Brand addiction: brand characteristics and psychological outcomes

Abstract

Purpose This paper aims to empirically test the influence of brand characteristics on brand addiction, as well as the consumers’ behaviors caused by this construct. Design/methodology/approach The paper adopts a Web-based self-completion survey by achieving a total of 529 completed surveys. Then, structural equation modeling has been employed by using SPSS AMOS. Findings Results highlighted how the brand characteristics of self-expressiveness, innovativeness and authenticity have a positive influence on brand addiction; brand addiction leads consumers to feel emotions of irritability and to adopt obsessive and compulsive behaviors toward the brand. Research limitations/implications Even if the choice of using a survey’s sample composed of students attending an Italian University ensures good internal validity of research (owing to the homogeneous character), the results are not generalizable (except for this population group). Practical implications The study identified two different spheres of brand addiction (one connected to the brand’s characteristics and the other to the consumers’ psychological-behavioral outcomes), along with possible strategies firms could adopt to strengthen the possibilities to transform their customers into addicted ones and to avoid/reduce the negative consequences deriving from brand addiction. Originality/value The paper provides a response to the call for more studies into the brand addiction analysis by empirically testing possible antecedents and outcomes, thus enriching the existing quantitative research focused on this concept.

Brand love and brand addiction and their effects on consumers' negative behaviors

“…Some studies have focused on positive outcomes of brand addiction, such as increased word of mouth, willingness to pay a premium price (Le, 2020), brand exclusivity (Francioni et al , 2020) and improved self-esteem and life satisfaction (Mrad and Cui, 2020). Because brand addiction is an unhealthy relationship between a consumer and a brand, we are interested more in the effects it may have on negative consumer behaviors.…”

“…The handful of studies on brand addiction mostly discuss anxiety conceptually (Cui et al , 2018; Mrad and Cui, 2020; Mrad et al , 2020), as either an attribute or outcome of brand addiction. To the best of the authors' knowledge, only Francioni et al (2020) have empirically assessed the relationship between brand addiction and irritability. While it is associated with anxiety, this is not the same concept (Cornacchio et al , 2016).…”

“…Brand addiction is a complex state that cannot be limited to a single, causal explanation. The few empirical studies that have been conducted on brand addiction have identified social comparison and materialism (Le, 2020) and brand self-expressiveness, brand innovativeness and brand authenticity as influences on brand addiction (Francioni et al , 2020). Most recently, Bai et al (2021) found that brand passion, a component of brand love, directly influences brand addiction.…”

Brand addiction and compulsive buying in female consumers' relationships with food brands

“…Consumer research recognised the relevance of the consumption of goods, services, and brands in the development, conservation, and reconstitution of consumer identities (Baker and Mason, 2012;Arnould and Thompson, 2005;Belk, 1988). Within this context, brand addiction has evolved as the highest level of intense emotions between the consumer and the brand and represents one of the most important ways in which consumers engage with brands (Junaid et al, 2022;Le, 2022;Bai et al, 2021;Francioni et al, 2021;Cui et al, 2018;Fournier, 1998). Conceptually, the literature identified both positive (Cui et al, 2018) and negative consequences (Fournier and Alvarez, 2013) of brand addiction for the individual.…”

The influence of COVID-19 pandemic on consumer–brand relationships: evidence of brand evangelism behaviors

“…Among other benefits that can accrue, positive consumer–brand relationships reportedly lead users to influence others’ brand choices (e.g., Taillon et al, 2020 ; Wiedmann and Walter, 2021 ). Third, there is scholarly attention devoted to behaviors; i.e., how consumers behave toward brands (Dimitriu and Guesalanga, 2017 ; Francioni et al, 2021 ; Romani et al, 2015 ), and how brands behave in the marketplace (Gammoh et al, 2021 ; Moulard et al, 2016 ). Fourth, the most underdeveloped area of inquiry relates to examination of the influence exerted by macro-environmental forces such as psychosocial epidemics, sociopolitical developments—on user–brand relationships (see Lim et al, 2021a , 2021b , 2022 ).…”