Brand Management

Impact of Brand Personality on Consumers Emotional Brand Attachment to Skincare Products

Article Details

Pub. Date	:	Sep, 2022
Product Name	:	The IUP Journal of Brand Management
Product Type	:	Article
Product Code	:	IJBRM010922
Author Name	:	Dissanayaka D M H A and Ragel V R
Availability	:	YES
Subject/Domain	:	Marketing
Download Format	:	PDF Format
No. of Pages	:	18

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Abstract

Given the intense competition in skincare products, the key market players need to identify and evaluate consumer behavior and the factors affecting brand loyalty and attachment to stay ahead in the game. Consumers are usually emotionally attach to only a limited number of brands, hence it is important for marketers to enhance the connection and thus the attachment consumers have to their preferred brands, which depends on self-concept and brand personality. The paper aims at identifying the impact of brand personality (sincerity, excitement, competence, sophistication and ruggedness) on the emotional brand attachment of consumers. The study was done by selecting skincare products, specifically face cream brands, in Sri Lanka. Primary data was collected through a well-structured online questionnaire. A total of 385 respondents were selected as sample in the Badulla area state. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation and regression analysis. The results showed that there is a strong positive relationship between brand personality and emotional brand attachment. Further, there is a significant positive impact of brand personality dimensions on emotional brand attachment, and sincerity has the most significant impact on emotional brand attachment. The study provides insights on emotional brand attachment and how the consumers perceive themselves in relation to the brand and its personality. The results indicate that marketers should consider the interrelationships between multiple sources of competitive advantage when looking for explanations of emotional brand attachment in the skincare industry.

Introduction

The customer is the core of the business; however, the expectations of the customers have begun to change. Day by day, the alternatives before the customer are growing, and making choices is becoming difficult and complicated (Fyndykkaya, 2017). In todays extremely competitive market, customers are not only surrounded by a great number of brands, but also exposed to various marketing practices created to separate these brands from their competitors (Usakli and Baloglu, 2011). Brand image can affect consumers attitude, behavior and loyalty (Mao et al., 2020). Brand attachment is the strength of connection between self and the brand (Kaufmann et al., 2016). The brand-self connection is one of the two important aspects of brand attachment characteristics. The degree to which "emotions and memories connected to the attachment object are seen as catchy" describe the cognitive and emotional connection to the brand and brand prominence (Park et al., 2006). Brand personality can be an antecedent that influences consumer preferences and choices in various ways. By humanizing the brand, brand personality provides opportunities for building strong consumer-brand relationships (Swaminathan et al., 2009). For marketers facing todays global consumer markets, brand personality is an efficient way to connect with consumers around the world.