Brands and the Fulfillment of Cultural-Identity Needs

As a consumer, John can have multiple identities (e.g., a father, an engineer, a male, an American), some of which he more strongly associates with than others. Those identities that more centrally define who he is are more likely to be salient in his mind in different contexts. However, certain situations can make salient any given social identity that matters to him. For instance, although John might consider being an engineer as a defining aspect of himself, which probably affects how he pragmatically thinks about events and the physical environment, his identity as an American would likely dominate his thoughts when he is with his family at a Fourth of July fireworks celebration of American independence. In this context, John might think differently about Volkswagen versus Ford cars. Although John might normally value Volkswagen’s well-known engineering expertise (based on his engineer identity), the Fourth of July might increase the value that he sees in Ford cars, which symbolize the salient American identity. A central issue discussed in this chapter is the extent to which consumers’ valuation of a brand (e.g., evaluations, purchase intentions, or willingness to pay for branded products) responds to the brand’s ability to fulfill social identity needs that are salient in the situation.