Limitations and future research directions
Amidst these contributions, several limitations are worth noting. One, the data set consists of brand alliances that have achieved some degree of relevance in the marketplace. IRI has set a minimal threshold (0.5% of households purchasing the product) for reporting product market performance. This study should motivate future research involving new data sets that might address this. Two, other considerations may highlight the decision to exit the marketplace, which may or may not be up to the brand manager. While prior research has shown that there is no selfselection bias for deciding to enter into an ingredient brand alliance (Koschmann and Bowman 2016), a product may intentionally have a limited shelf-life regardless of market performance. Data that incorporate this information from inside the firm may help answer this. Although working with consumer packaged goods is a particular product arena, it presents an opportunity in other settings. Brand alliances are frequent practices in other areas such as services. One such example is the Delta Airlines credit card by American Express. Brand alliance processes and outcomes in these contexts are less known. Another avenue is the long-term effects of brand alliances. While most brand alliances are relatively short-lived in the marketplace, there may be persistent, long-term effects. These effects could occur for both the primary brand and secondary brand. Finally, while some existing research has examined brand alliances from inside the firm, a more comprehensive look at sharing and outcomes could be of interest. Not only would investigating profitability (and how profits are split between the brands) be of interest to managers, but also the impact of transaction costs and governance.
