“Don’t Worry, We Are Here for You”: Brands as External Source of Control during the Covid-19 Pandemic

Peeter W.J. Verlegh, Stefan F. Bernritter, Verena Gruber (), Noud Schartman and Francesca Sotgiu
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Peeter W.J. Verlegh: VU - Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam [Amsterdam]
Stefan F. Bernritter: King‘s College London
Verena Gruber: HEC Montréal - HEC Montréal
Noud Schartman: VU - Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam [Amsterdam]

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Abstract: The Covid-19 pandemic increases consumers' worries and makes them experience a loss of control over their lives. We investigate how these factors affect the roles that brands play in consumers' lives. Results of a longitudinal survey (N = 5,393) and an online experiment (N = 387) show that brands gain relevance and are more firmly included in consumers' self-concepts if consumers experience more worries about Covid-19 and a lack of control. Brands can benefit from this by addressing worries associated with the crisis in their advertisements. This is particularly effective for consumers who express greater worry about the Covid-19 pandemic.

Date: 2021-05-27
Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-04558563v1
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Published in Journal of Advertising, 2021, 50 (3), 262-270 p. ⟨10.1080/00913367.2021.1927913⟩

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-04558563

DOI: 10.1080/00913367.2021.1927913

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