I revisit my Journal of Business Research (JBR) article published in 1985 that has garnered many citations. As such, I discuss the concept of self-congruity and the stream of research that the JBR ...article has spurred over the last 32 + years.
We review a growing body of research in consumer behavior that has examined when consumers humanize brands by perceiving them as like, part of, or in a relationship with themselves. One research ...stream shows that sometimes consumers perceive brands as having human-like forms, minds, and personality characteristics. A second stream identifies ways that a consumer perceives a brand as being congruent with or connected to the self. Finally, a third highlights that consumers can view brands in ways that are analogous to the types of relationships they have with people. We review research in these three areas and point out connections among these research streams. In part, we accomplish this by showing that factors associated with the SEEK model, which are designed to explain anthropomorphic tendencies, are also relevant to other ways of humanizing brands. We identify major propositions derived from this research and several areas for which additional research is needed. We conclude with recommendations for the many opportunities for expanding our conceptual and empirical understanding of this domain.
Although self-congruity (SC) theory proposes that private SC and public SC constitute the two higher-order dimensions of SC, extant research in tourism has not investigated these higher-order SC ...types. Therefore, by validating private SC and public SC as higher-order dimensions of SC, this study aims to explain the relationships among SC, functional congruity (FC), and place attachment in the context of tourism destinations. A higher-order structural model was developed by measuring destination private SC, destination public SC, and destination attachment as reflective-formative higher-order constructs, whereas destination FC as a reflective-reflective higher-order construct. The data were collected from a sample of 430 domestic and foreign tourists visiting Dalian, Northeast China. To analyze the research model, partial least squares structural equation modeling was performed. According to the results, destination attachment was found to be positively influenced by both destination private SC and public SC, as well as destination FC. However, in contrast to the literature that argues FC more strongly influences consumer behavior than SC, by applying a new methodology developed by Rodríguez-Entrena et al. (2018), this study provides evidence that destination private SC, destination public SC, and destination FC are all approximately equally important in predicting destination attachment. Furthermore, both destination private SC and public SC positively influence destination FC, which supports ‘the biasing effect of SC’ on FC. The study supports the partial mediation role of destination FC on the relationship between destination SC and destination attachment. Implications for theory and practice are discussed within the context of destination marketing.
•Validates the two higher-order types of SC (i.e. private SC and public SC).•Private SC and public SC, as well as FC, positively affect destination attachment.•Supports the biasing effect of SC and the partial mediation role of FC.•FC does not more strongly influence destination attachment than SC.
•We address a new generation of bioplastic from organic waste for a circular economy.•We investigate what drives the intention to shift from linear to circular economy.•We focus on green ...self-identity, self-congruity, perceived value, intention to switch.•Green self-identity impacts perceived value, leading to switching intention.•Self-congruity moderates the green self-identity-perceived value relationship.
Bioplastics represent an innovation for replacing materials obtained from fossil fuels and could provide significant benefits to the environment. A new generation of bioplastic from urban waste is now technically feasible. This paper is among the first to assume the perspective of the consumers rather than the manufacturers in addressing what could lead to the market acceptance of this particular type of bioplastic. A conceptual model is developed addressing psychological drivers that could encourage consumers’ transition from a linear to a circular economy, with the purpose of better understanding what drives consumers’ intentions to switch to and purchase products obtained from organic waste. Specifically, we find that green self-identity positively impacts perceived value, leading to higher behavioral intention. In addition, the relationship is moderated by self-congruity but not by differences in product involvement.
Managing different brands for a single tourism destination imposes challenges for destination marketers, particularly when incoherence arises therefrom. This research adopted a mixed-method approach ...to analyze what constitutes a favorable destination brand portfolio. Study 1 conducted a tourist survey in Macao where gaming and cultural heritage brand identities collide. It investigated the effects of destination brand portfolio coherence on tourists’ attitude toward this portfolio and their loyalty intentions. In addition, the moderating effects of self–brand congruity were examined. To complement the results, Study 2 conducted text mining by analyzing tourist reviews from a tourism social networking website. The findings suggested that while status coherence evokes positive attitudes and loyalty intentions, personality coherence does not have a significant impact. Self-congruity significantly moderates only the relationship between status coherence and attitude. Managerial implications are provided for destination marketers to effectively employ tourism diversification strategies and maintain overall destination brand portfolio coherence.
This research aims to explore the role of brand personality self‐congruity (BPC) in affecting consumers' purchase behavior in a particular setting: video‐based social media (i.e., TikTok). Moreover, ...we test the moderating role of consumers' emotional attachment to the influencer and the mediating role of brand engagement in affecting purchase intention. Finally, we delve into the antecedents of influencer effectiveness and their relationship with consumers' actual purchases. To do so, we leverage two quantitative studies (n1 = 248; n3 = 247) and a qualitative one. Results from Study 1 indicate that the lower consumers perceive the gap between the brand personality and self‐image, the more they are inclined to engage with and purchase a brand. Moreover, we find that the emotional attachment to the influencer does not play a role in influencing purchase intention, positing that emotional attachment and BPC have different emotion dynamics with different purchase outcomes. Building on Study 1, Study 2 leverages a focus group to identify the antecedents of influencer effectiveness. Results highlight that a sense of indulgence appears in the minds of consumers when confronted with brands that have a lower congruity with their self. This sense of indulgence, in the case of low BPC, hinders the ability of the influencer to create an engagement between the brand and the consumer. Finally, Study 3 quantitatively tests the antecedents of influencer effectiveness under two conditions (entertaining vs. informative content type) highlighting the different influence of the antecedents on individuals with high (vs. low) BPC.
Live video streaming has been a global economic and social phenomenon in recent years. Many streaming platforms such as Twitch and YouTube Live have been founded and demonstrated unprecedented growth ...across the world. Yet, researchers have paid insufficient attention to understanding the massive participation behavior exhibited by live video streaming audiences. Based on social identity theory, this paper aims to explain audiences' continuous watching behavior intention via a dual identification framework including identifications with streaming broadcasters and audience groups. Analysis of data collected from two live streaming platforms in mainland China indicates that audiences’ identification with broadcasters and audience groups are positively associated with their continuous watching intention. Broadcaster identification is driven by individual experience including experience of parasocial interaction, actual and ideal self-congruity, whereas group identification is enhanced by co-experience consisting of participation, cognitive communion, and resonant contagion. In addition, live streaming genres partially moderate the impact of identification on continuous watching intention. Theoretical and practical implications as well as limitations and suggestions for future research are provided.
•We studied users' continuance intention on live streaming platforms.•Broadcaster identification and group identification increase continuance intention.•Parasocial interaction and self-congruity increase broadcaster identification.•Co-experience among audiences increases group identification.•Streaming genres moderate the effects of identifications on continuance intention.
Residents of a particular destination are potentially the largest and most powerful stakeholders of destination brands. However, the basis of residents' attitudes toward destination branding is not ...widely understood. In this study, it is proposed that self‐congruity (the degree of match between the perceived self and perceived brand identity) is a possible antecedent of these attitudes. We empirically demonstrate that brand self‐congruity is a likely indicator of destination brand attitude and that subsequent ambassadorial behavior among residents is probable. Implications for practitioners and future research opportunities are finally suggested.
The authors build on approach‐avoidance motivations theory to investigate the relationship between narcissism and luxury brand consumption. Narcissistic consumers, that is, those showing excessive ...conceit, are prone to consuming high‐prestige products and are thus attractive targets for luxury brands. Yet despite research in psychology distinguishing two types of narcissism, overt (or grandiose) and covert (or vulnerable) narcissism, little is known about how luxury consumption varies by these forms of narcissism. This paper focuses on Chinese Generation Y consumers to examine how overt and covert narcissism differ in their effects on luxury brand loyalty and proneness to purchase counterfeits as well as the moderating role of brand‐image self‐image congruity on the relationship between overt/covert narcissism and brand loyalty. Findings highlight the need for marketers to understand narcissistic targets more clearly in order to develop successful strategies to foster brand loyalty and diminish counterfeit consumption.
This study uses the theories of parasocial interaction, perceived authenticity, and self‐congruity to analyze the antecedents of source credibility and to confirm the positive effects of this on ...travel influencers when constructing travel platforms. The respondents are Chinese travelers who had used an online travel agency and who read influencer‐generated content to search for tourism‐related information. The results from the 420 valid questionnaires showed that users' perceived parasocial interaction, perceived authenticity, and self‐congruity have positive effects on source credibility for influencers. The study provides theoretical and managerial backup for influencer marketing efforts and the content marketing of online travel platforms.
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