Abstract
Consumer-Brand Identification (CBI) has been identified as an important antecedent of consumer-brand relationships. Consumers show positive attitudes towards brands that reflect their self-concept and are more likely to express and enhance their identity. In this sense, Consumer-Retailer Identification (CRI) represents a powerful tool for retailers to develop meaningful relationships by strengthening emotional connections with their customers. This chapter proposes a literature review of previous research on the role of consumer's self-concept in the development of retailer-customer relationships. Focusing on identity-based consumer behaviour, the chapter provides a comprehensive picture of the past research and the emerging trends on CBI and then proposes a conceptual framework of CRI.
TopBackground
Products and brands play multiple roles in consumers’ lives. According to Fournier (1991), brands and products can offer functional benefits, provide experiential opportunities through their use (Holbrook, & Hirschmann, 1982; Arnould & Price, 1993), and assist with establishing and defining consumer’s identity (Levy, 1959; Belk, 1988; Solomon, 1988; Ligas, 2000; Fournier, 2009). It is argued that consumers purchase goods not just for functional reasons, but also because they represent a vehicle for self-expression, acting as an extension of one’s self-concept (Levy, 1959; Belk, 1988). Starting from Levy (1959), the role of self-concept in consumer behaviour has been explored by several researchers.
Besides providing functional benefits, products enable experiential opportunities through their use and carry a variety of symbolic meanings (Keller, 1993; Levy, 1959, Helgeson & Supphellen, 2004).
Key Terms in this Chapter
Brand Warmth: The degree to which a brand is able to arouse emotions and empathy in consumers, as being perceived as warm instead of cold.
Consumer – Brand Identification: A psychological state in consumer’s mind of perceiving, feeling and valuing the belongingness with a brand.
Memorable Brand Experience: The ability of a brand to deliver vivid and remarkable experiences originating from extraordinary consumption activities, regardless the frequency of use.
Brand Distinctiveness: The ability of a brand of being recognized as unique and different from other brands, in order to address consumers’ need for uniqueness at both individual and social levels.
Brand Social Benefits: A series of benefits provided by a brand linked to its capability to carry social and cultural meanings and to provide social interaction opportunities to consumers.
Retailer (Store) Personality: A mental representation of a retailer (store) based on human traits, such as friendly, annoying, enthusiastic, irritating, or honest.
Brand Prestige: The level of exclusivity of a brand that enables consumers to satisfy their self-enhancement needs.
Self – Congruity: The degree of similarity between a brand/store image and a customer’s self-image.
Retailer (Store) User Imagery / Patrons’ Image: The stereotypic images of users of a product or of patrons of a store. Not always the image of the typical user/patron of a brand/store is reflective of the image of the brand/store, as well as there can be more than one type of user/patron for the same brand/store.
Consumer – Retailer Identification: A psychological state in shoppers’ mind, who feel a sense of belongingness with a retailer and/or with a specific store. This process may occur at store, at retailer, or at both levels, and may involve both retailer (store) personality and retailer (store) user imagery.