Nostalgia Evoked by Brands: A First Step Towards Scale Development and Validation

Abstract

Nostalgia evoked by brands is at the forefront of contemporary marketing theory and practice. To date, scales have been developed to measure the propensity to be nostalgic as an individual difference but little attention has been paid to measure consumers’ perceptions of the nostalgia aroused by brands. Moreover, prior research has focused on personal nostalgia even though brands are likely to evoke both personal and historical memories. This article outlines a research project designed to conceptualize, develop, and validate a new 14-item scale to measure brand nostalgia. Results from our studies show that this construct comprises three inter-related dimensions: personal memories and feelings, perceived brand oldness and historical memories. Results indicate that our multi-dimensional scale is valid and shows a high degree of reliability and validity.