Effect of Complementary Product Fit and Brand Awareness on Brand Attitude After M&As : Word of Mouth as a Moderator

The main purpose of this study was to examine how complementary product fit and awareness influence brand attitude after Mergers and acquisitions (M&As). The study also examined the moderating effect of word of mouth. A survey was conducted with 411 respondents (162 males and 249 females), who completed a questionnaire in Chinese. The results indicated that brand awareness had a positive influence on brand attitude. Regarding the product fit effect, the product fit did not show any significant effect on brand attitude. The results also indicated that WOM had a significant influence on product fit and brand awareness. A few studies have evaluated the effect of brand awareness, product fit and WOM on brand attitude after M&A. The contribution of this research is to help managers understand the potential effects of brand awareness and WOM on the acquirer's image