Assimilation and contrast in brand and product evaluations : Implications for marketing

The paper describes a framework according to which the same piece of information may elicit assimilation or contrast in the evaluation of a target. Thus, a brand extension may either help or hurt the brand and vice versa, a top-of-the-line product may increase or decrease the attractiveness of other models of the product line. Whether contrast or assimilation occurrs is not solely determined by the features of the stimuli as other models would predict. We show how marketing strategies may moderate the impact of a stimulus and determine whether, for example, the top-of-the-line-model helps or hurts its younger siblings.