How to Improve Brand Relationships Using Intergenerational Capital ?

This research explores the influence of culinary practice transmission on the consumer-brand relationship. To investigate how brands could better leverage intergenerational transmissions in their strategies, we rely on the theoretical frameworks of intergenerational capital (Guillemot, 2018, Ladwein et al., 2009) and consumer-brand relationships (Fournier, 1998). These theoretical frameworks are especially pertinent within the context of culinary practices, where transmission is expected to fortify emotional and identity-driven bonds across generations (Certeau, 1994), providing brands with a distinctive opportunity for differentiation (Fox and Alldred, 2019). The intergenerational transmission of culinary practices thus prompts the central question of this research: to what extent can intergenerational transmissions through intergenerational capital enrich the consumer-brand relationship? To address this question, an experimental study (N=320) involving two brands (authentic, practical-economic) and three representations of intergenerational capital (sharing between two generations, product as the centerpiece of transmission, integration of life dynamics) is conducted, demonstrating that consumer-brand relationships vary according to these factors. An integrative model is then proposed and tested. Our results establish the benefits of a positioning centered on intergenerational capital. This approach provides brands an opportunity to integrate into the family dynamic, allowing them to embody shared practices (Kessous et al., 2015). Intergenerational capital, therefore, has tangible impacts on the consumer-brand relationship. Recommendations are formulated for marketing practitioners regarding the representations to adopt (brand types, consequences).