Socio-Demographic and Loyalty Assessment of Brand Proud Consumers: A Segmentation Study

Abstract

Emotion-based consumer-brand relationships determine current and future consumption and significantly impact brand loyalty, enhancing the brand’s profit potential. This study is a pioneering attempt to establish distinct consumer segments based on brand pride. Five hundred twenty-two respondents were surveyed, using existing scales on brand loyalty, opposition brand loyalty, and a newly developed 12-item two-dimensional brand pride scale. A cluster solution was arrived at by conducting Hierarchical and k-means cluster analysis. Chi-square analysis distinguished the clusters on demographics, product, and brand choices. One-way ANOVA analysis gave the cluster-wise difference regarding brand loyalty and opposition brand loyalty. The analysis indicated a three-cluster solution: Distinctives, Interdependents, and Aficionados. The Aficionados demonstrated high collective and individualistic brand pride. Distinctives were medium on individualistic and low on collectivistic brand pride. Interdependents were low on individualistic and were more attuned to collectivistic brand pride. The Interdependents were younger than the other two cohorts. The Aficionados demonstrated higher brand and opposition brand loyalty than the other groups. Identifying diverse consumer segments and their demographic and brand profiling has significant implications for marketers to design segment-centric branding strategies. The validation of the segment solution across geographies would further establish the generalizability of the findings.