Does personality congruence explain luxury brand attachment? The results of an international research study

Journal of Business Research. 2020. Vol. 120. P. 462–472.

Donvito R., Aliello G., Grazzini L., Godey B., Pederzoli D., Wiedmann K., Halliburton C., Chan P., Tsuchiya J., Skorobogatykh I., Oh H., Singh R., Ewing M., Lee Y., Fei L., Chen C. R., Siu N. Y.

There is a general lack of clarity regarding measurement of the self-brand congruity construct, which also calls for cross-national validation. Although previous evidence suggests a positive relationship between self-brand congruity and consumer brand associations (brand attachment), this relationship requires a deeper investigation. This study tests and validates a personality congruence scale in the luxury sector on an international level. Based on a survey of nearly 1500 international luxury customers, it also measures the effect of congruence on brand attachment. The findings confirm that the personality congruence structure is based on five dimensions: prestige, emotion, trust, anxiety, and order. The results highlight the personality congruence effect and its influence on brand attachment. Finally, similarities and differences across countries are detected in the personality congruence and brand attachment relationship. Theoretical and managerial implications are also discussed. This study contributes to the literature on brand personality congruence and its impact on brand attachment in the luxury context.

Keywords: luxury, brand attachement, brand-store consumer personality, personality congruence