Exploring ethnic consumer response to crossover brand extensions

This research uses a social identity theory approach to investigate the impact of cultural identity on ethnic consumer response to ethnic crossover brand extensions—brands associated with one ethnic group that crossover into a product category associated with another ethnic group (e.g., McDonaldʹs Café con leche). Study 1 demonstrates that the manner in which crossover brand extensions blend ethnic consumersʹ in-group and out-group cultural representations impact brand extension cultural fit and parent brand attitudes, and perceived ethnic target market impacts brand extension attitudes. Study 2 demonstrates that high ethnic embeddedness extensions strengthen ethnic consumersʹ self-brand connections. These findings provide managerial implications for practitioners considering a crossover brand extension strategy.