This research is focused on how having the proper focus on consumer brand personality can lead to new product success among persons with special needs (psn). This can positively influence consumer well-being thereby promoting positive consumer behavior among this particular consumer population. The result is a framework that guides the philosophy for this research

DiStefano, Dawn, MBA

English

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Molloy CollegeDigitalCommons@MolloyFaculty Works: Business9-2017Impact of Brand Personality on New ProductSuccess: A Framework for Leading an IndependentLifeDawn DiStefano MBAMolloy College, ddistefano@molloy.eduFollow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.molloy.edu/bus_facPart of the Business CommonsDigitalCommons@Molloy FeedbackThis Conference Proceeding is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@Molloy. It has been accepted for inclusion in FacultyWorks: Business by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@Molloy. For more information, please contacttochtera@molloy.edu,thasin@molloy.edu.Recommended CitationDiStefano, Dawn MBA, "Impact of Brand Personality on New Product Success: A Framework for Leading an Independent Life"(2017). Faculty Works: Business. 39.https://digitalcommons.molloy.edu/bus_fac/39  2017 Conference Proceedings  Northeast Business & Economics Association    Forty-Fourth Annual Meeting October 26-28, 2017  Danfords Hotel & Marina Port Jefferson, New York   Hosted by Molloy College        Proceedings Editor  Jennifer Hom   Conference Chair  Maureen L. Mackenzie Molloy College   Northeast Business & Economics Association Proceedings, 2017  89 Impact of Brand Personality on New Product Success: A Framework for Leading an Independent Life        Dawn DiStefano, MBA       PhD Candidate       Pace University       1 Place Plaza       New York, NY USA 10038       (516) 323-3096       ddistefano@molloy.edu  ABSTRACT This research is focused on how having the proper focus on consumer brand personality can lead to new product success among persons with special needs (psn). This can positively influence consumer well-being thereby promoting positive consumer behavior among this particular consumer population. The result is a framework that guides the philosophy for this research.  Keywords Brand personality, new product success  1  LITERATURE REVIEW Brand Personality Humanizing a brand can serve as a self-expressive meaning beyond the practical function of product-related attributes. Brand personality is multidimensional including: sincerity, excitement, competence, sophistication, and ruggedness where some dimensions may be more relevant and expressive of particular brands than others (Aaker, 1997). By exploring non-profit efforts that specialize in providing services for those with special needs, organizations can better predict consumer brand personality which is being hypothesized as having a positive impact on new product success.  New Product Success Further review of related studies regarding IPD (innovative product design) should prove beneficial toward this exploratory research. One particular study supports empirical data that can prove to be very valuable regarding three main attributes: 1) aesthetics, 2) features and 3) ergonomics. It captures the unique customer perceptions of product innovativeness for product design (Moon, Park, & Kim, 2015). When vendors create innovative products, having these three main attributes in mind would empower those that may have been born or who have acquired a disability at some point in their lives. It will be interesting to see the impact of various types of purchase decisions based on brand personality and how it relates to new product success.  Persons with Special Needs Literature speaks to consumer welfare (a.k.a. consumer well-being) and how marketing scholars have written in various areas of public policy, macromarketing, social marketing, transformative consumer research, etc. It is stated that these areas of research are constantly growing (Baker, 2009).  Consequently, there is an area of literature that focuses on individuals living in the U.S. that have a disability ‘of some sort’ which emphasizes the constraints of this consumer population and how it applies to this area of study (Baker, 2009).  Local non-profits are showing interest in these types of considerations when servicing those with special needs. The feeling is while providing stellar services to this deserving population, they feel that these factors could indirectly influence agency choice. By partnering with vendors and the families who live with person(s) with special needs, they may be able to collectively shed light on the overall impact of the non-profit agency of choice and perhaps what makes it comparative to other similar non-profit agencies specializing in this area of care.  It would be interesting to apply the findings of this particular study toward a future study to see if these underpinnings for this population systematically influence agency choice.  Literature suggests that further research developments will allow organizations as well as their consumer markets to reap the benefits of what may have appeared to be once an unseeingly beneficial market (Burnett & Paul, 1996). They key may be to partner with local non-profit agencies in pursuit of empowering this deserving population to lead meaningful and independent lives.  2  METHODOLOGY Exploratory research would be in the form of surveys and/or interviews (Aaker, 1997) among families who have person(s) with special needs within the same household. Sometimes this population is overlooked (Mason & Pavia, 2006). Additionally, engaging associated vendors of similar non-profit agencies would enhance the study. The overall benefits of investigating these above-mentioned populations would not only benefit the targeted population (i.e. persons with special needs), but also the local non-profits and their associated vendors alike.     Northeast Business & Economics Association Proceedings, 2017  90 3  DISCUSSION There are diverse difficulties when investigating consumer vulnerability (i.e. in this case, those with special needs) and how this context of research is growing, but the difficulties remain (Jafari, Dunnett, Hamilton, & Downey, 2013).  Some consumer populations are subjected to their daily life expenditures being controlled by institutional forces (Arnould & Thompson, 2005; Jafari & Goulding, 2008, 2012). Consumers with disabilities can experience an enormous amount of uncertainty, perhaps immobility, and social prohibitions (Downey& Catterall, 2007; Mason & Pavia, 2006) pertaining to their consumption experiences. Additionally, this type of scientific research requires extensive and supportive IRB approval to move forward.  Related implications that present additional concern are on the researchers’ behalf. When pursuing this respective research, scholarly research complexities and experiences have been documented relating to various types of sensitive research topics in challenging contexts, namely researcher vulnerability (Jafari, Dunnett, Hamilton, & Downey, 2013). This has also complicated is research landscape.  Various stakeholders who may be instrumental toward this new knowledge generation, but whose institutional impact is felt, can also produce further implications worth mentioning.  As a result, scientific research is becoming more society-centered as opposed to market-centered (Penaloza & Venkatesh, 2006) and researchers are becoming advocates for this worthy population with a better appreciation, in a humanistic way, to their consumers’ diverse needs (Hill, 2005). Hence, why there is a growing need to contribute to this area of study.  Societal Impact The ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) states that there is an estimated 43 million persons who are considered to be part of this vulnerable population. Further study could prove there to be a ‘win-win’ scenario if non-profit agencies can continue to learn the underpinnings of their target population for the greater good as well as better cater their expert services within their local communities (Burnett & Paul, 1996).  The examination of the relationship among consumer brand personality and new product success is worth exploring in efforts to empower this deserving population with regard to consumer choice.  Additionally, it would be beneficial to see if these underpinnings systematically influence  non-profit agency choice through inclusive marketing efforts (Wilcox, 2005).  The resulting framework is presented here.    Resulting Framework      REFERENCES Aaker, J. L. (1997). Dimensions of brand personality. Journal of marketing research, 347-356.  Arnould, E.J., Thompson, C. J. (2005). Consumer Culture Theory: Twenty years of research. Journal of Consumer Research, 31(4), 868-883. doi: 10.1086/426626  Baker, S.M. (2009). Introduction to the special issue on consumption constraints. Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, 28(1), 1-2. doi: 10.1509/jppm.28.1.1  Burnett, J.J., & Paul, P. (1996). Assessing the media habits and needs of the mobility-disabled consumer. Journal of Advertising, 25(3), 47-59.  Downey, H., & Catterall, M., (2007). Autopoiesis and the home confined consumer: The role of personal communities. International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, 27(3/4), 175-118. doi: 10.1108/01443330710741101  Hill, R.P. (2005). Do the poor deserve less than surfers? An essay for the special issue on vulnerable consumers. Journal of Macromarketing, 25(2), 215-218. doi: 10.1177/0276146705280714  Jafari, A., Dunnett, S., Hamilton, K., & Downey, H. (2013). Exploring researcher vulnerability: Contexts, complications, and conceptualisation. Journal of Marketing Management, 29(9/10), 1182-1200. doi: 10.1080/0267257X.2013.798677  Jafari, A., & Goulding, C. (2008). "We are not terrorists!" UK-based Iranians, consumption practices and the 'torn self'. Consumption, Markets, and Culture, 11(2), 73-91. doi:10.1080/10253860802033605  Jafari, A., & Goulding, C. (2012). Globalization, reflexivity and the project of the self: A virtual intercultural learning process. Consumption, Markets, and Cutlure. (iFirst).  Mason, M., & Pavia, T. (2006). When the family system includes disability: Adaptation in the marketplace, roles and Brand Personality New Product Success Brand Personality Independent Variable  New Product Success Dependent Variable  Northeast Business & Economics Association Proceedings, 2017  91 identity. Journal of Marketing Management, 22(9/10), 1009-1030.  Moon, H., Park, J., & Kim, S. (2015). The importance of an innovative product design on customer behavior: Development and validation of a scale. Journal of Product Innovation Management, 32(2), 224-232. doi: 10.1111/jpim.12172  Penaloza, L., & Venkatesh, A. (2006). Further evolving the new dominant logic of marketing: From services to the social construction of markets. Marketing Theory, 6(3), 299-316. doi: 10.1016/0277-9536(90)90212-B  Wilcox, S.B. (2005). Increasing sales by considering disabilities. Design Management Review, 16(4), 49-54.   

Impact of Brand Personality on New Product Success: A Framework for Leading an Independent Life

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Impact of Brand Personality on New Product Success: A Framework for Leading an Independent Life

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