Given that the primary focus of marketing and advertising is to create a name for one's brand and the similarities across the brand while demonstrating a differentiation from other brands, this research is particularly revealing: "Firms hope consumers will use experience with one product or service provider to form expectancies that the firm's other products or services will be of similar high quality (within-brand similarity)," Matta and Folkes explain.
The authors note an interesting finding from their research with regard to how consumers evaluate a negative experience with a firm. A singular negative experience does not weigh negatively on the overall perception of the firm. The authors explain that this may serve as a suggestion for diversification within firms: "Hence, the potential benefits from consumers' evaluations offer an incentive for services to increase diversity in their workforces."
Inferences about the Brand from Counter-Stereotypical Service Providers. Shashi Matta and Valerie Folkes. Journal of Consumer Research. September 2005.
Journal of Consumer Research