Brand personality : a study on self-congruence

Abstract

This dissertation examines the relationship between brand personality and self-congruence. It focuses its attention on the relevance of the ‘self-concept’ in the field of ‘brand personality’. The existing literature on this subject, including the self-congruence model suggests that consumers are inclined to favour brands which are congruent with their personality. A qualitative methodology applied the grounded theory to analyse the relationship between brand personality and the consumers’ self-concept. Two focus group sessions were held in order to investigate how the different dimensions of the informants' self-concept may impact brand preference. The empirical findings revealed that there exists a positive relationship between these two variables. This qualitative research has shown that consumers often seek self-congruent brands because they offer them a platform for self-expression. Therefore, the notion of brand personality is built on premise that humanising a brand will provide the basis for a consumer’s emotional connection with that brand. In conclusion, this study suggests that this relationship between brand personality and self-congruence makes it easier for marketing practitioners to identify their preferred market segments and to use appropriate integrated marketing communications to target them. Finally, this academic contribution outlines the limitations of this study and it also mentions some of the possible avenues for future research.