Investigating the Influence of Self-Brand-Congruity on Emotional Brand Attachment and their Impact on Original and Counterfeited Luxury Brand Patronage

Abstract

In the realm of consumer-brand relationships, brands are focused on building strong relationships with consumers. The impact of self-brand-congruity (actual, ideal, social, and ideal-social) and emotional brand attachment (passion, affection, and connection), on consumer patronage of original luxury brands versus counterfeits appears arbitrary. Nonetheless, counterfeiting is a pressing global concern, causing approximately $4.5 trillion in financial losses. Despite this, existing research on this issue remains fragmented, necessitating a comprehensive understanding. There is a noticeable scarcity of research on consumer-brand relationships, self-brand-congruity, emotional brand attachment, and subsequent patronage behaviour, highlighting the need for further exploration.

Identifying the inadequacies in these research areas, this PhD dissertation investigates the impact of self-brand-congruity and emotional brand attachment on consumer patronage of original luxury brands versus counterfeits. It examines consumers’ patronage of both original and counterfeited luxury brands and products, considering concurrent and exclusive ownership. The study explores the relationships between self-brand-congruity, emotional brand attachment, and consumer patronage behaviour. It also examines the moderating effect of self-regulatory focus (promotion and prevention focus). A quantitative approach adopting online surveys administered to 421 consumers aged 18 and older residing in the United Kingdom. The sample includes a balanced gender distribution, with various age groups (18 to 62 years) to ensure a comprehensive exploration of consumer behaviour across different demographics. The sampling strategy involved a multi-stage process, combining a pilot study and main study, ensuring a targeted selection of participants with specific experiences and interests related to luxury branded products. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyse the data and tested the proposed relationships.

Findings reveal crucial roles of actual, social, and ideal-social self-brand-congruity in cultivating emotional brand attachment, which significantly influences consumer patronage behaviours. Aligning with self-concepts strengthens emotional bonds, positively affecting original luxury brand patronage while detrimentally impacting counterfeits. Unlike previous studies, this research highlights ideal-social self-brand congruity’s conditional contribution contingent on consumers’ self-regulatory motivations. Prevention focus is shown to amplify actual/social/ideal-social self-congruity attachment effects, while promotion focus uniquely boosts ideal self-brand-congruity bonds. By incorporating emotional brand attachment with identity expressiveness, the study advances self-congruity and emotional attachment models. Confirming social/ideal-social selves integrates symbolic drivers with self-verification needs in brand relationships.

These insights pave the way for bespoke brand strategies tuned to consumer self-regulatory focus. Aligning to leverage actual and social identities promises resilient emotional bonds, while targeted affinity programs reflecting aspirational ideals appeal to promotion-focused consumers. Thereby, integrating consumer self-concepts in branding nourishes emotional brand attachment to increase original luxury patronage, curb counterfeits, and build customer loyalty. This equips brands with segmentation approaches to decisively combat counterfeit encroachment.

Date of Award	24 Oct 2024
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Northumbria University
Supervisor	Colin Richardson (Supervisor) & Matthew Sutherland (Supervisor)