"Auf zu neuen Ufern": Eine empirische Untersuchung der Chancen und Risiken von Erweiterungsstrategien starker Marken am Beispiel des Apple iCar

This article provides an exploratory empirical analysis regarding potential chances and risks of brand line extensions of strong brands using the example of Apple iCar. A standardised online survey was used to collect data of 108 participants regarding their expectations towards the Apple iCar and their opinions about the BMW i3, which is already established on the market. The results of the survey serve as an indicator for the analysis of the iCar's competitive ability and its prospects of success. First, the findings show that the iCar is seen as being able to compete on the market with an established electric car. Second, and in contrast to previous studies, our results suggest that a successful brand extension does not necessarily depend on the perceived fit between the extension-product and the established brand. One possible reason for this surprising result is that mainly hypothetical brand extensions scenarios have been used in recent research, while this study used an actual real example. While the research findings are not representative, they allow interesting theoretical implications, and provide a good hypothesis for the huge expansion potential by strong brands like Apple due to its well-known brand name and strong image.