Assistant Professor Smaraki Mohanty co-authored research on if plural brand names have an advantage over singular brand names.
Smaraki Mohanty’s, assistant professor of marketing at the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business, new research titled, “More the merrier: Effects of plural brand names on perceived entitativity and brand attitude” examines the impact of plural brand names on consumer perception and brand attitude.
The concept behind the study is entitativity, which refers to the perception of a brand as a cohesive and unified entity. Plural names may enhance a sense of cohesion, making the brand seem more organized and appealing.
The research included real-world data analysis and experiments with fictitious brands. The research team found that plural brand names may enhance brand appeal, especially for mainstream brands. However, the positive effect appeared to diminish for premium brands, where exclusivity and distinctiveness are more important.
“Understanding the subtle cues in brand names can provide a significant advantage in marketing,” said Mohanty.
The research was published in the Journal of Consumer Psychology with co-authors, Assistant Professor Tanvi Gupta at the Indian Institute of Management Udaipur and Assistant Professor Shirley (Shuo) Chen at Wilfrid Laurier University.
Mohanty joined Elon University in 2021. Her research interests include consumer behavior, brand management, and marketing strategies.