It is not always about brand: Design-driven consumers and their self-expression

Byun, Kyung-Ah (Kay), Robert Paul Jones and Barbara Ross Wooldridge

Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 2018, vol. 43, issue C, 296-303

Abstract: Consumers often utilize product design as one of the central means for expressing identity. However, few studies have investigated how consumers leverage product design for self-expression, and how a dominant design preference can influence consumers’ self-expression through brands. Drawing upon identity theory, this study examines how design-driven consumers express their personal and social identities. The results suggest that design-dominance among consumers leverages their need-for-uniqueness as a conduit for social identity expression. For consumers with a clear self-concept, expressing uniqueness through product design is weaker. The results also demonstrate that when design-dominance is strong, consumer exhibit a reduced reliance on brands to express their social identity, thus weakening brand loyalty.

Keywords: Design-dominance; Self-expression; Need for uniqueness; Brand loyalty; Loyalty dilution (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:joreco:v:43:y:2018:i:c:p:296-303

DOI: 10.1016/j.jretconser.2018.04.009

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