|
Abstract:
|
This dissertation explores the topic of rebranding , an important topic that has mostly been covered by practitioner journals and the business press . The focus of this research is on a specific type of rebranding - logo changes . The objective was to get a better understanding of consumer perceptions of logo changes by investigating what goes on in the consumer's mind when exposed to a brand logo change in terms of "coping" with this change .
After an extensive qualitative investigation , a model was developed that focused on how exposure to a logo change puts the consumer into a coping process through expressions of curiosity , skepticism and resistance toward the logo change . In this model , two elements were proposed to govern the coping processes of rebranding : 1 ) the degree of logo change , and 2 ) the valence (i .e . favorability ) of logo change . The model also examined how these coping mechanisms related to each other and ultimately affected the brand attitude after the logo change . The results supported 13 of 16 hypotheses related to the proposed model . In sum , the study has made a valuable contribution to the scholarly understanding of coping as an important process of consumer response to logo changes . |