When the elephant aligns with the ant: Brand prominence strategies in asymmetric Co-branding

Abstract

Brand prominence strategy is central to asymmetric co-branding, a marketing research area of growing importance for understanding its impact on brand equity and consumer response. This study examines how brand identity prominence in co-branding influences consumer responses through three controlled experiments (N = 1318). The findings indicate that in asymmetric co-branding, the prominent display of the weak brand, in contrast to the strong brand, has a positive effect on product evaluations. This visual prominence enhances consumers’ perception of inter-brand relationship commitment, which, in turn, fosters greater brand admiration for the strong brand and greater brand trust in the weak brand. However, this positive effect emerges only when consumers perceive a high degree of brand integration, diminishing when perceived integration is low. These results offer both theoretical and practical insights into the strategic display of brand identities in asymmetric co-branding.