본 연구는 소비자의 상표선호에 상표의 시장 진입정보와 노출순서의 영향을 실험적 방법에 의해 연구하고, 그 과정에 소비자들의 관여도 수준과 제품독특성과 복잡성 등의 제품 특성에 따른 조절적 효과가 있는지를 최초로 검증하였다. 연구가설의 검증을 위하여 총 세 번의 실험연구가 실행되었는데, 매 실험 당 160명 이상의 피실험자가 참가하였다. 실험용 책자를 단일의 실험세션에서 연속적으로 제공하는 짧은 지연조건 하에서 상표 선호도 실험결과는 관여도가 낮을수록 선도상표에 대한 선호도가 유의적으로 더 높았으며, 관여도가 높을 때는 선도상표가 먼저 제시될 때 선호도가 높았으나, 관여도가 낮을 때는 선도상표가 나중에 제시될 때 상표 선호도가 더 높은 것으로 확인되었다. 실험용 책자가 두 번째 세션은 첫 번째 후 7일에, 세 번째 세션은 두번째 후 5일에 제시된 긴 지연조건 하에서 실험결과는 관여도가 역시 낮을 때, 선도상표에 대한 선호도가 더 높았다. 관여도가 높을 때 선도상표가 먼저 제시된 경우와 후발상표가 먼저 제시된 경우 모두에서 주효과가 강하게 나타났고, 반대로 관여도가 낮은 경우는 최근효과가 더 강하게 작용하였다. 해당 실험결과, 제품의 디자인 독특성의 상표선호도에 대한 매우 유의적인 효과가 발견되었으며, 상표의 노출순서 측면에서 최근효과가 발견되었으나, 제품의 디자인 독특성과 노출순서의 유의적인 상호작용 효과는 없는 것으로 확인되었다. 제품의 복잡성이 높을 때, 선도상표에 대한 선호도가 복잡성이 낮을 때 보다 유의적으로 더 높았으며, 노출순서 면에서 제품의 복잡성이 높은 경우, 먼저 제시된 상표에 대한 선호도가 유의적으로 더 높았다. 복잡성과 노출순서의 상호작용 효과 측면에서 복잡성이 높은 경우는 상표의 노출순서에 따른 선호도 차이가 크게 나타나지만, 복잡성이 낮은 경우는 선호도 차이가 크지 않았다. 본 연구결과에 따라 제품 간 경쟁과 상표의 포지셔닝 및 커뮤니케이션 전략에 관리적 시사점을 제시하였다.
The study investigated the influence of market entry information and exposure-order on consumers’ brand preference via experimental methods. In those process the mediated effects of consumers’ involvement and product characteristics, such as product uniqueness and complexity, have been verified as well. In total, three experimental studies have been implemented to verify the hypotheses and over 160 respondents participated in each experiment. As experimental products, popcorn was taken for experiments 1, a container of fluid soap was utilized for experiment 2, and functional cosmetic and mango juice were applied for experiment 3.It was ascertained that, in the short delay condition in which the experimental booklet was provided consecutively in an experimental session, the experimental results indicated that preferences for the pioneer brand were significantly higher when consumers’ involvement was low. In case of high involvement, the preferences were high when the pioneer brand was presented first, whereas when involvement became lower, the preferences became higher when the pioneer brand was presented last. The experimental results under the long delay condition in which the third experimental booklet was suggested 5 days after the second, and the second booklet presented 7 days after the first, when the involvement was also low, showed that the preference for the pioneer brand was higher. Under the long delay condition, when the involvement was high, both in the case of presenting the pioneer and the follower brand first, there appeared to be strong primacy effects. However, when consumers’ involvement was low, recency effect appeared more strongly. The results of the pertinent experiment ascertained very significant effects of product design uniqueness on brand preference. Recency effect was revealed in terms of brand exposure-order side, but there was no significant interaction between design uniqueness and exposure-order. When the complexity of the brand was high, it significantly increased the preference for the pioneer compare to the case of low complexity. On the exposure-order side, in the case of high complexity, it was ascertained that the preference for the initially suggested product was significantly higher. Regarding the interaction effects between complexity and exposure-order, there was a big preference difference in the case of high complexity; however, there was no such big difference in the case of low complexity. The study suggested a number of strategic implications for managers in terms of competition among products, brand positioning and communication.