What's in a name? The moderating role of public self-consciousness on the relation between brand label and brand preference

Abstract

Products with bargain-brand labels are generally considered to be cheap or inferior in comparison with products with national brand labels. Publicly self-conscious individuals might accept products with national brand labels and reject products with bargain brand labels to enhance their public images. A field experiment was conducted to test this hypothesis. 320 adults, frequenting public locations, tasted and rated either national brand or bargain brand peanut butters that had either national brand or bargain brand labels. They also completed the Public Self-Consciousness scale (A. Fenigstein et al, 1975). Ratings of products with national brand labels were expected to be positively correlated with level of public self-consciousness, whereas ratings of products with bargain brand labels were expected to be negatively correlated with level of public self-consciousness. Results confirmed both predictions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)