Does a Lack of Control Alter Associative Structure of Brands? The Effects for Positioning Familiar and Unfamiliar Brands

Abstract

The study shows that a lack of control alters associative structure of the positioned brands in consumers’ minds, and the effects of these changes differ between familiar and unfamiliar brands. An associative structure of the positioned brands is based on similarity, thus similarity between particular associations was analyzed. Affinity index and multidimensional scaling were used to obtain mental maps of the positioned brands and to calculate indices of similarity. Results showed that perceived similarity between brands depends on the level of information processing. Individuals in the state of lack of control perceived a greater similarity between familiar and unfamiliar brands, compared to the controls, but only at the shallow level of information processing. A qualitative analysis, relating to different levels of product and brand, revealed which type of associations (brand-related, generic, personal) is specific for the state of lack of control (vs. control), regarding brand familiarity.