Can human brands help consumers eat better? Influence of emotional brand attachment, self‐identification, and brand authenticity on consumer eating habits

Abstract

This research studies the positive role of culinary human brands in helping consumers improve their eating habits (i.e., eat healthier, adopt a varied diet, and cook more) through the influence of emotional brand attachment-induced by actual and ideal self-congruence-and while considering the moderating role of perceived brand authenticity. An online questionnaire was administered to 501 adults from a panel.Participants had to meet specific criteria-having a strong interest in food and cooking and being highly attached to a culinary human brand. Results were analyzed through structural equation modeling. Results reveal the influence of attachment in helping consumers improve their eating habits. The role of connection with consumer identity in inducing attachment is supported and characterized by a greater impact of the actual self. The moderating influence of brand authenticity is confirmed. This research suggests that culinary human brands can positively influence consumer food-related decisions by serving as relevant identity resources. Results indicate that focusing on authenticity is a promising strategy to pursue human brands. Overall, this research calls for brands to think about how they can positively impact consumer lives, more specifically by helping them make better food decisions, ultimately contributing to their well-being.

The role of brand self-congruence, brand love and brand attachment on brand advocacy: a serial mediation model

“…Likewise, the feeling of togetherness developed between consumers and brands generates an emotional connection and subsequently forms brand attachment (Park et al ., 2010). In other words, consumers' brand self-congruence is positively related to brand attachment (Malär et al ., 2011; Guèvremont, 2021).…”

“…By the same token, studies show that perceived self-congruence results in brand attachment (e.g. Malär et al ., 2011; Guèvremont, 2021). Consumers sense an affectionate tie with the self-congruent brand that helps validate the consumers' self-concept (Shimul and Phau, 2022).…”

Perceived brand authenticity: Examining the effects of inferred dedication and anticipated quality on consumers' purchase intentions and actual choices

“…Authenticity in the context of marketing can refer to products that are the original rather than a counterfeit (e.g., Newman & Bloom, 2012), but more often, researchers contend that authenticity is not objective, but is instead subjective and can thus be affected not only by marketing managers' strategic decisions but also by consumers' interpretations of these decisions and related cues. Authenticity resonates with consumers and thus researchers have explored authenticity in a variety of domains such as luxury wines (Beverland, 2006), theater (Aykol et al, 2017), Celtic products and experiences (McAuley & Pervan, 2014), environmental products (Ewing et al, 2012), reality television (Rose & Wood, 2005), extensions (Spiggle et al, 2012), human brands (Guèvremont, 2021; Moulard et al, 2015), advertising (Beverland et al, 2008), femvertising, (Hainneville et al, 2022), and scandals (Guèvremont & Grohmann, 2018), among others. Researchers also largely agree that just as a person's image or essence may convey authenticity or inauthenticity, managers can also convey brand authenticity or inauthenticity to consumers.…”

Brand attachment: a review and future research

“…However, a differential effect of avoidance and anxiety attachment styles was evident in multiple studies (Japutra et al 2018b;Proksch et al 2013). Furthermore, several studies examined perceived authenticity (Beeler et al 2021;Guèvremont 2021), brand engagement (Panigyrakis et al 2020), brand experience (Bian and Haque 2020), perceived brand globalness (Fastoso and González-Jiménez 2020), and nostalgic connection (Kessous and Valette-Florence 2019) as the moderating variable of brand attachment. The impact of status consumption in the tourism industry (Hwang and Lee 2019a), types of stakeholders in sports marketing (Takamatsu 2021), perceived fit in brand extension (Pourazad et al 2019), perceived variation in service experience (Kumar et al 2019), types of visitors in hospitality services (Hemsley-Brown and Alnawas 2016), and perceived similarity in the brand community (Zhou et al 2012) have also been assessed as moderators.…”

“…Lambert-Pandraud and Laurent (2010) and Jahn et al (2012) Anthropomorphism and human brand Chen and Lin (2021), Guèvremont (2021), Loroz and Braig (2015) and Thomson (2006) Automobile Loureiro et al (2012), Hung (2014)…”