising, materialism, and vanity in the globalized city of Dubai. A conceptual model is developed and subsequent hypotheses are tested via structural equation modeling. The main research findings suggest that consumers in Dubai exhibit positive perceptions of advertising as well as higher levels of materialism and vanity. Sentiment toward advertising

Marketers spend billions of dollars in advertising every year targeting current and potential customers both in the domestic and international markets. While there is a recognised need to adapt advertising messages to meet the needs of consumers in diverse markets, the ...