Customers’ self-image congruity and brand preference: a moderated mediation model of self-brand connection and self-motivation
Journal of Product & Brand Management
ISSN: 1061-0421
Article publication date: 17 November 2021
Issue publication date: 6 June 2022
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the moderated mediation model among self-image congruity, self-brand connection, self-motivation and brand preference and validate that actual and ideal self-image congruity are two distinct constructs. As shown in the conceptual model, actual and ideal self-image congruity toward a brand have direct and indirect positive effects on brand preference through self-brand connection, whereas self-motivation moderates the effect of self-image congruity on self-brand connection.
Design/methodology/approach
Data collection was done through mall intercepts in six shopping malls in Guangzhou, Zhuhai and Huizhou in southern China. In total, 461 usable questionnaires were collected with 500 distributed copies. Confirmatory factor analysis using Mplus (v.7) was done to assess the measurement validity for each construct. PROCESS analysis for SPSS (v.19.0.0) was used for hypothesis testing.
Findings
Both actual and ideal self-image congruities present significant positive effects on brand preference through self-brand connection. The relationship between self-image congruity and the self-brand connection is also moderated by self-motivation.
Originality/value
This study fills an existing literature gap by distinguishing self-image and ideal self-image congruity as distinct constructs. Self-brand connection is posited as a new way to understand the mechanism of the self-image congruity effect on brand preference. Samples from several shopping malls in southern China are used to justify the important moderating role of self-motivation in consumers’ brand preferences.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This project is funded by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities of China (No. 19wkzd13).
Citation
Li, Y., Zhang, C., Shelby, L. and Huan, T.-C. (2022), "Customers’ self-image congruity and brand preference: a moderated mediation model of self-brand connection and self-motivation", Journal of Product & Brand Management, Vol. 31 No. 5, pp. 798-807. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPBM-07-2020-2998
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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