Executive summary of “Accentuate the positive: how identity affects customer satisfaction”

Citation

Cole, G. (2014), "Executive summary of “Accentuate the positive: how identity affects customer satisfaction”", Journal of Consumer Marketing, Vol. 31 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/JCM-08-2014-1098

Executive summary of “Accentuate the positive: how identity affects customer satisfaction”

Article Type: Executive summary and implications for managers and executives From: Journal of Consumer Marketing, Volume 31, Issue 5

This summary has been provided to allow managers and executives a rapid appreciation of the content of the article. Those with a particular interest in the topic covered may then read the article in toto to take advantage of the more comprehensive description of the research undertaken and its results to get the full benefit of the material present.

Plenty research exists to confirm that consumers hold various identities both of a permanent and temporary nature. Being male and tall are examples of the former, while more transitory identities might include current status as a student or working role. Social identities which are perceived as especially relevant are seen as an important part of an individual’s self-concept. These identities are strongly linked with the “traits, characteristics and goals” connected to a specific social role or social group that a person has been, is or might be involved with. It is assumed that thoughts, judgment and behavior are influenced by identities which are particularly salient.

Of considerable importance is the fact that identities are known to impact on choice and brand preference. More specifically, consumers are likelier to favor those brands they perceive as being more closely associated with their self-identity. The term self-brand connection is used to describe this relationship.

There is evidence to suggest that consumer attitudes toward products and brands which are incorporated into their self-identity remain positive to the degree that any unfavorable information about an “identity-linked brand” is resisted. But whether experience with a product has any impact on these “identity-relevant” objectives has not been explored to any considerable extent.

Based on previous work, Chowdhury et al. anticipate that a positive experience with a product will bestow functional benefits associated with the product. In addition, such an experience is also likely to deliver benefits relating to the consumer’s self-identity. These include self-expression and signaling to others aspects of identity that are deemed central. Favorable experiences will also serve to strengthen identity because of their alignment with it.

A negative product experience possibly means that the impact of identity may not arise. Scholars point out that an unfavorable experience will result in neither product-related benefits nor those associated with identity. The resulting discontentment is thus intensified. However, it is proposed that the impact of identity on satisfaction need not necessarily be negative and could be neutral or even positive instead. The rationale for this view is that people are prone to dismiss unfavorable information when it might impede their core concept of self. Strong commitment to a brand intrinsically linked with their identity can increase an individual’s tolerance of a negative encounter.

Overall, the authors anticipate that product experience might moderate the positive impact of identity on satisfaction. This expectation is extended to behavioral outcomes like purchase intention and word-of-mouth, and it is proposed that product experience may mean that a boundary exists for the positive impact of identity.

Another way in which identity can impact on satisfaction relates to whether experience lives up to a certain standard that typically shapes prior expectations. Numerous studies have examined this disconfirmation paradigm that has at its heart the notion that consumer satisfaction or dissatisfaction with a product will depend on whether actual performance meets, exceeds or falls below what they expect beforehand. These expectations provide the foundations for the later judgment and evaluation which are deemed more important by certain analysts.

How expectations are formed remains subject to some debate. The literature does note the importance of such as brand name and product category in this respect. Such factors influence expectations, and there is considerable belief that brand name in particular is able to bias how product experience and subsequent satisfaction is evaluated. Chowdhury et al. argue that brands linked to self-identity will similarly prejudice performance appraisals due to identity’s impact on thoughts and judgment.

Two studies involving college students are carried out to further examine these issues. The first focuses on a brand associated with corporate philanthropy and positioned to engage with the moral identity of consumers. Subjects were asked to consider a scenario where they would purchase a shirt from a company that pledged to donate a percentage of profits to a charitable cause. Questions relating to moral identity and prior expectations were answered before respondents were exposed to either a positive or negative statement about their experience with the product. Performance and satisfaction was then measured along with future behavioral intentions.

In the second study, the authors investigated identity in relation to either a positive or negative service experience. The focus was on the “university identity” of subjects who were presented with a situation where they would be dining in a casual restaurant affiliated with the university. Expectations were again recorded and then participants were exposed to one of two scenarios. The first described a service failure, while the second was more positive in comparison because it included service “recovery” in the form of an apology and free drink or dessert to compensate. The same assessment of brand performance, satisfaction and future behavioral intentions then followed.

Data analysis indicated that:

• satisfaction following a positive experience will be greater when the product is associated with a consumer identity than when it is not;

• identity has no effect when the product experience is negative; and

• performance has a larger influence than expectations on how identity and experience impact on satisfaction.

A key aim of the second study was to test whether the findings of the first study could be generalized across different identities, experiences and contexts. The results provide some support for this, although it is accepted that further work is needed in relation to different identity types.

That identity seemingly increases satisfaction when experiences are positive indicates one important benefit of linking a product or service to an identity of consumers. Chowdhury et al. note that identity marketing does not increase any dissatisfaction in the wake of a negative experience. Nevertheless, they warn against complacency here and point out that the positive aspects of identity do not guarantee that dissatisfaction won’t emerge when the brand fails. A focus on eliminating negative experiences is more advisable. Another recommendation is to segment recovery efforts when a service failure occurs on the basis that identity marketing is able to enhance these efforts. Firms with philanthropic intentions should strive to ensure that experiences are positive so that identity can help achieve such goals.

Future studies might investigate whether circumstances exist in which identity does influence negative experiences and the ensuing satisfaction or dissatisfaction. The potential for identity to bias perception of product performance and the company’s competence likewise warrants additional investigation. Another suggestion is to examine why expectations only seem to minimally mediate how satisfaction is influenced by identity. Potential effects beyond behavioral intentions and any possible consequences for identity itself following satisfactory or unsatisfactory experiences are other avenues to explore. Researchers could also consider actual behavior and real situations as opposed to the hypothetical scenarios used here.

To read the full article enter 10.1108/JCM-03-2014-0915 into your search engine.

(A précis of the article “Accentuate the positive: how identity affects customer satisfaction”. Supplied by Marketing Consultants for Emerald.)