i miss my brand brand deprivation and consumers’
TRANSCRIPT
I Miss My Brand:Brand Deprivation and Consumers’
Interpersonal Motives
Chris Long
Ouachita Baptist University
Sukki Yoon
Bryant University
How Does Your Romantic Partner
Feel about You…right now?
Effects of four- to seven-day separation:
Decline in
• feelings of closeness & appreciation
• intensity of conflict & criticism
Increase in threat-perception hormone
(Diamond, Hicks, & Otter-Henderson, Journal of Personality & Social Psychology, 2008)
Absence Makes the HeartGrow Blah.
Especially for People with Attachment Difficulties.
(Diamond, Hicks, & Otter-Henderson, Journal of Personality & Social Psychology, 2008)
Our Hypothesis:Similar Relationship Effects Will Result from Brand Deprivation
Why?
Human Nature is Social
1. Humans need each other in order to survive.
Human Nature is Social
1. Humans need each other in order to survive.
2. Humans evolved processes to regulate interpersonal closeness
• Need to Belong & Attachment
Human Nature is Social
1. Humans need each other in order to survive.
2. Humans evolved processes to regulate interpersonal closeness
• Need to Belong & Attachment
3. Humans differ in their relationship regulation tendencies
Human Nature is Social
1. Humans need each other in order to survive.
2. Humans evolved processes to regulate interpersonal closeness• Need to Belong & Attachment
3. Humans differ in their relationship regulation tendencies
Contention: These fundamental tendencies impact brand relationships
Deprivation Study Design
Participants:90 university students (68% female)
Deprivation Activity:• Each participant chose a brand to give up for a week
• Must not be detrimental to health if given up (e.g. medication)
• Must be used every day and impact your daily routine• Absence must be noticeable• During deprivation, substitute products from different
brand may be used
Deprivation Study Design
Session 1:
• Brand Selection
• Brand Relationship Measures:
• Brand Loyalty (Chaudhuri & Holbrook 2001)
• Brand Engagement in Self-Concept (BESC; Sprott et
al. 2009)
• Interpersonal Tendencies:
• Need to Belong (NTB; Leary et al. 2007)
• Attachment Anxiety & Avoidance (Brennan et al. 1998)
Deprivation Study Design
Session 1
Deprivation
Session 2:
• Brand Relationship Measures
• Deprivation Activity Assessment
Results: Brands
Starbucks (n = 11)
Coca-Cola (n = 7)
Dr. Pepper (n = 7)
Facebook (n = 6)
Selected others:
Crest, iPod, Malt-O-Meal, Sure, Victoria’s Secret
Daily Compliance
During deprivation,
74% never used the brand
21% used it only once
5% used it 2-3 times
“I still love _____________ with all of my heart.”
—18-year-old female participant
“I’m in love with ____ .”—18-year-old female participant
“I want ________ more now that I haven't had __ for a week.”
—21-year-old female participant
“I still love Wrigley’s 5 Gum with all of my heart.”
—18-year-old female participant
“I’m in love with Sprite.”—18-year-old female participant
“I want Starbucks more now that I haven't had it for a week.”
—21-year-old female participant
“I have the ability to control my own emotions. I should not let ________ control them.”
—18-year-old female participant
“I didn’t miss ________ as much as I thought I would.”—22-year-old male participant
“I feel less committed/addicted to ________. I can get by.”—18-year-old female participant
“I have the ability to control my own emotions. I should not let Facebook control them.”
—18-year-old female participant
“I didn’t miss Pilot Pens as much as I thought I would.”—22-year-old male participant
“I feel less committed/addicted to Starbucks. I can get by.”—18-year-old female participant
Results: Brand Relationship
Brand loyalty and brand engagement in self-concept declined significantly from pre- to post-deprivation
Sharper Decline in BESC among High NTB Participants
3
4
5
Pre-Deprivation Post-Deprivation
BE
SC
High NTB
Low NTB
Attachment Avoidance Inhibits Brand Closeness
Negatively predicted brand loyalty (pre- and post-deprivation)
Positively predicted use of a substitute brand
Implications
Deprivation yields insight for researchers (and for participants)
Deprivation has powerful effects for daily use brands• Absence makes the heart grow blah
Interpersonal processes defensively influence brand closeness
• Brand disengagement resulting from deprivation was most acute among people who most need social acceptance
• People who avoid interpersonal attachment were less attached to their preferred brands
Our Research Program
1. Evidence that interpersonal tendencies influence brand relationships• Deprivation, subliminal goal priming, loneliness priming, etc.
2. Promising research heuristic:We learn about brand relationships by substituting brands for people in interpersonal research paradigms.
3. Strategy question:How can a brand fulfill interpersonal needs?• U.S. Population: 59% Secure, 25% Avoidant, 11% Anxious
• Varying with age, income, relationship status• Mickelson, Kessler, & Shaver (1997): Representative sample of 8,098
Thank you.
PowerPoint Template based on “Saturday Warmth” by logochic at Colourlovers.comhttp://www.colourlovers.com/pattern/582552/saturday_warmth