臺大管理論叢 NTU Management Review VOL.30 NO.1

155 NTU Management Review Vol. 30 No. 1 Apr. 2020 have shared concerns (Aggarwal, 2004). For instance, Coca-Cola’s slogan “The best friend thirst ever had” describes the friend-like relationship between the brand and their consumers. This study theorizes that the relationship between BSR and SCMP will be based on the “size-power” metaphor. In many cultural practices, power is externally manifested by size in language, architecture, dress, posture, and numbers (Fiske, 2004; Hewes, 1955). According to Fiske (2004), size is universally used in the constitution, maintenance, and challenge of power relationships through communication. A human body size is associated with power and social status, e.g., power is more often given to taller individuals (Judge and Cable, 2004). Since people automatically activate the “size-power” metaphor, they expect size-compatible power: a larger product image will cause people to believe that the brand is more powerful. In contrast, a smaller SCMP may lower the consumer’s perception of power, and therefore eliminate the perception of the leader’s superiority. Thus, the expectation is that when a leader-like brand is promoted, an ad with a large SCMP will be more effective than an ad with a small SCMP. When consumers encounter a friend-like brand, they are likely to expect the brand to be close and proximal (Huang, Li, and Zhang, 2013). An ad for such a brand should induce the feeling of interpersonal closeness and intimacy. Friendships are typically built on equal footing and mutual respect. A large SCMP in an ad is likely to evoke an asymmetric power perception, which will be incongruent with consumer expectations for a friend-like brand. In contrast, a small SCMP is a better match, as a smaller product image avoids inducing a sense of threat in consumers. This study suggests that when a friend-like brand is promoted, an ad with a small SCMP will be more effective than an ad with a large SCMP. This study proposes processing fluency as the mechanism underlying the phenomena noted above. Fluency is defined as the ease in which new information can be processed (Alter and Oppenheimer, 2009; Reber, Schwarz, and Winkielman, 2004). Processing fluency elicits more positive affective responses (Winkielman and Cacioppo, 2001; Winkielman, Schwarz, Fazendeiro, and Reber, 2003), improves the observer’s evaluation (Nordhielm, 2002), determines eventual judgments (Alter and Oppenheimer, 2009; Leonhardt, Catlin, and Pirouz, 2015; Nielsen and Escalas, 2010; Schwarz, 2004), and increases the preference for objects in which the observer is fluent (Janiszewski and Meyvis, 2001; Whittlesea, 1993). The right match between SCMP and BSR is expected to improve processing fluency, which enhances ad effectiveness.