Short answer

When designing brand strategies for hedonic products, consider how the brand can embody the consumer's sense of duty, responsibility, or moral aspiration (the 'ought self') to foster direct loyalty.

Field
Innovation & Markets
Source
Psychology and Marketing (2017)
Method
Quantitative study
Evidence
Moderate effect

For hedonic brands, directly appealing to a consumer's perceived 'ought self' (who they believe they should be) can foster brand loyalty, independent of emotional attachment. This innovation & markets research insight is drawn from a 2017 study published in Psychology and Marketing. Using Quantitative study, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: When designing brand strategies for hedonic products, consider how the brand can embody the consumer's sense of duty, responsibility, or moral aspiration (the 'ought self') to foster direct loyalty.

Study
Innovation & MarketsHigh ImpactModerate effect

Aligning Brand Personality with Consumer 'Ought Self' Drives Direct Loyalty for Hedonic Products

For hedonic brands, directly appealing to a consumer's perceived 'ought self' (who they believe they should be) can foster brand loyalty, independent of emotional attachment.

Psychology and Marketing · 2017

01

Key Findings

  • 01Actual and ideal self-congruence positively influence emotional brand attachment, which in turn increases brand loyalty for hedonic brands.
  • 02Ought self-congruence directly influences brand loyalty for hedonic brands, irrespective of emotional attachment.
  • 03Self-discrepancies moderate these relationships, though not always in the theoretically expected directions.
02

Application

Design takeaway

When designing brand strategies for hedonic products, consider how the brand can embody the consumer's sense of duty, responsibility, or moral aspiration (the 'ought self') to foster direct loyalty.

How to apply

When developing a brand for a product category like luxury goods, entertainment, or gourmet food, analyze consumer perceptions of their 'ought self' and craft brand narratives that resonate with these ideals.

Project actions

  • 01When researching target audiences, explore not just their current identity and aspirations, but also their sense of obligation or 'shoulds'.
  • 02Consider how brand personality can be positioned to align with these 'ought self' perceptions.
03

Method & Evidence

AimHow do actual, ideal, and ought self-congruence, moderated by self-discrepancies, influence emotional brand attachment and brand loyalty for hedonic brands?
MethodQuantitative study
ProcedureParticipants' self-perceptions (actual, ideal, and ought selves) were assessed, along with their congruence with specific hedonic brands. Emotional brand attachment and brand loyalty were then measured, and the moderating effects of self-discrepancies were analyzed.
ContextConsumer behavior and brand marketing, specifically for hedonic product categories.

Variables

IV["Actual self-congruence","Ideal self-congruence","Ought self-congruence","Self-discrepancies"]
DV["Emotional brand attachment","Brand loyalty"]
CV["Brand type (hedonic vs. utilitarian)","Consumer personality traits (potentially)"]
04

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

  • +Introduces the 'ought self' into self-congruence theory for brands.
  • +Investigates the interplay between self-congruence, self-discrepancies, and brand outcomes in a specific context (hedonic brands).

Limitations

The 'ought self' can be complex and context-dependent, making it challenging to accurately measure and target. The specific product category studied might not apply universally.

Reliability & validity

The study's validity relies on robust measures of self-perception and brand attitudes. Reliability would be assessed through the consistency of these measures across participants and potentially over time.

Think critically

How might the 'ought self' differ across cultures or demographic groups, and how would this impact brand strategy for hedonic products?

05

Design Principles

"Brand congruence with the 'ought self' can be a direct driver of loyalty in hedonic consumption contexts."

Understanding the nuances of consumer self-perception, beyond just who they are or aspire to be, offers a powerful avenue for brand strategy. This insight suggests that for certain product categories, focusing on the aspirational 'should be' self can be a more direct route to loyalty than solely relying on emotional connection.

06

What This Means for Your Design

For fun products, brands that help people feel like they are being the 'good person' they think they should be can make them loyal, even if they don't feel a strong emotional connection to the brand.

How to use in your project

  • 1.Use this research to justify targeting specific consumer self-concepts in your design brief or to inform your user persona development.
  • 2.Reference this study when discussing the psychological underpinnings of brand loyalty in your design project report.
07

Add to My Project

08

Quick Cite

Paragraph starter

This research highlights the significant role of self-congruence in consumer behavior, particularly for hedonic brands. The study found that aligning a brand's personality with a consumer's 'ought self' can directly foster brand loyalty, independent of emotional attachment. This suggests that for products associated with pleasure or indulgence, designers and marketers should consider how the brand can embody the consumer's sense of responsibility or aspirational identity to build a loyal customer base.

09

Source

Psychology and Marketing

The role of actual, ideal, and ought self‐congruence in the consumption of hedonic versus utilitarian brands

journal · 2017

View source

Questions About This Research

What does the research say about aligning brand personality with consumer 'ought self' drives direct loyalty for hedonic products?
When designing brand strategies for hedonic products, consider how the brand can embody the consumer's sense of duty, responsibility, or moral aspiration (the 'ought self') to foster direct loyalty. Evidence: Psychology and Marketing (2017).
Why does "Aligning Brand Personality with Consumer 'Ought Self' Drives Direct Loyalty for Hedonic Products" matter for design?
Understanding the nuances of consumer self-perception, beyond just who they are or aspire to be, offers a powerful avenue for brand strategy. This insight suggests that for certain product categories, focusing on the aspirational 'should be' self can be a more direct route to loyalty than solely relying on emotional connection.
How can designers apply this research?
When designing brand strategies for hedonic products, consider how the brand can embody the consumer's sense of duty, responsibility, or moral aspiration (the 'ought self') to foster direct loyalty.
What were the main findings?
Actual and ideal self-congruence positively influence emotional brand attachment, which in turn increases brand loyalty for hedonic brands.. Ought self-congruence directly influences brand loyalty for hedonic brands, irrespective of emotional attachment.. Self-discrepancies moderate these relationships, though not always in the theoretically expected directions.
What research method was used?
Quantitative study.
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence strength is rated Moderate effect, based on a 2017 journal from Psychology and Marketing.
What should I do differently in my next project?
When developing a brand for a product category like luxury goods, entertainment, or gourmet food, analyze consumer perceptions of their 'ought self' and craft brand narratives that resonate with these ideals.
What are the limitations?
The study's findings on self-discrepancies were contrary to theoretical expectations, suggesting a need for further exploration of these moderating effects. The specific hedonic brands studied may also influence generalizability.