ABSTRACT
This chapter explores cross-cultural differences in brand extension response in more detail. It examines the idea that brand extension response differs between cultures due to differences in the way that brand extension fit is judged. The chapter focuses on research on cross-cultural psychology describing cultural differences in styles of thinking, with East Asian societies characterized by holistic thinking and Western societies characterized by analytic thinking. Holistic thinking involves an orientation to the context or field as a whole, whereas analytic thinking involves a detachment of the object from its context and a focus on attributes of the object. Our general prediction is that styles of thinking influence the way in which consumers from Eastern versus Western cultures judge brand extension fit and arrive at brand extension evaluations. All of the studies reported in the chapter make comparisons across different cultural groups.
