The effects of self-brand connections on responses to brand failure: A new look at the consumer–brand relationship

Shirley Y.Y. Cheng, Tiffany Barnett White, Lan Nguyen Chaplin

Journal of Consumer Psychology · 2012 · Volume 22 · Issue 2

DOI: 10.1016/j.jcps.2011.05.005

Abstract

We argue that consumers with high self-brand connections (SBC) respond to negative brand information as they do to personal failure — they experience a threat to their positive self-view. After viewing negative brand information, high (vs. low) SBC consumers reported lower state self-esteem. Consumers with high SBC also maintained favorable brand evaluations despite negative brand information. However, when they completed an unrelated self-affirmation task, they lowered their brand evaluations the same as low SBC consumers. This finding suggests that high SBC consumers' reluctance to lower brand evaluation might be driven by a motivation to protect theselfrather than the brand.

Keywords

Brand connections, Brand evaluations, Self-concept, Self-affirmation, Brand failure

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