The interplay of brand sound meaning and brand origin on new high-tech product evaluation

Abstract

This study explores the effects of brand sound meaning and brand origin on attitude toward really new high-tech products. Employing theoretical underpinnings from processing fluency theory, this study demonstrates that brand sound meaning and brand origin independently and jointly affect new product evaluations. Individual consumer differences (e.g. technological sophistication and perceived newness) also affect the brand sound meaning and brand origin effect on new product evaluation. Results from the experiments conducted demonstrate that (1) brand sound meaning matters more to the consumers who feel a lower perceived newness level in relation to the new products than to consumers who feel a higher perceived newness level, (2) brand origin effect is more pronounced if the consumers are technologically more sophisticated, and (3) brand sound meaning and brand origin interact at different perceived newness levels to determine the attitude toward the product such that at low perceived newness levels, brand sound meaning matters more for developed country brand origin.