The Role of Geography of Self in “Filling In” Brand Personality Traits: Consumer Inference of Unobservable Attributes

Abstract

While prior research has suggested that brand personality traits can be communicated to consumers via advertising, the question of whether consumers can infer traits that go beyond directly observable traits has not been addressed. Prior research has established that self-generated inferences going beyond direct advertising claims are of significant managerial concern because they can have an even stronger impact on consumers’ brand evaluations than information that is directly communicated. This research investigates whether and how consumers infer unobservable brand traits through advertisements. Specifically, it theorizes that a psychological process—egocentric pattern projection—determines consumers’ inferences about how two brand personality traits are linked on the basis of the extent to which these traits are aligned within the self (i.e., geography of self). Furthermore, the study contributes to the advertising literature by examining and testing the notion that consumers exposed to an advertisement generate expectancies regarding unobservable brand traits that further guide the revision of ambiguous product information on these traits.