The Brand Positivity Effect: When Evaluation Confers Preference

Abstract

One of the most common forms of consumer judgment is singular evaluation: the evaluation or appraisal of singular brands. Three experiments show that singular evaluation is often characterized by a brand positivity effect—brands tend to be evaluated more positively than warranted when judged in isolation. In addition to demonstrating how the brand positivity effect may bias consumer judgments of and choice intention regarding products in very different categories, we demonstrate how the brand positivity effect influences real consumer choice in a mall intercept study. Finally, we provide evidence that selective processing of brand information underlies the brand positivity effect.