Brand attachment is an important element since it contributes immensely towards the ability of an organization to record persistent success and to survive in the long run. As a concept and practice, brand attachment refers to the strength of the bond that connects the brand with the self (MacInnis, Park, and Prieste 2014). It is a type of self-extension often characterized as analogous to interpersonal bonds. As such, according to Yao, Chen, and Xu (2015), individuals are known to extend their self to objects including places, other individuals, and possessions. It tends to capture not only the emotional but also the cognitive bonding, which reflects what Japutra, Ekinci, and Simkin (2014) acknowledge as the brand-self connection. In the present paper, the purpose is to explore the manner in which brand interacts with brand loyalty. As a matter of fact, brand attachment exists as a primary driver of brand loyalty.
According to Park, Maclnnis, Priester, Eisingerish, and Lacobucci (2010), the prominence of a brand along with its linkage to the self has the potential to motivate consumers to allocate significant resources of their own in the service of creating and maintaining a brand association. The researcher revealed that such resources are often revealed by consumers such as brand loyalty. Japutra, Ekinci, and Simkin (2014) supported these claims by indicating that brand loyalty is usually hard to perform and often necessitate the use of valued resources. In the light of this perspective, it is apparent that brand attachment typically reflects a specified phase of a brand-customer relationship. The nature of brand attachment usually determines the direction of brand loyalty. Park, Maclnnis, Priester, Eisingerish, and Lacobucci (2010) expressed that where there is a definite bond between the consumer and the self, there is a high chance that sustainable brand loyalty is established. While this is the case, if the consumers have a strong negative disassociation between the brand and the self, a brand relationship known as enmity tends to arise, according to Fournier (1998). In addition, according to the researcher, a consumer might be motivated to inflict harm on a brand.
Usually, a brand attachment is enhanced by words typifying features, which are characteristic of the consumer personalities. In other words, consumers usually feel emotionally attached only to those brands that they perceive as reflecting their individualities. If the emotional connection is high, it follows that the consumers’ behavioral responses increase tremendously. In the light of this, some researchers have identified that it is the role of managers to consider several vital factors when attempt to increase the emotional brand attachment among the consumers. Foremost, when enacting branding strategies, they should account for the market segment’s personality. Besides, they ought to individualize the branding endeavor. Further, the managers are required to create a brand personality that is in consistence with the attribution of the targeted consumers. Lee and Workman (2015) supported this stance by indicating that, for long-term brand loyalty to be achieved, an organization has to tend towards taking a consumer-oriented perspective when designing the personality of their brands. Nevertheless, as Malär et al. (2011) reported, the majority of firms usually ignores or underestimates the value of this initiative. As such, they concentrate on the internal congruence in the company identity, heritage, and goals. Even though these elements have the potential to create brand loyalty, optimal outcomes are only realized where managers create a fit between the brand and the consumers’ sense of self.
Other researchers have discussed brand attachment as a driver of customer loyalty by looking at its determinant. Such a focus is critical as it helps to establish the consequences of brand attachment. If the results are known, the link between brand attachment and brand loyalty can be readily determined. Kim, Lee, and Ulgado (2005) expressed that the congruence between self-concept and brand personality is an essential predictor of brand attachment. Besides, the nature of brand responsiveness usually has an influence on the brand attachment. As such, responsive emotions to a brand, unlike unresponsiveness, leads to improved brand attachment (Thomson 2006). Affirming this claim, Vlachos et al. (2010) purported that gratifying, enabling, and enriching the customer’s self usually leads to enhanced and stronger brand attachment. Researchers seem to agree that a sustainably created brand attachment leads to favorable outcomes such as the persistent, long-term willingness to pay a price premium, which is an aspect of brand loyalty.
Other researchers have reported that there is a high chance that inclining level of consumer behaviors, which closely reflect commitment and investment in resources, will be secured owing to the determinants of brand attachment. Still, in a study by Fedorikhin et al. (2008), it was suggested that brand attachment lays the foundation through which brand extensions are facilitated. Brand extensions, in this case, refers to the intention of the consumers to perform challenging behaviors, actual purchase, purchase share, as well as, need share. Moreover, it has often been reported that with brand attachment, what is referred to as share-of-requirements comes to the fore. Besides, brand attachment, according to Schmalz and Orth (2012), mitigates the potential effects of negative information as well as the implications of unethical firm behavioral tendency. All these outcomes are elements of brand loyalty. In this light, it is apparent that if a sustainable brand attachment is developed, an organization is guaranteed that consumer behaviors, which eventually lead to brand loyalty, are produced.
In conclusion, sufficient research findings confirm the claim that there is a noticeable relationship between brand attachment and brand loyalty. It has been revealed that the various determinant of consumer brand attachment usually interplay in such a manner that they create brand loyalty. However, as it has been discussed, it is the role of a manager to ensure that there is a good fit between the brand and consumer personalities.
References
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Lee, S.H. and Workman, J.E., 2015. Determinants of brand loyalty: self-construal, self-expressive brands, and brand attachment. International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology and Education, 8(1), pp.12-20.
Lee, S.H. and Workman, J.E., 2015. Determinants of brand loyalty: self-construal, self-expressive brands, and brand attachment. International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology and Education, 8(1), pp.12-20.
MacInnis, D.J., Park, C.W. and Priester, J.W., 2014. Handbook of brand relationships. London, UK: Routledge.
Malär, L., Krohmer, H., Hoyer, W.D. and Nyffenegger, B., 2011. Emotional brand attachment and brand personality: The relative importance of the actual and the ideal self. Journal of Marketing, 75(4), pp.35-52.
Schmalz, S. and Orth, U.R., 2012. Brand attachment and consumer emotional response to unethical firm behavior. Psychology & marketing, 29(11), pp.869-884.
Thomson, M., 2006. Human brands: Investigating antecedents to consumers' strong attachments to celebrities. Journal of marketing, 70(3), pp.104-119.
Vlachos, P.A., Theotokis, A., Pramatari, K. and Vrechopoulos, A., 2010. Consumer-retailer emotional attachment: Some antecedents and the moderating role of attachment anxiety. European Journal of Marketing, 44(9/10), pp.1478-1499.
Yao, Q., Chen, R. and Xu, X., 2015. Consistency between consumer personality and brand personality influences brand attachment. Social Behavior and Personality: an international journal, 43(9), pp.1419-1427.
