Co-Branding in the Fashion Industry Dissertation

Co-Branding in the Fashion Industry - Dissertation Example This study sought to investigate this assumption and in so doing, identify the determinants of successful versus unsuccessful co-branding ventures in the fashion industry. The question cited in the above was explored through a critical review of the literature and a survey of consumer opinion. The literature review, spread over two chapters, found that co-branding has the potential to significantly contribute to increased revenues for both of the partner firms and can enhance their respective market presence and visibility. On the downside, however, the findings of the literature review suggested that the greater majority of co-branding ventures failed and negatively reflected upon both of the partner brands. Within the context of the stated, the study focused on the identification of the reasons for failure. The literature review identified several causal factors, the most important of which was partner reputation. A company's market reputation determined consumer perceptions of it and, thus, its market performance. Brands which were identified as untrustworthy and unreliable were not likely to perform well on the market and were further found to nega tively impact upon partners within the context of a co-branding venture. The primary data supported the findings of the literature review. The study adopted a quasi experimental approach in which the factor of partner reputation was manipulated. The consumer survey showed that brands with a positive reputation were likely to suffer were they to ally themselves with a brand with a negative reputation, while that with the negative reputation was likely to benefit from partnership with a brand with a positive reputation. Total Words: 11,440 Table of Contents ii Declaration i Acknowledgements iii Abstract v Table... The purpose of this dissertation is to examine the impact of alliances among private organizations on people's perceptions of the impact of the pairings on attitudes toward the organizations. There is a marketing emphasis in this research that seeks to understand how people's perceptions of an organization are affected when it partners with another organization to pursue joint goals. The theoretical basis of this study draws upon the concept of brand alliances, or co-branding. A significant part of the dissertation will be devoted to a comprehensive review of the literature and to the process of precisely conceptualizing brand alliances in private organizations. This study is aimed at introducing brand alliances and examining their positive features, and also at identifying risks that organizations take in choosing other organizations with which to partner. Limited research is available on consumer perceptions of brand alliances in the private sector. Consequently, this dissertation research is exploratory in nature, seeking to identify issues that may arise and make suggestions regarding how they can be addressed. Organizations survive in part upon their reputations, embodied in the public perception of them. A business organization that sells a product- relies on the public perception of the quality of its product for sales. This includes visions of the quality of management, the reliability of its service guarantees, and the perception that the company stands behind its product.