Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Consumer responses to brand deletion

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Journal of Brand Management Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Despite the importance and widespread prevalence of brand being deleted, research on brand deletion is sparse. To address the paucity of research on brand deletion from the consumer’s perspective, this study investigates the consequences of brand deletion. Study 1 shows that when a brand is merged (vs. eliminated or sold), the deleted brand is weak (vs. strong) and the organization communicates the logic of such action (vs. no communication), leads to better evaluations of organizational performance while when a brand is sold (vs. eliminated or merged), the deleted brand is strong (vs. weak) and the organization communicates the logic of such action (vs. no communication), positive evaluations of corporate reputation is formed. Study 2A finds that when a brand is merged (vs. eliminated or sold) and the deleted brand is weak on love (vs. strong), positive evaluations of organizational performance is perceived. Study 2B finds that when a brand is merged (vs. eliminated or sold) and nostalgia intensity for the deleted brand is weak (vs. strong), positive evaluations of organizational performance is perceived. The research provides insight to managers on how to manage brand portfolio, and also contributes to the commencement of future research on this important but ignored area.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. The author would like to thank the honorable anonymous reviewer for this suggestion.

References

  • Aaker, D.A. 2004. Leveraging the corporate brand. California Management Review 46(3): 6–18.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ailawadi, K.L., D.R. Lehmann, and S.A. Neslin. 2001. Market response to a major policy change in the marketing mix: Learning from Procter and Gamble’s value pricing strategy. Journal of Marketing 65(1): 44–61.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ahuvia, A.C. 2005. Beyond the extended self: Loved objects and consumers’ identity narratives. Journal of Consumer Research 32(1): 171–184.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ahuvia, A.C., R. Batra, and R.P. Bagozzi. 2009. Love, desire and identity: A conditional integration theory of the love of things. In The Handbook of Brand Relationships, ed. D.J. MacInnis, C.W. Park, and J.R. Priester, 342–357. New York: M.E. Sharpe.

    Google Scholar 

  • Albert, N., D. Merunka, and P. Valette-Florence. 2008. When consumers love their brands: Exploring the concept and its dimensions. Journal of Business Research 61(10): 1062–1075.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, J.R. 1982. Acquisition of cognitive skill. Psychological Review 89(4): 369–406.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Argouslidis, P.C., and G. Baltas. 2007. Structure in product line management: The role of formalization in service elimination decisions. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science 35(4): 475–491.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Avlonitis, G.J. 1985. Product elimination decision making: Does formality matter? Journal of Marketing 49(1): 41–52.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Avlonitis, G.J., and P.C. Argouslidis. 2012. Tracking the evolution of theory on product elimination: Past, present, and future. Marketing Review 12(4): 345–379.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Avlonitis, G.J., S.J. Hart, and N.X. Tzokas. 2000. An analysis of product deletion scenarios. Journal of Product Innovation Management 77(1): 41–56.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bahadir, S.C., S.G. Bharadwaj, and R.K. Srivastava. 2008. Financial value of brands in mergers and acquisitions: Is value in the eye of the beholder? Journal of Marketing 72(6): 49–64.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Balmer, J.M., and K. Dinnie. 1999. Corporate identity and corporate communications: The antidote to merger madness. Corporate Communications: An International Journal 4(4): 182–192.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Basu, K. 2006. Merging brands after mergers. California Management Review 48(4): 28–40.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Batra, R., A. Ahuvia, and R.P. Bagozzi. 2012. Brand love. Journal of Marketing 76(2): 1–16.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Belk, R.W. 1990. The role of possessions in constructing and maintaining a sense of past. Advances in Consumer Research 17(1): 669–676.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bowlby, J. 1979. The Making and Breaking of Affectional Bonds. London: Tavistock.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bowlby, J. 1980. Attachment and Loss:Vol. 3. Loss, Sadness and Depression. New York: Basic Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bornstein, R.F. 1989. Exposure and affect: Overview and meta-analysis of research, 1968-1987. Psychological Bulletin 106(2): 265–289.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brown, S., R.V. Kozinets, and J.F. Sherry Jr. 2003. Teaching old brands new tricks: Retro branding and the revival of brand meaning. Journal of Marketing 67(3): 19–33.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Capron, L., and J. Hulland. 1999. Redeployment of brands, sales forces, and general marketing management expertise following horizontal acquisitions: A resource-based view. Journal of Marketing 63(2): 41–54.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carlotti, S.J., M.E. Coe, and J. Perry. 2004. Making brand portfolios work. McKinsey Quarterly 4(4): 24–35.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carroll, B.A., and A.C. Ahuvia. 2006. Some antecedents and outcomes of brand love. Marketing Letters 17(2): 79–89.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cropanzano, R., and M.S. Mitchell. 2005. Social exchange theory: An interdisciplinary review. Journal of Management 31(6): 874–900.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Davis, F. 1979. Yearning for Yesterday: A Sociology of Nostalgia. New York: The Free Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Day, G.S. 2011. Closing the marketing capabilities gap. Journal of Marketing 75(4): 183–195.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dwyer, F.R., P.H. Schurr, and S. Oh. 1987. Developing buyer-seller relationships. Journal of Marketing 51(2): 11–27.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Elliot, S. (2009) Like Comfort Food, Warm and Fuzzy makes a Comeback. The New York Times, 6 April: p 3.

  • Emerson, R.M. 1976. Social exchange theory. Annual Review of Sociology 2: 335–362.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fedorikhin, A., C.W. Park, and M. Thomson. 2008. Beyond fit and attitude: The effect of emotional attachment on consumer responses to brand extensions. Journal of Consumer Psychology 18(4): 281–291.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Folkes, V.S. 1988. Recent attribution research in consumer behavior: A review and new directions. Journal of Consumer Research 14(4): 548–565.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fournier, S. 1998. Consumers and their brands: Developing relationship theory in consumer research. Journal of Consumer Research 24(4): 343–353.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goulding, C. 2001. Romancing the past: Heritage visiting and the nostalgic consumer. Psychology and Marketing 18(6): 565–592.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grayson, C.E., and N. Schwarz. 1999. Beliefs influence information processing strategies: Declarative and experiential information in risk assessment. Social Cognition 17(1): 1–18.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guiltinan, J.P., and G.T. Gundlach. 1996. Aggressive and predatory pricing: A framework for analysis. Journal of Marketing 60(3): 87–102.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harness, D.R., and N.E. Marr. 2001. Strategies for eliminating a financial services product. Journal of Product and Brand Management 10(7): 423–438.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heider, F. 1958. The Psychology of Interpersonal Relations. New York: Wiley.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Hill, S., R. Ettenson, and D. Tyson. 2005. Achieving the ideal brand portfolio. Sloan Management Review 46(2): 85–90.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hirsch, A.R. 1992. Nostalgia: A neuropsychiatric understanding. Advances in Consumer Research 19(1): 390–395.

    Google Scholar 

  • Holak, S.L., and W.J. Havlena. 1998. Feelings, fantasies, and memories: An examination of the emotional components of nostalgia. Journal of Business Research 42(3): 217–226.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Holak, S.L., A.V. Matveev, and W.J. Havlena. 2007. Nostalgia in post-socialist Russia: Exploring applications to advertising strategy. Journal of Business Research 60(6): 649–655.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Holbrook, M.B., and R.M. Schindler. 1991. Echoes of the dear departed past: Some work in progress on nostalgia. Advances in Consumer Research 18(1): 330–333.

    Google Scholar 

  • Holbrook, M.B., and R.M. Schindler. 1996. Market segmentation based on age and attitude toward the past: Concepts, methods, and findings concerning nostalgic influences on customer tastes. Journal of Business Research 37(1): 27–39.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Holbrook, M.B., and R.M. Schindler. 2003. Nostalgic bonding: Exploring the role of nostalgia in the consumption experience. Journal of Consumer Behaviour 3(2): 107–127.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Homans, G.C. 1958. Social behavior as exchange. American Journal of Sociology 63(6): 597–606.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Homburg, C., A. Fürst, and J.K. Prigge. 2010. A customer perspective on product eliminations: How the removal of products affects customers and business relationships. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science 38(5): 531–549.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hsu, L., S. Fournier, and S. Srinivasan. 2016. Brand architecture strategy and firm value: How leveraging, separating, and distancing the corporate brand affects risk and returns. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science 44(2): 261–280.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jacoby, L.L. 1983. Remembering the data: Analyzing interactive processes in reading. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior 22(5): 485–508.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jaju, A., C. Joiner, and S.K. Reddy. 2006. Consumer evaluations of corporate brand redeployments. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science 34(2): 206–215.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Karakaya, F. 2000. Market exit and barriers to exit: Theory and practice. Psychology and Marketing 17(8): 651–668.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Keller, K.L., and D.R. Lehmann. 2006. Brands and branding: Research findings and future priorities. Marketing Science 25(6): 740–759.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kelley, H.H. 1973. The processes of causal attribution. American Psychologist 28(2): 107–128.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kessous, A., and E. Roux. 2010. Brands considered as “nostalgic”: Consequences on attitudes and consumer-brand relationships. Recherche et Applications en Marketing (English Edition) 25(3): 29–55.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim, H., and D.R. John. 2008. Consumer response to brand extensions: Construal level as a moderator of the importance of perceived fit. Journal of Consumer Psychology 18(2): 116–126.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Knudsen, T.R., L. Finskud, R. Törnblom, and E. Hogna. 1997. Brand consolidation makes a lot of economic sense. McKinsey Quarterly 4: 189–193.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kumar, N. 2003. Kill a brand, keep a customer. Harvard Business Review 81(12): 86–95.

    Google Scholar 

  • Laforet, S., and J. Saunders. 2005. Managing brand portfolios: How strategies have changed. Journal of Advertising Research 45(3): 314–327.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lastovicka, J.L., and N.J. Sirianni. 2011. Truly, madly, deeply: Consumers in the throes of material possession love. Journal of Consumer Research 38(2): 323–342.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mao, H., X. Luo, and S.P. Jain. 2009. Consumer responses to brand elimination: An attributional perspective. Journal of Consumer Psychology 19(3): 280–289.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mahajan, V., E. Muller, and F. Bass. 1990. New product diffusion models in marketing: A review and directions for research. Journal of Marketing 54(1): 1–26.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mandel, N., P.K. Petrova, and R.B. Cialdini. 2006. Images of success and the preference for luxury brands. Journal of Consumer Psychology 16(1): 57–69.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Martin, M.A. 2004. Consumer responses to discontinuance of favorite products: An exploratory study. Advances in Consumer Research 31: 662–663.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morgan, N.A., and L.L. Rego. 2009. Brand portfolio strategy and firm performance. Journal of Marketing 73(1): 59–74.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Muniz Jr., A.M., and H.J. Schau. 2005. Religiosity in the abandoned Apple Newton brand community. Journal of Consumer Research 31(4): 737–747.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oliver, R.L. 1999. Whence consumer loyalty? Journal of Marketing 63(4): 33–44.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Orth, U.R., and S. Gal. 2012. Nostalgic brands as mood boosters. Journal of Brand Management 19(8): 666–679.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reisenwitz, T.H., R. Iyer, and B. Cutler. 2004. Nostalgia advertising and the influence of nostalgia proneness. Marketing Management Journal 14(2): 55–66.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rust, R.T., K.N. Lemon, and V.A. Zeithaml. 2004. Return on marketing: Using customer equity to focus marketing strategy. Journal of Marketing 68(1): 109–127.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Saunders, J., and D. Jobber. 1994. Product replacement: Strategies for simultaneous launch and deletion. Journal of Product Innovation and Management 11(5): 433–450.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schwarz, N. 2004. Meta-cognitive experiences in consumer judgment and decision making. Journal of Consumer Psychology 14(4): 332–348.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shah, P. 2015. Kill it or keep it?: The weak brand retain-or-discard decision in brand portfolio management. Journal of Brand Management 22(2): 154–172.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shah, P. 2017. Why do firms delete brands? Insights from a qualitative study. Journal of Marketing Management 33(5–6): 446–463.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sinclair, R.N., and K.L. Keller. 2014. A case for brands as assets: Acquired and internally developed. Journal of Brand Management 21(4): 286–302.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Slater, S.F., and J.C. Narver. 1994. Does competitive environment moderate the market orientation–performance relationship? Journal of Marketing 58(1): 46–55.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thibaut, J.W., and H.H. Kelley. 1959. The Social Psychology of Groups. Oxford: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thomson, M., D.J. MacInnis, and C.W. Park. 2005. The ties that bind: Measuring the strength of consumers’ attachments to brands. Journal of Consumer Psychology 15(1): 77–91.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Townsend, C., and B.E. Kahn. 2014. The “visual preference heuristic”: The influence of visual versus verbal depiction on assortment processing, perceived variety, and choice overload. Journal of Consumer Research 40(5): 993–1015.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tversky, A., and D. Kahneman. 1973. Availability: A heuristic for judging frequency and probability. Cognitive Psychology 5(2): 207–232.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Varadarajan, R., M.P. DeFanti, and P.S. Busch. 2006. Brand portfolio, corporate image and reputation: Managing brand deletions. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science 34(2): 195–205.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Walsh, G., and S.E. Beatty. 2007. Customer-based corporate reputation of a service firm: Scale development and validation. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science 35(1): 127–143.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang, Y., J.A. Kandampully, H.P. Lo, and G. Shi. 2006. The roles of brand equity and corporate reputation in CRM: A Chinese study. Corporate Reputation Review 9(3): 179–197.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wiles, M.A., N.A. Morgan, and L.L. Rego. 2012. The effect of brand acquisition and disposal on stock returns. Journal of Marketing 76(1): 38–58.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, Y.C., and N. Schwarz. 2012. How and why 1 year differs from 365 days: A conversational logic analysis of inferences from the granularity of quantitative expressions. Journal of Consumer Research 39(2): 248–259.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. T. A. Pai Management Institute, Manipal, KA, 576104, India

    Anubhav A. Mishra

Authors
  1. Anubhav A. Mishra
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Anubhav A. Mishra.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Mishra, A.A. Consumer responses to brand deletion. J Brand Manag 25, 160–170 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41262-017-0075-z

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41262-017-0075-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation