EXAMINING THE MATCH-UP EFFECT IN CO-MARKETING ALLIANCE

Purpose: This study aims to examine the match-up effect in co-marketing alliancesby five factors influencing on consumers’ attitude toward co marketing alliance. These factors are usage situation, user identity, purchase criteria, brand specific image and perceived brand equity. Design/methodology/approach: A theoretical model is developed and tested with a sample of 385 Tehrani consumers SAMSUNG-ARMANI, LG-PRADA cell phones in 2011. Structural equation modeling was used with LISREL 8.50. Findings: This suggests that if consumers perceive a harmony across paired products or brands, they aremore likely to engage in the association process of evaluating a brand alliance. The study argued that the match-up perception mediated between framing criteria and the attitude toward co-marketing alliance. Purchase criteria, user identity, and perceived brand equity were valuable factors in the perception of alliance match-up. This match-up perception at cognition level is a necessary condition prior to consumer attitude at an attitudinal level.