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The influence of self-brand connection on consumer reactions to symbolic incongruency and perceived betrayal

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The influence of self-brand connection on consumer reactions to symbolic incongruency and perceived betrayal.pdf (1.41 MB)
Date
2024
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John Wiley and Sons Inc
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https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14417/2996
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcs.13011
Abstract
This research provides compelling evidence that consumer reactions toward symbolically incongruent brand behaviors depend on their level of self-brand connection. It challenges the conventional belief that high self-brand connection works as a protecting shield for brands and reveals that consumers with higher (vs. lower) self-brand connection react more negatively toward symbolically incongruent brand behaviors because they feel betrayed by the brand. The results unveil that a sense of betrayal can be incited,when a brand's behavior is symbolically incongruent with its established meaning. This pattern of consumer responses is consistent across four experimental studies,which involved a diverse sample of 563 participants from different countries,including the United States,the United Kingdom,and Spain and used various product categories. The results consistently show that individuals with high self-brand connection display an increased intention to engage in negative word of mouth,along with a decline in their brand attitudes and purchase intentions,driven by feelings of betrayal. This effect is further intensified for consumers with higher self-enhancement need. It is worth noting that prior literature on betrayal has often linked such feelings to more significant transgressions and behaviors with immoral connotations. © 2024 The Authors. International Journal of Consumer Studies published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
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Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International
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IE Business School
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Keywords
brand extension, congruency, felt betrayal, self-brand connection, word of mouth
Citation
Sayin, E., & Gürhan-Canl?, Z. (2024). The influence of self-brand connection on consumer reactions to symbolic incongruency and perceived betrayal. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 48(2), e13011. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcs.13011
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