Consumer–Brand Relationships: A Contrast of Nostalgic and Non-Nostalgic Brands
Résumé
This research examined how consumer–brand relationships change when one contrasts brands
perceived as nostalgic with brands perceived as non-nostalgic. Paired comparisons of brands in six
product categories revealed that brand attachment, self-brand connections, and storytelling, as well
as, the propensity to offer the brand as a gift and collect brand-derived products, depend on the
nostalgic status of the brand. On a sample of 606 consumers, the results showed that a brand’s
nostalgic status has a positive effect on attachment, self-brand connections, and storytelling. These
effects had not previously been considered in nostalgia research. Furthermore, the nostalgic status
of a brand has positive effects in terms of intention to purchase the brand as a gift and collect
brand-derived products. Moreover, ANOVA results illustrate that consumer relationships with
nostalgic brands are systematically stronger than with non-nostalgic brands. Finally, results
indicated that product category moderates all of the dimensions of brand relationships while gender
does not. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.