Investigating antecedents and consequences of brand identification
| Date | 22 August 2008 |
| Pages | 293-304 |
| Published date | 22 August 2008 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/10610420810896059 |
| Author | Sven Kuenzel,Sue Vaux Halliday |
| Subject Matter | Marketing |
Investigating antecedents and consequences of
brand identification
Sven Kuenzel
Business School, University of Greenwich, Greenwich, UK, and
Sue Vaux Halliday
School of Management, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK
Abstract
Purpose – This study aims to analyse the influences of prestige, satisfaction, and communication on brand identification and to show how brand
identification influences word-of-mouth and brand repurchase.
Design/methodology/approach – A theoretical model is developed and tested with a sample of car owners in the UK of two global car brands.
Structural equation modelling was used with LISREL 8.54 and the maximum likelihood (ML) method.
Findings – This paper draws mainly on the theory of social identity to provide a comprehensive understanding of conditions under which brand owners
are likely to identify with their brand and the bases and consequences of such identification. It was shown that prestige, satisfaction, and
communication effect brand identification. The study confirms that consumers’ development of relationships via brand identification results in word of
mouth about the brand and intentions to repurchase the brand. Furthermore, it was found that brand identification fully mediates the influences of
prestige, satisfaction, and communication on word of mouth and brand repurchase.
Research limitations/implications – The focus was on one country and one industry.
Practical implications – Managers are provided with strategies that enhance the identification of their customers with their brand so that they can
strengthen the customers’ brand identification. Areas for future research are suggested. For instance, it could be interesting to test the model in a
different industry and/or cultural context.
Originality/value – Very few previous studies have looked at brand identification which is surprising considering it is such an important variable to
influence word-of-mouth and brand repurchase. The study tests three antecedents to brand identification and two outcomes that have not been
investigated previously. Overall, the study adds knowledge in this somewhat neglected area.
Keywords Brand identity, Brand loyalty, Social marketing, Behaviour
Paper type Research paper
An executive summary for managers and executive
readers can be found at the end of this article.
Introduction
Brands are a most valuable, if intangible, asset for many
companies (Lassar et al., 1995; Pappu et al., 2005). Key issues
that have historically defined brand relationships – such as
trust and commitment – have been investigated in some
depth and the metaphor found insightful (e.g. Morgan and
Hunt, 1994; Fournier, 1998; Gruen et al., 2000; Esch et al.,
2006). One outstanding area of interest for brand
management is that of meaning for consumers via
identification with their favourite brands (Aaker and
Fournier, 1995; Golder and Irwin, 2001). Arnett et al.
(2003) have criticised past literature as having focused mainly
on the economic nature of brand relationships and for being
applied mostly in the business-to-business context. So our
research is based on the strong belief that the concept of
brand identification is highly relevant to a richer
understanding of brand management and we apply it to a
business to consumer context.
For some time the social identity concept has been
investigated in the sociological and psychological disciplines
and more recently in organisation behaviour and human
resource management. It has been described as a key concept
in organisational behaviour (Gioia et al., 2000). However, a
review of the literature has revealed that very few studies seem
to apply it in the context of marketing (Ahearne et al., 2005).
Social identity theory, which we believe has a useful
contribution to make to marketing (Bhattacharya and Sen,
2003), states that in articulating their sense of self, people
typically go beyond their personal identity to develop a social
identity (cf. Turner, 1975). Bhattacharya and Sen (2003)
added that in the marketing context, customers do so by
identifying with and associating themselves with brands that
reflect and reinforce their self-identities. Studies have been
already carried out in organisations with memberships rather
than with paying customers (Ahearne et al., 2005). It is now
timely for us to investigate paying customer response to brand
identification, moving on from the identification with a
membership organisation.
In the following section social identity theory and brand
identification are explored in detail. Then the effects of
prestige, satisfaction and communication on brand
identification are discussed. This leads to the development
of a model that includes word-of-mouth and brand
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/1061-0421.htm
Journal of Product & Brand Management
17/5 (2008) 293–304
qEmerald Group Publishing Limited [ISSN 1061-0421]
[DOI 10.1108/10610420810896059]
293
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