Article2011

Brand romance: a complementary approach to explain emotional attachment toward brands

Hemant Patwardhan · Siva K. Balasubramanian

173 citations0/0 files storedJournal of Product & Brand Management

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Consumer Behavior in Brand Consumption and Identification Customer Service Quality and Loyalty Consumer Retail Behavior Studies

Abstract

Purpose This research aims to explain consumer attraction to brands when stimulation needs are paramount using the perspective of the Self‐Expansion Model. In doing so, it seeks to identiy brand romance – a more proximal construct to brand loyalty and aims to offer a complementary perspective to understand emotional attachment to brands. Design/methodology/approach A series of four studies developed and validated a three‐factor, 12‐item measurement scale for brand romance using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Reliability, convergent, criterion, discriminant and nomological validities were established. Findings Brand romance is a reliable, valid, and a more proximal construct that explains loyalty significantly better than attitudes. Research limitations/implications Student subjects constitute the sample and the findings are cautiously generalizable to adult populations. Future research should focus on teasing out product category effects, extending generalizability to other product categories and integrating the Attachment Theory perspective with the study's findings to offer a more comprehensive explanation for loyalty. Practical implications Consumers are likely to remain loyal to brands to which they are attracted. The brand romance construct captures this attraction. Marketers need to infuse their brands with novel perspectives, resources and identities on a continuous basis to satisfy stimulation needs and keep the attraction strong. This involves creating new brand associations that help the brand to stay relevant. Originality/value To the authors' knowledge, this is the first study to apply the Self‐expansion Model to brand relationships. The research contributes a unique perspective in explaining emotional attachment to brands brought on by stimulation needs. It fills a gap in the emotional attachment literature and provides marketers with a tool to monitor consumers' attraction to brands.

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References

1975Belief, Attitude, Intention and Behavior: An Introduction to Theory and Research 1992Alternative Ways of Assessing Model Fit 1990Comparative fit indexes in structural models.1979A Paradigm for Developing Better Measures of Marketing Constructs 1979Review of Psychometric theory (2nd ed.).1955Construct validity in psychological tests.1989EQS : structural equations program manual 1982The Experiential Aspects of Consumption: Consumer Fantasies, Feelings, and Fun

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