“Blending In vs. Sticking Out?” The Impact of Brand Buyer Stereotypes vs. Consumers’ Need for Uniqueness on Consumer-Brand Identification
(A2019-8384)

AUTHORS

Adamantios Diamantopoulos , University of Vienna; Živa Kolbl, University of Vienna; Selma Saracevic, University of Vienna

KEYWORDS

brand buyer stereotypes; consumers' need for uniqueness; consumer-brand identification

ABSTRACT

Drawing on the theory of uniqueness and stereotyping research, we propose and test a conceptual model linking consumers’ need for uniqueness (CNFU) and stereotypical perceptions of brand buyers on consumer-brand identification (CBI). Our findings show that CNFU is positively related to CBI as is the brand buyer stereotype in terms of competence. Moreover, CNFU is found to be a stronger predictor of CBI than perceptions of brand buyer competence. Implications for fostering CBI are considered and future research directions identified.