Invitation to PhD defense: Elin Bolann

On Friday June 10, 2011 Elin Bolann will hold a trial lecture on a prescribed topic and defend her thesis for the PhD degree at NHH.

03.06.2011 - Ed.

Prescribed topic for the trial lecture:
Transfer effects in evaluation of brand alliances: Theoretical, methodological and managerial challenges and recommendations.

Time of the trial lecture:
11:15 in Karl Borch's Auditorium, NHH

Title of the thesis:
Transfer Effects of Place and Brand Partner Associations in Evaluation of Place Brand Alliances: An Accessibility-Diagnosticity Perspective

Time and place for the defense:
13:15 in Karl Borch's Auditorium, NHH

Members of the evaluation committee:
Professor Herbjørn Nysveen, NHH (chairperson)
Professor Curtis P. Haugtvedt, Fisher College of Business, The Ohio State University
Associate Professor Line Lervik Olsen, BI Norwegian Business School

Supervising committee:
Professor Leif E. Hem, NHH (principal supervisor)
Senior Researcher Nina M. Iversen, Institute for Research in Economics and Business Administration (SNF)
Professor Ulf H. Olsson, BI Norwegian Business School

The trial lecture and thesis defense will be open to the public. Copies of the thesis will be available from: [email protected].

Abstract:
Place brand alliances are cooperative ventures between brands, promoting a match between the brand partners and their shared place of origin (place of origin referring to a country, region or city). The idea behind place brand alliances is to transfer place and brand partner images (place and brand partner associations) back to each partnering brand with the intention of enhancing brand partner attitudes.

But in spite of an escalating interest in place brand alliances on a worldwide basis, factors influencing transfer of place and brand partner associations remain largely unexplored. To gain more knowledge on this matter, the thesis has identified factors impacting association transfer effects in place brand alliances (transfer effects being measured in terms of attitude).

The findings suggest that the best transfer effects of place and brand partner associations result when 1) logic and congruence between the place and the brand partners are clearly explained, 2) less known rather than better known brand partners ally, and 3) marketing communication is based on how consumers cognitively process the combination of place and brand partner information in promotional messages.
It appears that optimal transfer effects result when consumers process judgment relevant product attribute information prior to processing the "clue" explaining "why the place and the brand partners make sense together". This presentation sequence of place and brand partner cues in promotional messages seems to yield the better transfer effects in place brand alliances.