Brand-conscious consumers see brand failure as a threat to their self-image

The Economic Times:

WASHINGTON: A new study by a University of Illinois marketing expert has indicated that consumers with close ties to a brand respond to negative information about the beloved brand as they do to personal failure – they experience it as a threat to their self-image.

Tiffany Barnett White, a professor of business administration, said consumers with a high self-brand connection maintained favourable brand evaluations even when presented with negative brand information, suggesting that the reluctance of brand-conscious consumers to lower their opinion of a brand might be driven more by a motivation to protect the self.

“When companies get consumers motivated about their products, they are just as motivated to protect the brand as they are themselves,” White said.

Read the whole story: The Economic Times