Feedback effect of online brand extension: an empirical analysis of newspapers in Taiwan

Abstract

Legacy media have not managed to recoup lost revenue by pursuing digital opportunities, so the following question is worth addressing: How does the growth of digital audiences affect the brand equity of news parent brands? This study examined the feedback effects of online brands on parent brand loyalty by analyzing a survey (N = 1,199) of four national newspaper readers in Taiwan. The main results demonstrated that online brand loyalty could be transferred to parent brand loyalty, and the relationship was moderated by perceived fit. Moreover, two factors, personal-networked branding and engaging branding, contribute to the success of online brands, whereas on-demand branding might dilute the brand loyalty of an online news brand.