Brand Pride in Consumer–Brand Relationships: Towards a Conceptual Framework

Brands are rapidly moving away from the traditional transactional approach to a relational journey with their users. In most cases, Consumer- Brand Relationships are based on the extent of congruence between individuals and their favourite brands. This paper aims to contribute to this journey and understand the genesis and outcomes of such a relationship wherein the consumer feels “proud” to be associated with his/her brand. Specifically the purpose of the paper is to understand the antecedents and consequences of a less explored construct, Brand Pride. This conceptual paper is based on an extensive and detailed review of literature pertaining to the areas of emotional branding, consumer-brand relationships, pride in brand associations, self-congruence and behavioral outcomes. It also evaluates the impact of a narssistic personality on such relationships. The authors propose a conceptual framework for Brand Pride which would lead to a deeper understanding in the phenomenology of Brand Pride and its subsequent impact on higher order Consumer-Brand Relationships. Crystallization of this concept would lead to invaluable insights in the advancement in emotional branding both for academicians and practitioners, with Brand Pride being the emotion in focus.

Few glitters are original gold

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of brand identification (BI), brand knowledge (BK) and brand psychological ownership (BPO) to predict brand citizenship behaviours (BCB) in a mediating role of brand pride. Design/methodology/approach Using survey data collected from 372 front line employees (FLEs), employed in different banks in Pakistan, the path analysis through structural equation modelling procedures is used to perform data analysis. Findings The results show that BI, BK and BPO strongly predict BCB in a mediating role of brand pride. Practical implications The results have pragmatic value to guide managers and marketing policymakers to develop a brand culture where the company as a brand is internally owned by its employees. The supervisors should offer FLEs with opportunities to speak up and must socialize with them so that communication touch points can be established and strengthened. Furthermore, delegation of authority and positive enforcement are important tools to trigger psychological ownership among FLEs. Originality/value Three antecedents (i.e. BI, BK and BPO) to advocate and channelize brand-oriented citizenship behaviours are unique to this study. Furthermore, the mediating role of brand pride is yet another unique contribution.

A brand foci model to explain achievement needs: a contradictory explanation

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the indirect effect of smartphone-brand tribalism on the need for achievement. Design/methodology/approach Using survey data from 272 South Korean respondents, path analysis is used to evaluate the hypotheses. Findings Only the sense of community dimension of brand tribalism affects brand pride (PRIDE), which in turn leads to a sequential process of brand attitude, purchase intention, and need for achievement (NACHIEVE). Research limitations/implications South Korean data may confine generalizability. As effect sizes in this context are understood, researchers have an additional benchmark for future brand tribalism and PRIDE research. Practical implications The psychological underpinning and, the presence of brand tribes in society cannot be overlooked by strategists. Such tribal-laden following is also evident within smartphone communities. By further understanding brand tribalism outcomes, marketers and brand leaders are in an improved position to develop strategies that appeal to targeted customers, ultimately growing and strengthening their brand tribes. Originality/value Supported by the anthropological view of brand tribalism, this research contributes to the branding literature by examining the indirect effects of brand tribalism on the NACHIEVE through brand-related attitudes and behavioral intentions. Where previous research using westerners indicates the explanatory power of defense of the tribe on brand-related factors, no effect in this regard is found here using eastern smartphone consumers.

A sequential process of brand tribalism, brand pride and brand attitude to explain purchase intention: a cross-continent replication study

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore and replicate the indirect effect of smartphone brand tribalism on purchase intent via brand pride and brand attitude. Design/methodology/approach Using survey data from 190 US (Study 1) and 432 Qatari (Study 2) smartphone consumers, path analysis is used to evaluate the hypotheses. Findings For these disparate samples, only the defense of the tribal brand dimension of brand tribalism influences brand pride, which in turn leads to a sequential process of brand attitude and purchase intention. Research limitations/implications Using only smartphone data from the USA and Qatar may hinder external validity. As effect sizes in this context are understood, researchers have additional benchmarks for future brand tribalism and brand pride research. Practical implications The psychological underpinning and presence of brand tribes in society cannot be overlooked by strategists. Such tribal-laden following is too evident within smartphone communities. By further understanding the effect of brand tribalism on brand pride and subsequent attitudinal response and behavioral intent, marketers and brand leaders are in an improved position to develop strategies that appeal to targeted customers, ultimately growing and strengthening their brand value. Originality/value Supported by the anthropological view of brand tribalism, this paper contributes to the branding literature by examining the indirect effect of brand tribalism on purchase intention via brand pride and brand attitude. The posited model, previously untested and replicated here across two ethnically diverse samples, shows more explanatory power for defense of the tribal brand on brand pride as compared to the other brand tribalism dimensions. A novel and valid, multi-item brand pride measure is also developed.

Exploring the impact of employees’ self-concept, brand identification and brand pride on brand citizenship behaviors

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify how employees’ perceived congruity of their employers’ corporate brand with their own actual and ideal self may affect their brand identification (BI), brand pride (BP) and brand citizenship behavior (BCB). Design/methodology/approach – This cross-sectional paper involved 283 employees in Germany who completed an online survey. Findings – Congruity of the brand with employees’ actual self and with their ideal self has similar effects on employees’ BI. However, effects differ with respect to the other outcome variables. BP is only affected by congruity of the brand with the ideal self, whereas BCB is only affected by congruity of the brand with the actual self. Brand identity is positively related to BP and BCB; BP also affects BCB. Research limitations/implications – Future studies could include different sources for evaluation of BI, BP and BCB; for temporally separate measurement of identification, pride and BCB; and for use of fictitious brands or experimental manipulations of pride to increase internal validity. The discrepant impacts of congruity of the brand with the actual self and the ideal self as detected in the paper could spark research interest in addressing motivations to increase self-esteem and self-consistency in a work context or in investigating specific mediators or moderators in the relationship between self-concept, (brand) identification and pride, as well as behaviors. Finally, research could address different kinds of pride, such as individual and collective forms of pride, as well as their interplay. Practical implications – Managers should be aware of the different effects of a corporate brand’s fit with employees’ actual and ideal self, and also should note that BI seems essential in augmenting BP and brand-related behaviors. The paper develops implications for internal branding and HRM strategies regarding employee selection, promotion and retention. Findings also indicate that BP motivates BCB in line with current assumptions in research and practice on individual forms of pride. Originality/value – This paper investigates employees’ perceptions of “their” brand’s fit with their actual and ideal self separately, and determines the differences in impact on BP and BCB, extending existing knowledge on drivers of brand-building behaviors. It also develops the concept of BP in the context of social identity theory and the need for distinction; it further provides initial empirical insights into the role of employees’ BP, including the development of a measure.