Abstract

This research focused on the effect of positive interaction with other brands on the preferred brand, despite having a preferred brand. Unlike in previous studies that have focused only on the positive effect of preferred brand, the current research has the purpose to study (1) find out that brand flirting can negative effect existing relationships in the purchasing situation and (2) a strateagy to prevent its negative effect. In the purchase situation, when the anticipated satisfaction was evaluated befor the alternative choice after positive interaction with other brands, mental imagery was activated and the weight was placed on the attribute that is easy to form the image, and it was predicted that the brand switching could be reduced. In Study 1, when the anticipated satisfaction evaluation was performed, the choice of the preferred brand was high regardless of the flirting condition. But, whe the anticipated satisfaction evaluation was not performed, the choice of the preferred brand was decreased compared to the not flirting condition. In Study 2, in order to complement the limitations of Study 1 and to more clearly verify the mediating effect of mental imagery activation, an experiment was conducted by adding a cognitive load condition in a flirting situation. As a result of the study, it was confirmed that the choice of preferred brand decreased when cognitive load occurred when the anticipated satisfaction evaluation was performed. On the other hand, if the anticipated satisfaction evaluation was not performed, the preferred brand choice was low regardless of the cognitive load condition. The results of this research are meaningful in that a brand switching occurs when brand flirting in the purchasing situation, and a strategic plan to prevent brand switching is proposed by activated mental imagery through the anticipated satisfaction evaluation.