소비자는 브랜드 연상을 통하여 자아를 구성하고 개인적 정체성을 창조하고, 또 자아이미지를 타인에게 커뮤니케
이션할 때 자아와 브랜드간의 연결을 하여, 자아이미지를 잘 반영하는 브랜드에 일치성을 느끼고 그 브랜드를 선호
하게 된다.
따라서 본 연구는 브랜드-자아이미지의 일치성지각에 영향을 미치는 요소를 브랜드 속성기준과 준거집단의 관점
에서 살펴보았으며, 특히 브랜드 충성도 형성과정을 브랜드의 사용목적관점에서 자아입증성과 자아향상성 개념으로
구분하여 탐색하였다. 그리고 제품 유형을 쾌락적, 실용적 제품으로 분류하여 제품 유형이 브랜드 사용의 자아입증
성과 자아향상성 경로의 상대적 중요성에 미치는 조절효과를 분석하였다.
연구결과, 브랜드 충성도가 브랜드 속성기준과 준거집단과의 관계요인들을 포함한 자아입증성과 자아향상성 경로
를 통해 형성되는 것으로 나타났다. 즉 브랜드 속성기준과 준거집단 관계요인들은 브랜드-실제적 개인자아이미지
일치성과 실제적 사회자아이미지 일치성에 긍정적인 영향을 미치고 이러한 브랜드-실제적 개인자아이미지 일치성과
브랜드-실제적 사회자아이미지 일치성은 이어서 자아입증성을 증가시키는 선행요인으로 작용하였다. 그리고 브랜드
의 자아입증성은 브랜드 충성도의 태도적, 행동적 측면을 강화하는 요인으로 작용하였다.
또한 브랜드-이상적 개인자아이미지 일치성과 브랜드-이상적 사회자아이미지 일치성은 자아향상성을 증가시키고,
이어서 브랜드의 자아향상성은 태도적, 행동적 브랜드 충성도를 증가시키는 것으로 나타났다. 그러나 브랜드 사용의
자아입증성과 자아향상성이 태도적, 행동적 충성도에 미치는 영향은 제품 유형간 차이가 없는 것으로 나타났다.
Consumers construct their self-image and create self-identification through brand association.
In addition, when a consumer communicate his or her self-image with others, the consumer
connects the self to a brand, feels identification with the brand reflecting the self-image, and begins to prefer the brand. Despite of much research which is related to understanding importance and the effect of customers’ loyalty, research explaining loyalty formation process and, in particular, brand loyalty formation process by prior and intermediation effect process of self-image congruity is very insufficient.
Thus, this research examines factors influencing perception of brand-self image congruity in terms of brand attributes and reference group and, in particular, verifies the formation of brand loyalty by dividing it into self-verification and self-enhancement in the view point of brand usage objective. Moreover, this research investigates the moderating effect of product types on the relative importance of self-verification and self-enhancement with classifying product types into hedonic and utilitarian products.
The results shows that the brand loyalty is formed through self-verification and self-
enhancement paths including brand attribute and relation factors to reference group In other words, in the self-verification path, brand attributes criteria and reference group relation factors have positive effects on brand-actual self-image congruity and brand-actual social self-
image-congruity and the brand-actual self-image congruity and brand-actual social self-image congruity are prior factors for increasing self-verification. In addition, the self-verification plays a role on strengthening attitudinal and behavioral loyalty.
In the self-enhancement path, brand-ideal self image-congruity and brand-ideal society image congruity increase self-enhancement and in turn, the brand self-enhancement increases attitudinal and behavioral loyalty.
In addition, there is not a significant difference between product types in examining influences of the self-verification and the self-enhancement on the attitudinal, behavioral loyalty.
Based on the results, this research suggests several practical implications. Firstly, relationship factors with reference group and attribute criteria of brand can be recognized as one of factors for building strong and competitive corporate and product brands which have differentiated characteristics. It is because marketers can induce consumers’ desires of self realization and form favorable brand attitude that induce consumers’ actual purchases. Therefore, the market should be classified into two types which are conforming and non-conforming markets between symbolic image of a product and consumers’ self-images when a product is developed and it can increase efficiency of product marketing when marketing managers segment a market and decide the target market.
Second, strategies for brand loyalty formation should be established differently according to product types. This research could not find the significant moderating effect of product types on the relationship between self-verification and self-enhancement on attitudinal and behavioral loyalty. However, it can be expected that consumers have more attachment to the objects reflecting the relationship between perception for themselves and behavior according to product types, because motivation or behavior are increased when self regulatory focus and regulatory focus framing are conformed. In other words, marketers might establish the brand strategy and communication process for consumers such as advertising, sales promotion and so on after evaluating how brand attitudes are formed by consumers according to product types.
