Using Differentiated Brands to Deflect Exclusion and Protect Inclusion: The Moderating Role of Self-Esteem on Attachment to Differentiated Brands

Abstract

While a substantial body of research suggests that belongingness needs motivate consumers to use brands to assimilate with a reference group, relatively less attention has been devoted to understanding when and why consumers use brands to differentiate themselves from the group. The current research fills this gap in the literature and identifies two ways individuals can differentiate themselves from the group through the use of brands: horizontal and vertical differentiation. Horizontal brands offer differentiation through the expression of personality, taste, traits, and so forth, whereas vertical brands offer differentiation by conferring status or demonstrating one's superiority to others in a group. The results reveal that under social exclusion (inclusion), low self-esteem consumers increase perceptions of group heterogeneity (seek to protect their future belongingness) and subsequently increase their attachment to horizontal (vertical) brands. Overall, the results suggest that the belongingness goals of low self-esteem individuals drive such seemingly contradictory behaviors.

The influence mechanism of environmental anxiety on pro‐environmental behaviour: The role of self‐discrepancy

“…Self‐discrepancy is an incongruity between how one currently perceives oneself and how one desire to view oneself (Barnett & Womack, 2015). These incongruities appear in social status (Harmon‐Jones, Schmeichel, & Harmon‐Jones, 2009), intelligence (Kim & Gal, 2014; Kim & Rucker, 2012), rights (Rucker & Galinsky, 2008, 2009), social group belonging (Loughran Dommer, Swaminathan, & Ahluwalia, 2013; Mason et al., 2019) and so forth. Mandel et al.…”

The role of cultural communication norms in social exclusion effects

“…Accordingly, the causal link between threatened power and conspicuous consumption may differ in horizontal cultures. People from horizontal cultures differentiate themselves from others by focusing on personality and traits rather than status and superiority (Dommer, Swaminathan, & Ahluwalia, 2013) and thus are likely to engage in helping behavior rather than conspicuous consumption when feeling threats to power. Finally, materialism, which is negatively correlated with both self-esteem (Chaplin & John, 2007) and power (Kashdan & Breen, 2007), may serve as an individual difference factor in exclusion effects.…”

Showing to friends or strangers? Relationship orientation influences the effect of social exclusion on conspicuous consumption

“…Social exclusion is a state in which one is isolated, rejected, or excluded by other individuals or groups (Williams, Cheung, & Choi, 2000). Social exclusion is very common in everyday life, such as being rejected by a club, in a relationship, or through a job application (Dommer, Swaminathan, & Ahluwalia, 2013;Duclos, Wan, & Jiang, 2013;Echo Wen, Jing, & Ying, 2014;Loveland, Smeesters, & Mandel, 2010;Mead, Baumeister, Stillman, Rawn, & Vohs, 2011). Social exclusion can lead individuals to engage in many different behaviors; for example, social exclusion can lead to an individual to prefer a nostalgic product (Loveland et al, 2010), make a strategic choice of an instance of consumption (e.g., selecting a product that symbolizes group members; Mead et al, 2011), use different brands of products to make oneself similar to a reference group (Dommer et al, 2013), pursue riskier financial opportunities that have greater potential opportunities for profit (Duclos et al, 2013), or prefer to choose a unique product (Echo Wen et al, 2014;Liang & Chang, 2016).…”