Examining Consumers’ Processing of Brand Personification Strategies through the Lens of Anthropomorphism
(A2020-59708)

AUTHORS

Kuan-Ju Chen, National Chengchi University; Jhih-Syuan Lin, National Chengchi University

KEYWORDS

brand personification strategies; anthropomorphism; decision-making process

ABSTRACT

Given the prevalence of brand personification strategies in marketing, this research aims to delve into the psychological mechanism consumers utilize to process such information. Two studies using experimental designs were conducted to provide solid evidence supporting the hypothesized framework. The results demonstrate that need for belonging and parasocial interaction determine the extent to which consumers exhibit anthropomorphism, which, in turn, leads to brand attachment and brand experience. The results moreover illustrate the mediating effects of anthropomorphism in consumers’ decision-making process. This research contributes to the marketing literature by integrating motivational factors of anthropomorphism in social psychology with emerging brand constructs in consumer behavior research. It also sheds light on marketers’ management efforts in strategically implementing brand personification to target a wide range of market segments.