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Should Cookie Monster adopt a healthy lifestyle or continue to indulge? Insights into brand icons
Author(s) -
Merchant Altaf,
LaTour Kathryn A.,
Ford John B.,
LaTour Michael S.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
psychology and marketing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.035
H-Index - 116
eISSN - 1520-6793
pISSN - 0742-6046
DOI - 10.1002/mar.21071
Subject(s) - icon , feeling , psychology , advertising , face (sociological concept) , style (visual arts) , monster , clothing , social psychology , aesthetics , marketing , sociology , business , art , visual arts , social science , computer science , art history , programming language , history , archaeology
Developing a brand icon has been a way for marketers to humanize and forge relationships with consumers. Icon development takes time. During this time, marketers have to face how much they stay true and consistent with their icons and how much they allow their icons to adapt to cultural changes in the marketplace. Little is known about how consumers respond to changing icons, and even less is known about whether there may be certain consumer groups that are more or less receptive to such changes. Four experiments and qualitative interviews were undertaken to gain insights into these issues. People who have a low need to belong were most impacted by changes in the icon, with effects most evident among consumers with a fearful attachment style. Feelings of rejection were found to amplify these effects. These findings have implications both for theory and practice.