Brand Attachment Research Articles

Effect of the interaction between brand attachment and physiological nicotine dependence on motivation to quit smoking

Our studyaimed to explore the effect of the interaction between brand attachment and nicotine dependence on the motivation to quit smoking. Contrary to our initial hypothesis, whichsuggestedthathighlevels of brand attachmentcombinedwithstrong nicotine dependencewouldlead to low motivation to quit smoking, ourresultsrevealed an unexpected trend. Participants lessattached to a specific cigarette brand wereactuallylessinclined to quit smoking, indicatingthatindividualswho are not stronglyattached to a specific cigarette brand maybesonicotine-dependentthat the type of cigarette itselfbecomesless important. Thus, theymaybelessmotivated to quit smoking. A comprehensiveunderstanding of thesemechanismswouldoftenrequire a multidimensionalapproach. This shouldbeinvestigated in future studies, integratingvarious variables to obtain a more holistic perspective of the phenomenon.

The bittersweet of consumer–human brand relationships in the social media context

AbstractThe current research proposes an integrated model to investigate both the bright and the dark sides of consumer–human brand relationships facilitated by social media on consumers' lives. Grounded in the duality of social media and self‐regulation theory, the findings show that human brand attachment improves consumers' daily performance through stress relief, which in turn increases life satisfaction (Study 1). However, the findings also indicate that human brand attachment can cause consumers' daily performance to deteriorate as a result of compulsive human brand consumption on social media and human brand‐personal conflict, which diminishes life satisfaction (Study 2). Collectively, the findings may suggest that strong consumer–human brand relationships tend to be detrimental to consumers' well‐being as the indirect negative impact of human brand attachment on daily performance and life satisfaction overpowers its indirect positive impact (Study 3). Such detrimental effects are moderated by self‐regulatory focus (Study 4). Moreover, the findings indicate that the indirect negative effect of human brand attachment is attenuated when consumers have a higher level of work/study–life balance. Accordingly, the current research advances the theoretical understanding of the consumer–human brand relationship facilitated by social media, by highlighting its dual effects associated with the nature of technology and consumers' self‐regulatory focuses.

What happens after product rebranding: understanding the interrelational effect of brand attachment, brand distinctiveness and consumer attitudes on brand loyalty

PurposeProduct rebranding is increasingly popular, but brand managers are sceptical about its implications on brand loyalty (BL). Given the limited empirical literature on the subject, this study examines the interrelational effect of brand attachment (BA), brand distinctiveness (BD) and consumer attitudes (CA) towards product rebranding on brand loyalty (BL).Design/methodology/approachThe study adopted the quantitative survey design and used questionnaire to gather data from 349 consumers of rebranded water, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Structural equation modelling was used to analyse the data. This study integrates psychology theories into brand management research to propose and test a holistic model.FindingsThe study found a significant effect of BA on CA toward product rebranding, and CA toward product rebranding fully mediates the relationship between BA and BL. Furthermore, BD has a significant effect on BL, and further moderates the relationship between BA and BL.Originality/valueThis study offers a fresh theoretical foundation, conceptual clarity and understanding of how rebranding specific brand elements affect the attitudes and BL of consumers who are emotionally connected to a brand. This paper offers practical insights into the implication of product rebranding on CA, BD and BL. It reveals a holistic guidance to brand managers on how to use their unique knowledge about their consumers to create distinctive brands and emotional affection, passion and connections to their brands.

‘Your comments boost my value!’ – the mediator role of emotional brand attachment between brand equity and social media engagement

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic has required new marketing strategies for leveraging brand equity among Higher Education Institutions. Previous research has uncovered the impact of electronic word of mouth in the Higher Education Institutions’ service industry, so this research extends our knowledge of the effects of electronic word of mouth on Higher Education Institutions’ brand equity and, additionally, on social media engagement. A quantitative approach was adopted, using questionnaires among Higher Education Institutions’ students and alumni. The results, obtained through partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), provide evidence of the contribution of the positive valence of electronic word of mouth to brand equity, emotional brand attachment, and social media engagement. The findings suggest customers are becoming more susceptible to positive electronic word of mouth. The research extends current knowledge by demonstrating the relevance of positive valence to electronic word of mouth in Higher Education.

The role of brand gratitude in consumer relationships with cool brands

PurposeThis study aims to explore and extend the consumer–brand relationship literature by integrating the relatively new construct of brand coolness with a growing body of work on gratitude. Specifically, gratitude is explored alongside emotional brand attachment as an additional mechanism affecting the relationship between cool brands and the loyalty outcome of repurchase intention. Consumption context is examined as a boundary condition to the effect of gratitude.Design/methodology/approachData was collected from an online survey of a Qualtrics panel of 356 US consumers. A moderated mediation model is used to explain the effects of brand coolness on repurchase intention via emotional brand attachment and brand gratitude in the moderating presence of consumption context.FindingsBrand coolness significantly increases repurchase intention. Furthermore, emotional brand attachment and brand gratitude are established as parallel mediators of the relationship between brand coolness and repurchase intention, with brand gratitude exhibiting a significantly stronger mediated effect. The impact of brand coolness on brand gratitude is moderated by social visibility, with publicly consumed cool brands stimulating greater brand gratitude than their privately consumed counterparts.Originality/valueBrand gratitude is shown to influence repurchase intention independent of the impact exerted by consumers’ emotional brand attachment. Cognitive appraisal theory is used to distinguish brand gratitude from other mediators studied in consumer–brand relationships. Findings establish the moderating influence of the social visibility of the brand on the relationship between brand coolness and gratitude.

BRAND ATTACHMENT, BRAND EXPERIENCE, BRAND IMAGE, PERCIEVED QUALITY, PERCEIVED VALUE, AND BRAND LOYALTY

This research investigated the relationship between brand attachment, brand experience, and brand image, and their influence on perceived quality, perceived value, and brand loyalty, with a specific focus on the Mashhad Leather brand in Iran. Employing an applied and descriptive research approach, the study utilized a comprehensive survey method facilitated by a standard questionnaire to gather data from a diverse group of 386 Mashhad Leather consumers. Leveraging the SmartPLS software for rigorous analysis, the study uncovered several crucial findings that shed light on the dynamics between the aforementioned variables. The results underscore the substantial impact of brand attachment, brand experience, and brand image on the perceived quality of Mashhad Leather products, highlighting the significance of emotional and experiential connections in shaping consumer perceptions. Additionally, the study reveals a robust correlation between perceived quality and perceived value, indicating that consumers' judgments of product excellence significantly shape their assessment of the brand's worth. Notably, the research findings establish perceived value as a key driver of brand loyalty, emphasizing the pivotal role it plays in fostering enduring customer-brand relationships.

Dispel the Clouds and See the Sun: Influencing Factors and Multiple Paths of User Retention Intention Formation.

To achieve user retention through multifactor synergy, Internet enterprises must reduce costs and increase efficiency and sustainable development. In response to the dilemma that Internet companies are experiencing increasingly high user acquisition costs and serious user churn, this paper investigates a sample of 46,695 user reviews of nine product series from Xiaomi Ecological Chain. Case studies and qualitative comparative analysis are used to explore the influence mechanisms of quality of experience, brand trust, and brand attachment on users' retention intentions. Our findings are as follows. (1) Brand attachment alone is not necessary for high user retention intention, but user perception, cognition, and brand trust are necessary. (2) Quality of experience positively impacts brand trust, attachment, and user retention intention. Therefore, improving user perception and cognition is critical in generating high user retention intention. (3) Five configuration paths can achieve high user retention intention, while three configuration paths lead to low user retention intention, and there is an asymmetric relationship between these paths. Among them, the role of quality of experience-driven configuration paths in generating user retention intention is the most prominent. (4) User perception and cognition can substitute with brand trust and attachment in the substitution relationship between configuration paths. Our findings have important theoretical and practical implications for revealing the realization paths of high user retention intention in Internet companies and provide a new perspective for future research.

Do we really remember the view? The cellar door schema and its contribution to memorable experiences: Recommendations for cellar door practices

The importance of enjoyable, memorable cellar door experiences is well-established in the literature. The winescape, which incorporates views, building design, and ambience is recognised as a central motivation for wine tourism and the most repeated content in word-of-mouth communication, a valuable marketing tool. Recent research has prioritised human interaction, which develops a connection as the most important component of the cellar door experience (d’Ament, Nayeem, & Saliba, 2022). The current study expands previous research methodologies, adopting memory work and cellar door surveys in a mixed methods approach to explore the cellar door schema and its influence on cellar door expectations, assessments, purchases, and future positive word-of-mouth communication. A constructivist grounded theory approach was adopted to analyse participant memories. A Bayesian network was produced from 136 cellar door surveys to determine the influence of cellar door schema on purchases and intention to engage in word-of-mouth communication. The results supported recent findings that the human element is the most remembered and valued; it fosters a connection, strengthens brand attachment and creates enduring customers. The winescape, while important for grounding the memory, is less prominent in recollections. Additionally, the results demonstrate the importance of word-of-mouth as a contributor to cellar door schemas. Recommendations are made for cellar door managers and staff who strive to create memorable cellar door experiences for their customers.

Family business succession: opportunities from the Victorian wine industry

PurposeThis paper aims to examine the opportunities of continuous family succession in operating small-to-medium-sized wineries (SMWs) in Victoria, Australia.Design/methodology/approachUsing case studies from Victoria, an exploratory qualitative approach was used to explore the benefits of continuous family succession in this conceptual paper. This included interviewing participants from wineries about their perceptions about family business succession. Themed analysis was applied to highlight the findings and overall conclusions about why the wine industry was affected more than other industries with regard to family business succession issues.FindingsThe three main findings of this study include family succession is extremely important in building a story customers can relate to; family reinvestment opportunities for financial sustainability and innovation of the winery and family succession for future employment and legacy. These three findings highlight the way family business succession is integral to the successfulness of the wine industry.Practical implicationsSmall-to-medium-sized wineries (SMWs) have many challenges including long-term financial sustainability and innovation opportunities. To assist in overcoming these challenges, the findings suggest winery owners need to create lasting legacy through story-telling, competitive advantage and family linkage (succession). This will assist wineries to create marketing campaigns focussing on family succession and brand attachment, seven opportunities for family reinvestment and innovation leading to financial sustainability and competitive advantage.Originality/valueThere is little research investigating family succession in the Victorian wine industry even though it is common practice and essential to marketing and communication campaigns. This paper supports continuous family succession as a legitimate marketing technique and long-term financial sustainability and innovation for small-to-medium-sized wineries (SMWs) through reinvestment opportunities. This is the first time small-to-medium-sized wineries have been defined as SMWs and reinvestment opportunities have been identified by wine stakeholders.

Does visual appeal moderates the impact of attitude towards advertising on brand attitude, attachment and loyalty?

Purpose – The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of consumers’ attitude towards advertising on brand attitude, brand loyalty and brand attachment. The study delineates two pathways; the first is an indirect link of attitude towards advertising on brand attachment and brand loyalty through brand attitude, while the second pathway focuses on the moderating role of visual appeal of stock photography on the relationship between attitude towards advertising, brand attitude, brand loyalty and brand attachment. Design/methodology/approach – The data of study were gathered in two-time lags from 431 customers of Islamic banks in Pakistan. The proposed hypotheses were examined using structural equation modeling. Findings – The finding of the study revealed that attitude towards is indirectly related to brand loyalty and brand attachment through brand attitude. The study also found that attitude towards advertising is positively related to brand attitude, brand loyalty and brand attachment and these paths also moderated by visual appeal of stock photography. Practical implications- The paper provides guidelines to the advertiser and management of Islamic banks to decide to attract more customers with low cost by focusing on visual appeal of stock photography. Originality/value – Previous studies have overlooked the potential influence of attitude towards advertising on brand loyalty and brand attachment through brand attitude. The current study addresses this gap by examining brand attitude as a mediator between these relationships. The study also explored the moderating role of visual appeal in explaining the consumers’ attitude towards advertising and brand.

헤드업 디스플레이 디자인의 지각된 가치가 브랜드 애착에 미치는 영향과 관여도의 조절효과

The purpose of this study is to identify the perceived value of head-up display (HUD) design, a technology applied to automobiles, to reveal the influence relationship with brand attachment, and to verify the moderating effect according to the intensity of involvement between the two variables. Through prior study and theoretical review, the perceived value of design was divided into external value and intrinsic value, and the external value for case study was organized into color, layout, logo type, graphic, and icon, and the intrinsic value for empirical study was divided into economic value, functional value, emotional value, and social value. A case analysis was conducted on HUD of domestic automobile brands Hyundai Motors, Kia Motors, and Genesis, and overall, all brands' HUD designs focused on visible information delivery by adopting simple designs rather than colorful and detailed expressions. In the empirical study, path analysis was conducted through a structural equation model, and the moderating effect according to the degree of involvement was analyzed by conducting a χ2 test. The test results of the hypothesis are as follows. First, it was confirmed that the perceived value of HUD design had a positive effect on brand attachment. Second, it was found that the effect of the perceived value of HUD design on brand attachment varies depending on the level of involvement. Third, it was verified that the effect of the perceived value of HUD design on brand attachment was more positive in high-involvement situations. It is expected that this study will serve as the foundation for subsequent studies related to HUD design.

The role of brand attachment during the pandemic period: sports brands

The role of brand attachment during the pandemic period: sports brands

The Relationship Between Consumer Empowerment and Brand Attachment; The Intermediary Effect of Product Involvement

<p>證券投資交易方式由過去的人工下單轉向網路下單，同時證券商亦面臨客戶資源重疊的景象，如何增強客戶電子交易的線上體驗、提高線上服務品質，提升客戶對企業的黏著度及再購意願，是證券商經營策略的重要課題。本研究欲探討線上服務品質在關係品質的中介效果下，對於再購意願是否有所影響。本研究以網路問卷進行調查，採用便利抽樣，以北部某金控集團之證券公司的客戶為對象，共回收310份，有效問卷309份。研究結果顯示，線上服務品質對再購意願具有顯著正向影響力，關係品質對於上述的關係為完全仲介變數。本研究所有假說都獲得支持。根據研究結果提出理論與實務意涵。</p> <p> </p><p>The securities investment trading method has shifted from manual ordering in the past to online ordering. Meanwhile, securities firms are also facing the phenomenon of overlapping customer resources. Therefore, enhancing online experience in electronic transactions for customers, improving the quality of online service, and increasing customer stickiness and repurchase intention are important issues in the business strategy of securities firms. This study aims to explore whether online service quality has an impact on repurchase intention under the mediating effect of relationship quality. This study conducted an online questionnaire survey using convenience sampling, targeting customers of a securities company within a certain financial holding group in the northern region of Taiwan. A total of 310 responses were collected, and 309 valid questionnaires were analyzed. The results show that online service quality has a significant positive impact on repurchase intention, and relationship quality is a complete mediating variable in the aforementioned relationship. All hypotheses in this study were supported. Theoretical and practical implications are proposed based on the research results.</p> <p> </p>

Dehumanization of Professional Athletes and Implications for Brand Attachment

Abstract: A growing amount of attention has been paid to the topic of dehumanization of professional athletes in recent years, both in mainstream media and in academic literature. Even professional athletes themselves have begun speaking out on the issue. Nevertheless, the academic scholarship on this phenomenon remains sparse, with scholars yet to provide empirical evidence that sport fans do, in fact, dehumanize professional athletes. The current research fills this void by exploring fans’ implicit tendencies to view professional athletes as both machines and animals, with a particular emphasis on the marketing implications of this phenomenon. The results of the implicit association test (IAT) support the idea that participants view professional athletes as animals and displayed a negative association with athlete brand attachment. The findings advance multiple research lines and provide practical implications for sport teams and athlete brand managers.

The Effect of Brand Attachment on Consumer Willingness to Pay Price Premiums Based on Cosmetic Products Insight

With the continuous upgrading of consumption level and the continuous growth of demand, people's attention to brands is gradually increasing, especially in China. To investigate the impact of cosmetic’s brand attachment on consumer willingness to pay price premiums, this article uses consumer willingness to pay price premiums as the dependent variable, and cosmetic brand attachment as the independent variable for regression analysis. It has been determined through empirical analysis that consumer willingness to pay price premiums is positively impacted by cosmetic brand attachment and its four dimensions including appearance, utility, brand-self connection, and memory. The research finds that the memory has the biggest impact on consumer willingness to pay price premiums. Also, the brand-self connection, and utility would increase consumer willingness to pay price premiums. Appearance haves the least influence on consumer willingness to pay price premiums. The research findings of this paper offer advice to the cheap cosmetics firms and once well-known cosmetics firms on how to improve future marketing strategies and competitive advantages respectively. This paper's key contribution is the advancement of the research object. At the moment, brand attachment research is primarily a macro market analysis conducted by both domestic and international academics. They fail to make a distinction between different brand types, such as the market for cosmetic brand names.

THE INFLUENCE OF BRAND INTERACTIVITY, INVOLVEMENT, SOCIAL MEDIA CBE ON LOYALTY: TRUST AS A MEDIATION VARIABLE

Previous research conducted by Samarah (2021) [8] found that brand interactivity and brand engagement had an effect on social media customer brand engagement. In addition, social media customer brand engagement has an effect on brand loyalty, both directly and through the brand trust mediation variable. Meanwhile, research conducted by Li et. al (2020) [9] revealed that customer engagement has an effect on brand attachment and brand trust, then brand attachment and brand trust have an effect on brand loyalty. However, in this study it was found that customer involvement did not directly affect brand loyalty. This study aims to examine the effect of brand interactivity, brand involvement, and social media consumer brand engagement on brand loyalty. Then to test the effect of brand trust as a mediation between brand engagement and brand loyalty. The study used 240 samples selected using purposive sampling technique and analyzed using PLS-SEM. The results of this study indicate that brand interactivity, brand involvement, and social media consumer brand engagement have effects on brand loyalty. This research also shows that brand trust mediates the effect of brand engagement on brand loyalty. From this research, brand involvement has the biggest direct effect on brand loyalty. This shows that Tokopedia must continue to maintain interactivity, involvement, engagement, and trust so that consumers are increasingly loyal to the company.

The Role of Brand Love in Mediating the Effect of Brand Experience on Brand Loyalty and Willingness to Pay for Green Skincare Products in Indonesia

The purpose of his study analyze the relationships between a selection of variables, such as brand experience, brand love, brand loyalty, and willingness to pay, to identify post-purchase customer perceptions of the "green" skincare product. This research uses a non-probability sampling technique. This research uses Structural Equation Modeling analysis tools through Smart-PLS software with a total sample of 200 respondents, 53 men, and 147 women, and a minimum age of 18 years. In 2023, the population will consist of Indonesian consumers who have used products categorized as green skincare. The sample used as respondents in this study was made up of men and women who had used green skincare more than twice. Brand attachment grows as a result of positive brand experiences. These favorable brand experiences are also very important for establishing brand loyalty and affecting customers' willingness to spend. Additionally, brand attachment has been shown to increase brand loyalty and alter customers' willingness to pay. This study was conducted to look at how consumers in Indonesia who purchase "green" skincare products behave after making their purchases. This research can identify the root of the problems that occur related to consumer behavior about green products in the process of solving research problems.

The Nexus Among Mobile-App Quality (M-app-QUAL), Brand Relationship, Brand Advocacy, and Brand Equity in the Retail Industry

Consumers increasingly use mobile applications for purchasing decisions; uncovering the dimensions of service quality relevant to these apps is essential. Existing research has extensively studied online service quality in e-commerce settings, and some studies focused on mobile shopping. However, these scales do not capture all aspects relevant to mobile apps. By administering surveys, we propose and validate the dimensions of the M-app-QUAL scale using a nomological network linking the service quality dimensions to consumer outcomes. Our results demonstrate that proposed constructs have varying impacts on relational constructs- brand identification and brand attachment, which in turn, influence brand advocacy and brand equity. Moreover, theoretical and managerial contributions are detailed.

Communicate like humans? Anthropomorphism and hotel consumers’ willingness to pay a premium price

Using anthropomorphism in marketing communication has received increased attention from brand and hospitality management literature, but its contextually complicated effects have remained an academic niche, especially those relating to the willingness of consumers to pay a higher price for a product and service. To shed light on this topic, this research drew on cognitive appraisal theory while incorporating the dimensions of “coolness,” “warmth,” and “cuteness” to investigate the influence of anthropomorphism-based communication on consumers' emotional brand attachment and their willingness to pay a premium rate. The results demonstrated that perceived coolness, warmth, and cuteness significantly influenced consumers' emotional attachment to a hotel brand. It additionally revealed that a consumer's willingness to pay a premium price tended to be considerably affected by emotional brand attachment. The moderating role of the “need for uniqueness” was also verified. This study provides original, theoretical, and practical implications for brand anthropomorphism, hospitality management, and cognitive appraisal theory.

Linking green perceived value and green brand loyalty: a mediated moderation analysis of green brand attachment, green self-image congruity, and green conspicuous consumption

Linking green perceived value and green brand loyalty: a mediated moderation analysis of green brand attachment, green self-image congruity, and green conspicuous consumption