Love in the Time of Overconsumption: Why Purpose-Oriented Branding Extends Product Ownership Duration
(A2026-134138)

AUTHORS

Steffen Baecker, IE University/Fundación IE - G-81711459; Dilney Gonçalves, IE Business School – IE University; David Santos Velasco, IE Business School

ABSTRACT

This research examines how purpose-oriented branding influences consumer behavior by shaping product perceptions and utilization. Across multiple studies, purpose-oriented brands consistently elicited “made-with-love” perceptions, symbolic inferences that a brand’s prosocial essence transfers to its products. These perceptions increased product care and extended intended ownership duration. Integrating essence transfer theory, this work identifies a previously untested psychological mechanism through which brand purpose shapes downstream product-level outcomes. By demonstrating that purpose-oriented branding can reduce premature disposal by fostering longer product lifecycles, the findings highlight how brand purpose offers a meaningful pathway for addressing societal challenges such as overconsumption.