When Corporate Image Affects Product Evaluations: The Moderating Role of Perceived Risk

Abstract

In two experiments, the authors show that corporate image associations with innovation and trustworthiness (but not social responsibility) influence product evaluations more when consumers perceive high (versus low) risk in the product purchase. Their findings extend previous research by identifying perceived risk as a moderator of the effects of corporate image on product evaluations. The authors discuss implications for the conditions governing the “flow-through” of corporate image to individual product evaluations.