Search

Extant literature and common marketing practices converge around the idea that stronger self-links to a brand and its products lead to increased brand loyalty. In this article, we challenge this conventional notion by revealing situations where the preference for self-linked brands diminishes, despite the self-links remaining unchanged. We introduce a key distinction between two types of consumer identities based on whether identity expression relies on specific products: product-dependent (e.g. chef) and product-independent (e.g. foodie). Our theory posits that self-links to products exert less influence on preference when a product-independent identity is prominent. Across five studies examining consumer leisure identities, we find that priming a product-independent (vs. product-dependent) identity reduces preference for self-linked products/brands. Interestingly, it can also enhance preference for negatively self-linked (dissociative) products/brands among materialistic consumers. In a sixth experiment and a real-world Facebook study, we illustrate that the extent to which consumers' identity is chronically product-independent can be assessed either directly or indirectly from social media interests, allowing for more effective targeting of brand-switching appeals. Adding to the literature on the symbolic role of products in identity expression, our research uniquely investigates the functional role of products in identity expression and its profound impact on product/brand preference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of controlled studies found that consumers counter-normatively prefer something nearly complete over something complete. We call this phenomenon the "one-away effect" because we find that when consumers are, for example, one stamp away from completing a punch card loyalty program, they value the card more than a completed card. This is because their valuation of the one-away card is influenced by their anticipation of merely completing the card, which generates its own utility, apart from the card's end-reward (a free coffee). To wit, the prospective utility of performing the final action that fulfills completion increases consumers' valuation of the one-away card. Our findings suggest that consumers are motivated to complete goals, tasks, and sets not only to obtain their end-rewards, but also because merely completing things is intrinsically motivating and can be a goal in and of itself. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of the one-away effect, as well as the general notion of mere completion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is about social space and material objects for sale within that space. We draw primarily on Goffman's (1971) concepts of use space and possession territories to predict that as the social density of a given space increases, inferences of the subjective social class and income of people in that space fall. Eight studies confirm that this is indeed the case, with the result holding even for stick figures, thus controlling for typical visual indicators of social class such as clothing or jewelry. Furthermore, these social class inferences mediate a relationship between social density and product valuation, with individuals assessing both higher prices and a greater willingness to pay for products presented in less crowded contexts. This effect of inferred class on product valuation is explained by status-motivated individuals' desire to associate with higher-status people. To the best of our knowledge, this research is the first to reveal the link between social density, status inferences, and object valuations. As such, it makes a novel contribution to what has come to be known in sociology as the topological turn: a renewed focus on social space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]