The Limits of Reflected Glory: Effects of Product Name Similarity in the U.S. Network TV Programs

Abstract

The market fate of a product ultimately determines the success or failure of a firm. A name is a central feature of any product, yet it is not well understood how names affect product market longevity. In this paper, we develop a theory in which a product’s name impacts product survival. We predict that the similarity of a focal product’s name to names of other products in the industry have a profound effect on how long the product stays on the market. We argue that the direction and magnitude of this effect depends on (1) whether the product is new and (2) whether the product’s name is similar to names of other popular and high status products. Event history analyses of all TV programs that were broadcast during primetime plus early evening and late night on networks in the U.S. from the beginning of the industry in 1944 through 2003 support our predictions and thus suggest the importance of names in product market viability.