消費者對B2B品牌推出B2C產品所形成之品牌延伸評價研究

Abstract

自1990年Aaker & Keller開啟學者對品牌延伸研究的重視後，已經有許多文獻指出原品牌的品質認知與其跟延伸產品的契合度是品牌延伸能否成功的重要因素，然而相關研究僅限於探討B2C品牌的延伸評價如何形成，卻忽略B2B品牌在進行跨營運範疇的品牌延伸時，消費者對於B2B品牌的延伸評價，是否也能由Aaker & Keller所提出之模型加以解釋。 在今日的商場中，有越來越多的企業從以往的B2B領域，轉型為B2C企業或同時在兩個領域中經營，而隨著專業代工的毛利率持續降低，許多台灣代工業者也嘗試建立自有品牌或朝專業研發的方向升級。然而，B2B企業是否能運用過去設計與製造工業產品所建立的品牌權益，在B2C市場中建立自有品牌並成功推出新產品，除了必須考慮營運上的衝突管理與代工訂單可能流失的風險之外，終端消費者會如何形成其品牌延伸的評價，也將是決定自有品牌建立能否成功的重要關鍵因素。 本研究主要引用Aaker & Keller所提出之品牌延伸評價模型，並在參考相關文獻後予以修改，探討當B2B品牌推出B2C產品所進行之品牌延伸時，是什麼因素會促使消費者形成較為正面的延伸評價。 研究結果指出，B2B品牌是有機會成功進行跨營運範疇的品牌延伸的，而當(a).消費者對原品牌具有較高的品質認知、(b).B2B品牌所擁有的技術、資源與能力能協助品牌延伸順利進行(即具有技術移轉能力)、(c).B2B品牌與延伸產品之間具有一致的品牌概念以及(d).B2B品牌被視為具有良好的創新實力時，消費者會傾向對B2B品牌所推出之B2C產品形成較高的品牌延伸評價。此外，當B2B品牌與延伸產品間具有一致的品牌概念時，原品牌品質認知對於延伸產品評價的正向影響也將因此獲得強化。

A landmark study on brand extension was made by Aaker and Keller in 1990. After their research, there were many academic replications on this area and most of the findings indicate the “perceive quality toward the parent brand” and “fit” are two determinants of successful brand extensions. Among these researches, all discussions are based on a consumer marketing context. However, some of the world’s most powerful brands are B2B brands. When B2B brands decide to launch a new product in consumer market, whether the A&K model can explain the consumer’s attitude formation toward the extension is remaining a question. In the recent years, there were more and more B2B companies making a stretch into the consumer market or serving both sectors. We can also see many OEMs are suffering from the slight gross margin in Taiwan, which makes them try to establish their own brands or put more resources on research and design. Whether a B2B company can exploit its reputation in consumer market is an interesting question, and the success of a B2B brand extension will be largely determined by how customers evaluate the extension. After modifying the A&K model, this thesis tries to answer the following questions：Can B2B brands be extended into the consumer market? If the extension is possible, what factors will make consumers form positive evaluations? The research finding has shown that it indeed is possible to extend a B2B brand into a consumer market. The thesis also indicates that：when (a). Consumer has higher perceived quality toward the parent brand,(b). the skills, people and facilities a B2B firm uses to make the original product could be helpful in designing and making the product extension, (c).B2B brand share consistent brand concepts with its extension and (d). the B2B brand is considered as innovative, consumers will tend to form higher brand evaluation of brand extensions. Moreover, when B2B brand shares consistent brand concepts with its extension, the positive effects of parent brand quality toward the brand extension will also be strengthen.