ISSN 0439-755X
CN 11-1911/B

Acta Psychologica Sinica ›› 2016, Vol. 48 ›› Issue (1): 95-105.doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1041.2016.00095

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The synergistic effect between corporate image and product’s superior benefits: A stereotype content model approach

JIANG Hongyan1; WANG Haizhong2; HE Yun2; ZHU Li2   

  1. (1 School of Management, China University of Mining and Technology, Xu Zhou 221116, China)
    (2 School of Business, Sun Yat-sen University, Guang Zhou 510275, China)
  • Received:2014-12-24 Published:2016-01-25 Online:2016-01-25
  • Contact: WANG Haizhong, E-mail: wanghzh.05@alum.sem.tsinghua.edu.cn

Abstract:

 Models of social perception in social psychology can help our understanding of consumers’ perception and relation with brands. Consumers’ relationships with brands sometimes resemble people’s relationships among themselves. It is thus speculated that the Stereotype Content Model (SCM) on how social perception works would possibly apply to brand perception. Few studies, however, have investigated the antecedent variables of the different dimensions of brand perception at the corporate and product levels, as well as their interaction mechanism. This research explored the possible antecedent roles of corporate image and product’s superior benefits in brand perception. We further hypothesized a synergistic effect of corporate image and product’s superior benefits on purchase intention, with brand admiration playing a mediating role.

In Experiment 1, participants were randomly assigned to a 2(Corporate image: ability vs. trustworthiness) × 2(Product’s superior benefits: utilitarian vs. hedonic) design, with brand perception and purchase intention as dependent variables, and brand admiration as the mediating variable. A total of 120 (112 valid) MBA students participated in this experiment. Following the methods in previous research, we manipulated corporate image and product’s superior benefits. Participants were then asked to complete the ratings of brand perception, brand admiration, and purchase intention. In Experiment 2, participants were randomly assigned to a 2 (Perceived risk: low vs. high) × 2 (Corporate image: ability vs. trustworthiness) × 2 (Product’s superior benefits: utilitarian vs. hedonic) design with identical dependent variables in Experiment 1. The 200 (117 valid) undergraduates were told that they were in one of two beverages purchase scenarios. In the low-risk scenario, participants imagined themselves purchasing beverages for home consumption. In the high-risk scenario, participants imagined themselves purchasing beverages to take to dinner at good friends’ parties.
The results of Experiment 1 showed an interaction between corporate image and product’s superior benefits on the purchase intention. Specifically, when corporate image was ability-based, product’s superior hedonic (vs. utilitarian) benefits led to higher purchase intention. When corporate image was trustworthiness-based, product’s superior utilitarian (vs. hedonic) benefits led to higher purchase intention. Moreover, this synergistic effect was mediated by brand admiration. Experiment 2 investigated the moderating role of perceived risk in the synergistic effect between corporate image and product’s superior benefits. Results showed that perceived risk moderated the interaction effect between corporate image and product’s superior benefits on purchase intention. More specifically, when perceived risk was low, there was a synergistic effect between corporate image and product’s superior benefits on purchase intention. However, when perceived risk was high, there was a congruency effect of corporate image and product’s superior benefits on purchase intention.
This paper provides a new perspective by probing into the antecedent variables of brand perception with the Stereotype Content Model (SCM). Moreover, this research investigates the mechanism causing the synergistic effect by adopting “the complementarity of competence-warmth perception” as theory framework. Finally, our research provides insightful implications on how to achieve a synergistic promoting effect of corporate image strategy and product benefits strategy, and beyond.

Key words: corporate image, product’s superior benefits, Stereotype Content Model, competent perception, warmth perception