Brand visualization: Effects of "product shape- typeface design" congruence on brand perceptions and price expectations

This research addresses effects of congruence of symbolic meanings connoted through product shape and typeface design on brand perceptions and price expectations. Based on processing fluency accounts, it is predicted that shape-typeface congruence, as opposed to shape-typeface incongruence, positively affects perceptions of brand credibility, brand aesthetics, and product value, the latter reflected in higher price expectations. These predictions were tested in two studies in which shape and typeface of a fictitious brand of bottled waters were manipulated. Findings from both studies were in line with our predictions. Moreover, study 2 indicates that perceived brand aesthetics mediates the effect of shape-typeface congruence on price expectations.