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Who am I to you? Self, reciprocity and emotional intimacy in brand relationships
Journal of Brand Strategy,
12
(3),
256-282
(2023)
Abstract
Consumers engage in self-expansion processes that affect their selves, favouring identity formation and brand engagement. The mechanisms for maintaining healthy relationships as consumer–brand experiences unfold are unknown. Drawing on self-expansion theory, this study explores the effect of emotional intimacy and relational reciprocity as maintenance processes creating brand self-engagement and relationship quality as consumers’ self-concepts expand. Survey methodology on a US consumer sample across product categories assesses the effect of maintenance processes and self-expansion on brand engagement, as trust enhances relationship quality and loyalty. A theoretical model is tested through partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). This study shows that self-expansion, emotional intimacy and relational reciprocity bring brands into the self when experiences alone do not. Managers should design brand experiences grounded on deep, trustworthy, reciprocal and intimate emotional connections. Experiences alone do not build loyalty, but emotional and symbolic resources supporting the self and identity formation do. Managers should craft experiential touchpoints allowing for self-expansion as self-identity surfaces, reinforcing the actual or designing the ideal self.
Keywords: self-expansion; emotional intimacy; relational uncertainty; relationship quality; brand experience
The full article is available to subscribers to the journal.
Author's Biography
Carlos M. Rodriguez is Associate Professor of Marketing and Quantitative Methods and Director of the Center for the Study of Innovation Management, CSIM, at the College of Business, Delaware State University, USA. His publications have appeared in the Journal of Business Research, Journal of Business-to-Business Marketing, Journal of International Marketing, International Marketing Review, among others, as well as several conference proceedings. Currently, Dr Rodriguez serves on the editorial board of several journals. His research interests are relationship marketing, luxury branding, customer experiences, cause marketing, product design, innovation and new product development teams. His recently published book, Product Design and Innovation: Analytics for Decision Making, is centered on design techniques and methodologies in product design. Dr Rodriguez is engaged in several international educational, research and academic projects and has professional experience as a brand manager, product manager and advertising director for consumer and industrial products. He received the faculty Amity Excellence Award in Product Design and Innovation from Amity University, India, in 2020. Dr Rodriguez has international exposure through executive seminars in very many countries, including Canada, Spain, Mexico, France and India. He has lectured at a number of business schools in different countries.
