Pushing the Envelope of Brand and Personality: Antecedents and Moderators of Anthropomorphized Brands

Abstract

The tendency for consumers to perceive brands as actual human beings has significant implications in the area of branding. However, there is a large gap in the marketing literature regarding the process and conditions that may influence the degree to which consumers perceive brands as complete human beings. The present research introduces the concept of anthropomorphized brands and discusses the psychological mechanisms that underlie the process of brand anthropomorphization. Our study builds on the threefactor theory of anthropomorphism to explain how self-concept/ brand image congruity may influence the inference process of brand anthropomorphization. Furthermore, we suggest that sociality and effectance motivation variables may moderate the relationship between self-concept/brand image congruity and anthropomorphized brands. Theoretical and managerial implications are also discussed.