Look at Me! Look at Me! Conspicuous Brand Usage, Self-Brand Connection, and Dilution

2013/05/13 by Rosellina Ferraro, Amna Kirmani, Ted Matherly · 2 citations
Business, Management and Accounting · Social Sciences · Arts and Humanities · #Consumer Behavior in Brand Consumption and Identification #Digital Marketing and Social Media #Media Influence and Health

paper · doi:10.1509/jmr.11.0342

Abstract

Conspicuous brand usage, defined as attention-getting use of a brand, causes brand dilution under certain conditions. This research examines changes in observers' attitudes toward a brand after seeing a brand user engaged in conspicuous use of the brand. The authors propose that observers infer that a consumer engaged in conspicuous brand usage is driven by an ulterior motive of impression management. When observers have low self-brand connection, they exhibit less favorable attitudes toward both the brand user and the brand. In contrast, observers with high self-brand connection maintain their favorable view of the brand in the face of a conspicuous brand user. Three studies demonstrate the brand dilution effect of conspicuous brand usage.

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• Brand Management in the Era of Social Media: Social Visibility of Consumption and Customer Brand Identification
• A Framework of Brand Contestation: Toward Brand Antifragility

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