Skip to main content

Are Brand Affiliation Tasks and Similarity Evaluations Comparable? An Examination Using the Example of the Vehicle Front

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
Advances in Industrial Design (AHFE 2021)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems ((LNNS,volume 260))

Included in the following conference series:

  • 3022 Accesses

Abstract

By having a similar appearance, products can be grouped together. This is used by brands to generate a common product origin. This paper investigates to what extent the ratings of similarity (high dissimilarity - high similarity) and more precisely brand affiliation (different brands - one brand) of product pairs differ. For this purpose, an online survey was conducted using the example of vehicle fronts. These were specifically designed with regard to different shapes and product perceptions (object-oriented impression of the product). The results of the ratings differ significantly for some product pairs concerning similarity and brand affiliation. In addition, the response behavior of the participants in the evaluation of brand affiliation is better attributed to the shape and product perception.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 169.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Bloch, P.H.: Seeking the ideal form: product design and consumer response. J. Market. 59(3), 16–29 (1995)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Kreuzbauer, R., Malter, A.J.: Embodied cognition and new product design: changing product form to influence brand categorization. J. Prod. Innov. Manag. 22(2), 165–176 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Park, C.W., Milberg, S., Lawson, R.: Evaluation of brand extensions: the role of product feature similarity and brand concept consistency. J. Consum. Res. 18(2), 185–193 (1991)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Ranscombe, C., Hicks, B., Mullineux, G.: A method for exploring similarities and visual references to brand in the appearance of mature mass-market products. Des. Stud. 33(5), 496–520 (2012)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Goldstein, E.B.: Sensation and Perception, 9th edn. Cengage Learning, Belmont (2014)

    Google Scholar 

  6. Tversky, A.: Features of similarity. Psychol. Rev. 84(4), 327–352 (1977)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Maier, T.: Gleichteilanalyse und Ähnlichkeitsermittlung von Produktprogrammen. Dissertation, Universität Stuttgart, Institut für Maschinenkonstruktion und Getriebebau, Stuttgart, Germany (1993)

    Google Scholar 

  8. Ranawat, A., Hölttä-Otto, K.: Four dimensions of design similarity. In: Proceedings of the ASME 2009 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences and Computers and Information in Engineering Conference, pp. 1069–1077. ASME, San Diego (2009)

    Google Scholar 

  9. Schreiner, T.F., Fandrich, T., Heitmann, M., Talke, K.: A novel approach for predicting and understanding consumers’ sense of design similarity. J. Prod. Innov. Manag. 34(6), 790–820 (2017)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Culbertson, T.D., Simpson, T.W.: Using shape grammars to identify salient features in support of product family design. In: Proceedings of ASME International Design Engineering Technical Conferences and Computers and Information in Engineering Conference, pp. V007T07A036. ASME, Buffalo (2014)

    Google Scholar 

  11. Pugliese, M.J., Cagan, J.: Capturing a rebel: modeling the Harley-Davidson brand through a motorcycle shape grammar. Res. Eng. Design 13(3), 139–156 (2002)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Burnap, A., Hartley, J., Pan, Y., Gonzalez, R., Papalambros, P.Y.: Balancing design freedom and brand recognition in the evolution of automotive brand styling. Des. Sci. 2 (2016)

    Google Scholar 

  13. Schmitt, B.H., Simonson, A.: Marketing Aesthetics: The Strategic Management of Brands, Identity, and Image. The Free Press, New York (1997)

    Google Scholar 

  14. Hsiao, S., Lee, C., Chen, R., Lin, C.: A methodology for brand feature establishment based on the decomposition and reconstruction of a feature curve. Adv. Eng. Inform. 38, 14–26 (2018)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Windhager, S., Slice, D.E., Schaefer, K., Oberzaucher, E., Thorstensen, T., Grammer, K.: Face to face : the perception of automotive designs. Hum. Nat. 19(4), 331–346 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Landwehr, J.R., McGill, A.L., Herrmann, A.: It’s got the look: the effect of friendly and aggressive “facial” expressions on product liking and sales. J. Mark. 75(3), 132–146 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Hsiao, K.-A., Chen, L.-L.: Fundamental dimensions of affective responses to product shapes. Int. J. Ind. Ergon. 36(6), 553–564 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Fischer, M.S., Holder, D., Maier, T.: Brand affiliation through curved and angular surfaces using the example of the vehicle front. In: Proceedings of ASME International Design Engineering Technical Conferences and Computers and Information in Engineering Conference, pp. V008T08A047. ASME, Virtual, Online (2020)

    Google Scholar 

  19. Welsh, J.: Why cars got angry - seeing demonic grins, glaring eyes? auto makers add edge to car 'faces'; say goodbye to the wide-eyed neon. Wall Street J. W1 (2006)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank all the participants of the study for supporting this research.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Matthias Sebastian Fischer .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2021 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this paper

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this paper

Fischer, M.S., Holder, D., Maier, T. (2021). Are Brand Affiliation Tasks and Similarity Evaluations Comparable? An Examination Using the Example of the Vehicle Front. In: Shin, C.S., Di Bucchianico, G., Fukuda, S., Ghim , YG., Montagna, G., Carvalho, C. (eds) Advances in Industrial Design. AHFE 2021. Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems, vol 260. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-80829-7_98

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-80829-7_98

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-80828-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-80829-7

  • eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics