Effect of .agship products on the perceived innovativeness of a firm

(IIHFWRIÀDJVKLSSURGXFWVRQWKHSHUFHLYHG
LQQRYDWLYHQHVVRID¿UP
The decision-making process of consumers
IRUDVSHFL¿FSURGXFWLVRIWHQFKDUDFWHUL]HGE\
a high degree of complexity. For companies it
is therefore very important to generate signals
that are able to simplify the buying decision by
reducing the level of complexity.
6WXGLHVKDYHVKRZQWKDWDFRQVXPHUµVSHUFHSWLRQ
RID¿UPDVEHLQJLQQRYDWLYHKDVDQHYLGHQWLPSDFW
RQWKHVXFFHVVRID¿UPLQQHZPDUNHWV.HOOHU
DQG$DNHU6KDQNDUHWDOWKHFUHGLELOLW\DQGSHUFHLYHGH[SHUWLVHRIWKH¿UP*ROGHU
DQG7HOOLVWKHSHUFHLYHGTXDOLW\DQGEX\LQJ
LQWHQWLRQIRULWVSURGXFWV.HOOHUDQG$DNHU
DQGWKHVWDELOLW\RIDEX\HUVHOOHUUHODWLRQVKLS)DONHQUHFN:DJQHU
6LQFH¿UPVKDYHYDULRXVSRVVLELOLWLHVWRLQQRYDWH
DQGFUHDWHQHZSURGXFWVRUSURGXFWH[WHQVLRQV
%HYHUODQG1DSROL)DUUHOO\WKHLQWHUGLVFLSOLQDU\FRPELQDWLRQRIPDUNHWLQJLQQRYDWLRQUHVHDUFK
and consumer psychology could shed light on the
LPSRUWDQFHRISHUFHLYHGLQQRYDWLYHQHVVRIDFRPSDQ\7KLVLQWHUGLVFLSOLQDU\DSSURDFKFRXOGDOVR
KHOSWRLQYHVWLJDWHKRZWKHSHUFHLYHGLQQRYDWLYHQHVVRID¿UPGHSHQGVRQVSHFL¿FÀDJVKLSSURGXFWV
DQGKRZWKHLQQRYDWLYHQHVVRIÀDJVKLSSURGXFWV
DQGWKHSHUFHLYHGRYHUDOOLQQRYDWLYHQHVVRID¿UP
interact.
Theoretical Background
3DUWLFXODUO\ IRU PXOWLSURGXFW DQG KLJKLQYROYHPHQW
PDUNHWV WKH GHYHORSPHQW RI LQQRYDWLYH SURGXFWV
DQG SURGXFW H[WHQVLRQV ZKLFK VDWLVI\ FRQVXPHUV¶
needs could be such a signal that helps the consuPHU WR PDNH KLV GHFLVLRQ 7KH ZKROH EUDQG FRXOG
be perceived as innovative because of the developPHQW RI LQQRYDWLYH SURGXFWV DQG WKH ¿UP PD\ EH
DEOHWRUHDOL]HDFRPSHWLWLYHDGYDQWDJH
0RUHRYHU VWXGLHV LQYHVWLJDWLQJ SURFHVVHV DQG
IRUPV RI EUDQG H[WHQVLRQV KDYH VKRZQ WKDW WKHUH
DUHSRVLWLYHEXWDOVRQHJDWLYHPDLQPRGHUDWLQJDQG
LQWHUDFWLRQHIIHFWV.HOOHULH¿WRIFKDUDFWHULVWLFV$DNHUDQG.HOOHUVLPLODULW\DQGGLVVLPLODULW\HIIHFWVFRQWH[WHIIHFWV:lQNHHWDO
RU HIIHFWV RI SURWRW\SH DQG H[HPSODU ¿W 0DR DQG
6KDQNHU .ULVKQDQ UHJDUGLQJ WKH HYDOXDWLRQ
of a brand extension and its parent brand. Within
WKLVUHVHDUFKHVSHFLDOO\WKHH[LVWHQFHRIDÀDJVKLS
SURGXFW DV GLVWLQJXLVKLQJ PDUN FRXOG JHQHUDWH D
highly interacting impact on the perception of a speFL¿F EUDQG ¿UP DQG PD\ DOVR EH DEOH WR VLPSOLI\
FRQVXPHUGHFLVLRQPDNLQJ
$JDLQVW WKLV EDFNJURXQG WKH TXHVWLRQV DULVH D
ZKHWKHUWKHSHUFHSWLRQRILQQRYDWLYHQHVVKDVDSRVLWLYH LQÀXHQFH RQ GLIIHUHQW HFRQRPLF YDOXHV LH
LQWHQWLRQWREX\ZLOOLQJQHVVWRSD\EZKHWKHUWKH
H[LVWHQFHDQGWKHNQRZOHGJHRIDÀDJVKLSSURGXFW
LWV LQQRYDWLYHQHVV SHUFHSWLRQ DQG SHUFHLYHG ¿W KDV
DQLPSDFWRQWKHSHUFHLYHGLQQRYDWLYHQHVVRID¿UP
Method and Analysis
We conducted three empirical studies -one pilot
VWXG\DQGWZRPDLQVWXGLHV±WRLQYHVWLJDWHWKHUHODWLRQVKLSEHWZHHQWKHSHUFHLYHGLQQRYDWLYHQHVVRI
D¿UPDQGWKHH[LVWHQFHRIDÀDJVKLSSURGXFW,QWKH
pilot studyZHLQYHVWLJDWHGWKHHIIHFWRIWKHSHUFHLYHGLQQRYDWLYHQHVVRID¿UPRQWKHLQWHQWLRQWREX\
DUHODWHGSURGXFWDQGWKHZLOOLQJQHVVWRSD\DQH[WUDFKDUJHIRUDSURGXFWRIWKHJLYHQ¿UPWRYDOLGDWH
the relevance of the innovativeness perception.
In the ¿UVWPDLQVWXG\ZHXVHGUHDODQGNQRZQ
EUDQGVHOHFWURQLFVFDUVDQGSKDUPDFHXWLFVWR
LQYHVWLJDWHWKHLQWHUDFWLRQHIIHFWVRINQRZLQJDQG
QDPLQJDVSHFL¿FÀDJVKLSSURGXFWZLWKSURGXFWSHUFHSWLRQDQGSURGXFW¿WRQWKHLQQRYDWLYHQHVVSHUFHSWLRQRIWKH¿UP,QWKHsecond main studyZH
investigated the effects of product perception and
SURGXFW¿WRQWKHLQQRYDWLYHQHVVSHUFHSWLRQRIWKH
¿UPZLWKLQDQH[SHULPHQWDOVHWXSXVLQJD¿FWLWLRXV
SKDUPDF\¿UPFDOOHG³6FKOHVZLJ´ZLWKPHGLFLQHV
GUXJVIRUFDQFHUWUHDWPHQWWRFRQWUROIRUFRQIRXQGLQJHIIHFWVRIEUDQGNQRZOHGJHDQG¿UPKLVWRU\
FRPSDUHGWRPDLQVWXG\)XUWKHUPRUHLWKDVWR
be mentioned that both main studies had no direct
IRFXVRQWKHLQYHVWLJDWLRQRIWKHFRQFUHWHLQÀXHQFH
of consumer innovativeness and perceived expertise on the innovativeness perception because of
their experimental setup and the concentration on
ÀDJVKLSSURGXFWVDQGWKHLULPSDFW1HYHUWKHOHVVWR
account for existing results of the effect of consuPHULQQRYDWLYHQHVVDQGH[SHUWLVHZLWKLQGLIIHUHQW
FRQWH[WVRILQQRYDWLRQDQGPDUNHWLQJUHVHDUFKERWK
YHUVLRQVZHUHLQWHJUDWHGDVFRQWUROYDULDEOHVVHH
)LJXUH
37
insights in collaborative innovations
Figure 1. Overview of study design and hypotheses
Results
Pilot study:LWKUHJDUGWRWKHLQÀXHQFH RIWKHLQQRYDWLYHQHVV SHUFHSWLRQ RI D ¿UP +D+E ZH
IRXQG D VLJQL¿FDQW FRUUHODWLRQ EHWZHHQ WKH SHUFHLYHGLQQRYDWLYHQHVVRIWKH¿UPDQGWKHLQWHQWLRQWR
EX\U SDQGWKHZLOOLQJQHVVWR
SD\U S
Main study 1 7RLQYHVWLJDWHWKHHIIHFWVRIWKHSHUFHLYHG LQQRYDWLYHQHVV RI WKH ÀDJVKLS SURGXFW DQG
WKHSHUFHLYHG¿W++ZHXVHGDPRGHUDWHGUHJUHVVLRQ DQDO\VLV +D\HV HW DO ZLWK YDOXHV
RI WKH SHUFHLYHG LQQRYDWLYHQHVV RI WKH ¿UP DV GHSHQGHQW YDULDEOH WKH SHUFHLYHG LQQRYDWLYHQHVV RI
WKH ÀDJVKLS SURGXFW DV LQGHSHQGHQW YDULDEOH WKH
SHUFHLYHG ¿W DV PRGHUDWRU DQG WKH LQGXVWU\ HOHFWURQLFV FDUV DQG SKDUPDFHXWLFV WKH FRQVXPHU
innovativeness and perceived expertise as control
YDULDEOHVFRYDULDWHV:HIRXQGDVLJQL¿FDQWSRVLtive main effect for the perceived innovativeness of
WKH ÀDJVKLS SURGXFW DQG WKH SHUFHLYHG ¿W EXW QR
interaction effect of perceived innovativeness of the
SURGXFWDQGSHUFHLYHG¿W
Main study 2 7RLQYHVWLJDWHWKHHIIHFWVRIWKHSHUFHLYHG LQQRYDWLYHQHVV RI WKH ÀDJVKLS SURGXFW DQG
WKHSHUFHLYHG¿WZHXVHGDPRGHUDWHGUHJUHVVLRQ
DQDO\VLV+D\HVHWDOZLWKYDOXHVRIWKHSHUFHLYHGLQQRYDWLYHQHVVRIWKH¿UPDVGHSHQGHQWYDULDEOHWKHSHUFHLYHGLQQRYDWLYHQHVVRIWKHÀDJVKLS
SURGXFWDVLQGHSHQGHQWYDULDEOHWKHSULFHFRQGLWLRQ
IRUWKHÀDJVKLSSURGXFWDQGWKHSURGXFWSULFHUDQJH
DVPRGHUDWRUVDVZHOODVWKHFRQVXPHULQQRYDWLYHYour contact person for
behavioural research and
innovation communication
Marco Hubert, Dr.
Assistant professor
phone: +49 7541 6009-1274
HPDLO PDUFRKXEHUW#]XGH
38
ness and perceived expertise as control variables
FRYDULDWHV 7KH SURGXFW ¿W EHWZHHQ ÀDJVKLS SURGXFW DQG ¿UP ZDV LQGLFDWHG E\ WKH LQWHUDFWLRQ EHWZHHQWKHSULFHFRQGLWLRQRIWKHÀDJVKLSSURGXFWDQG
the general product price range. We found a signi¿FDQWSRVLWLYHPDLQHIIHFWIRUWKHSHUFHLYHGLQQRYDWLYHQHVV RI WKH ÀDJVKLS SURGXFW DQG DQ LQWHUDFWLRQ
HIIHFWEHWZHHQSHUFHLYHGLQQRYDWLYHQHVVRIWKHÀDJVKLSSURGXFWDQGWKHSURGXFW¿W
Conclusion
2YHUDOO ZH VKRZHG WKDW WKH LQYHVWLJDWLRQ RI SHUFHLYHG LQQRYDWLYHQHVV DQG WKH YDOXH RI ÀDJVKLS
products is necessary and important for business
UHVHDUFKEHFDXVHRIDVLJQL¿FDQWLPSDFWUHJDUGLQJ
UHOHYDQWFXVWRPHUGHFLVLRQYDOXHVOLNHZLOOLQJQHVVWR
SD\ DQG EX\LQJ LQWHQWLRQV DV ZHOO DV D VLJQL¿FDQW
GHFUHDVH LQ FRPSOH[LW\ RI FRQVXPHUV¶ GHFLVLRQ
PDNLQJ GXH WR WKH ÀDJVKLS SURGXFW 0DQDJHPHQW
SUDFWLFH VHHNLQJ WR DFKLHYH LQFUHDVHV LQ WKH FXVWRPHUV
SHUFHLYHG¿UP
VLQQRYDWLYHQHVVLQFRPSOH[
PDUNHWVZLOOEHQH¿WIURPRXUVWXG\VLQFHLWHQDEOHV
WKHP WR LGHQWLI\ DQG HVWLPDWH WKH LQÀXHQFH RI D
ÀDJVKLS SURGXFW RQ WKH FXVWRPHUV¶ SHUFHSWLRQ DQG
WR EHWWHU XQGHUVWDQG GHWHUPLQDQWV RI WKH FXVWRPHUV¶SHUFHSWLRQRID¿UP
VLQQRYDWLYHQHVVDQGKRZ
WR LQÀXHQFH WKHP $OWRJHWKHU RXU WKHRUHWLFDO DQG
HPSLULFDO ¿QGLQJV IURP WKUHH VWXGLHV FRQWULEXWH WR
D EHWWHU XQGHUVWDQGLQJ RI WKH UROH RI ÀDJVKLS SURGXFWVIRULQQRYDWLRQSHUFHSWLRQDQGWKXVLQQRYDWLRQ
management and economic performance across
industries.
For further reading:
+XEHUW0)ORUDFN$(QNHO((EHUKDUGW7.HQQLQJ
3 (IIHFW RI )ODJVKLS3URGXFWV RQ WKH 3HUFHLYHG
,QQRYDWLYHQHVVRID)LUP,63,0+HOVLQNL