Means-Goal Conflict and Novel Brand Choice.

The article investigates how consumers’ choice of novel brands—brands they have not previously encountered—is influenced by the context of means-goal conflict, where available products impede rather than support consumers’ active goals. Across multiple studies involving various product categories and goals, the research finds that consumers are more likely to choose novel brands under means-goal conflict because novel brands, being ambiguous and lacking strong associations, allow consumers to justify their choice by perceiving these products as less harmful to their goals. This effect diminishes when the ambiguity of the novel brand is reduced, indicating that ambiguity is key to this choice-justification strategy. The findings contribute to understanding consumer behavior in globalized markets with abundant novel brands and offer practical insights for marketers on positioning new brands in contexts where consumers face conflicting goals.