I miss my brand brand deprivation and consumers’

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.

LONGC@OBU.EDU

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