The Impact of Task Congruence Variations on Product Evaluations: A Comparison of Strong and Weak Brand Products

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the impact of task congruence variation on product evaluations while comparing strong versus weak brand products. In particular, brand strength effects in terms of product evaluation were examined by comparing strong and weak brands in the context of conflict and non-conflict trials. The research employed a controlled experimental design and utilized measures of brand perception, preference, and purchase intention. Participants were exposed to various brand stimuli representing both strong and weak brands, while their responses were measured during conflict and non-conflict trials. The manipulation involved strong versus weak brand presentation after trials with first 70-30 ratio of incongruent-congruent trials and secondly with 30-70 ratio of incongruent-congruent trials of stroop task among hungry and non hungry participants. The hunger was made task relevant to see its effect on product evaluation as well in conjunction to task congruency. The findings revealed significant differences in consumer perceptions and evaluations for strong as compared to weak brands in the presence of conflict trials. Strong brands demonstrated higher levels of brand strength as compared to weak brand in the presence of 70% conflict trails, leading to greater positive perceptions and increased purchase intentions compared to weak brands. The stroop effect had no influence on strong brand image. The purchase intention was better for hungry participants as compared to non-hungry participants thereby implying hunger influencing purchase intentions as well. These results have important implications for brand management and marketing strategies, highlighting the importance of building and maintaining brand strength for long-term success. Future research directions may explore additional factors influencing the relationship between brand strength, conflict, and consumer evaluations, further enhancing our understanding of the dynamics between brands and consumer behavior.