Product proliferation may not be an effective strategy for every brand in every product category. Rather, the success of product proliferation may be conditional on previously unconsidered differences across product categories. In particular, brand relevance in category (BRiC), which is closely associated with an array of category-level characteristics, offers a potentially influential contingency. We rely on a survey study (Study 1a) and a lab experiment (Study 1b) to examine individual consumer reactions to product proliferation. These studies show that product proliferation has a stronger impact on customer-based brand equity in high BRiC categories than in low BRiC categories. From a firm perspective, Study 2 explores the effect of product proliferation on brand sales performance using IRI scanner data; it indicates conversely that BRiC has an opposing moderating effect, such that product proliferation has a stronger impact on brand sales in low BRiC categories than in high BRiC categories. Together, these nuanced results have important implications for product line and brand management resource allocation decisions.

中文翻译：

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品牌相关性和跨产品类别的产品扩散的影响

产品扩散可能不是每个产品类别中每个品牌的有效策略。相反，产品扩散的成功可能取决于以前未考虑过的产品类别之间的差异。尤其是品类中的品牌相关性 (BRiC)，它与一系列品类级别的特征密切相关，提供了潜在的有影响力的偶然性。我们依靠调查研究（研究 1a）和实验室实验（研究 1b）来检查个人消费者对产品扩散的反应。这些研究表明，与低 BRiC 类别相比，产品扩散对高 BRiC 类别中基于客户的品牌资产的影响更大。从公司的角度来看，研究 2 使用 IRI 扫描仪数据探讨了产品扩散对品牌销售业绩的影响；相反，它表明 BRiC 具有相反的调节作用，因此产品扩散对低 BRiC 类别的品牌销售影响大于高 BRiC 类别。总之，这些细微的结果对产品线和品牌管理资源分配决策具有重要意义。