Competing for Consumer Identity: Limits to Self-Expression and the Perils of Lifestyle Branding

Abstract

The idea that consumers use brands to express their identities has led many companies to reposition their products from focusing on functional attributes to focusing on how they fit into a consumer's lifestyle. This repositioning is welcomed by managers who believe that by positioning their brands as means for self-expression, they are less likely to go head-to-head with their direct competitors. However, the authors argue that by doing so, these companies expose themselves to much broader, cross-category competition for a share of a consumer's identity. Thus, they propose that consumers' need for self-expression through brands is finite and can be satiated when consumers are exposed to self-expressive brands. Moreover, they argue that consumers' need for self-expression can be satiated not only by a brand's direct competitors but also by brands from unrelated product categories, nonbrand means of self-expression, and self-expressive behavioral acts. The authors examine these propositions in a series of five empirical studies that provide converging evidence in support of the notion that the need for selfexpression can be satiated, thus weakening preferences for lifestyle brands.

The Impact of the Digital Revolution in the Development of Market and Communication Strategies for the Luxury Sector (Fashion Luxury)

“…The intrinsic attributes of the product are important; however, studies indicate that brands create even more value for consumers through the construction of significant associations (Fournier, 1998;Chernev et al, 2011). Accordingly, there is a concept called brand affinity from where affective ties with the consumer are developed.…”

Metodología de evaluación de brand equity bajo la perspectiva de las comunicaciones integradas de marketing y el Lovemark

“…Brand Relevance Scale (Chernev, Hamilton & Gal, 2011). Brand Relevance Scale Hammerschmidt & Donnevert, 2007).…”

Regional Lifestyle Segmentation in the Western Balkans

“…There are also some negative implications of lifestyle segmentation for companies as well. Chernev, Hamilton and Gal (2011) argue that managers may be trading fierce within-category functional competition for fierce across-category symbolic competition, whereby all self-expressive brands could end up competing with one another. Thus, by switching from functional branding to lifestyle branding, managers might be setting themselves up for even stronger competition for a share of a consumer's identity.…”

“…psychographics) that separate customers by meaningful brand experiences and relational behaviors (Barry and Weinstein 2009). Thus, lifestyle positioning has become an increasingly common approach among managers, especially in commodity categories in which functional differences are difficult to maintain (Chernev, Hamilton and Gal 2011). To many managers, lifestyle branding seems to offer a way of breaking free of the cutthroat competition within a category by connecting with consumers on a more personal level.…”