Abstract: This research investigated the significance of factors affecting consumer evaluations of far brand extensions. Different from prior researches focusing on the brand affect, brand perception, brand attributes and fit between the extensions and parent brand, this empirical study paid attention to the brand-related variables. Three important variables were put forward to explain the success of far-extension existing in the real market. They are brand category stickiness, the brand’s abstract and functional character, and brand reputation. Accordingly, three experiments were set to examine their effects on the far-extension evaluation. The results showed that a brand with less brand stickiness, higher abstract character and higher reputation is of more possibility to be successful in a far-extension.

Key words: brand extension, initial extension evaluation, far-extension, brand category stickiness, brand’s abstract and functional character, brand reputation