As a brand, how can I become known to you? How can I gain your liking and develop genuine emotions towards me? Today, brands have become similar to human personalities, as they are both unique and long-lasting. Consider having a Harley-Davidson tattoo on your arm; do you feel more or less muscular compared to before? The authors of the article found that brand personality does influence certain consumers who hold specific beliefs about their own personality – particularly those who are entity theorists.
This paper examines the research topic, methods used, and the practicality of an article investigating how consumers respond to brand personality. Park and John focused on implicit self-theories (entity theory and incremental theory) as a crucial factor in understanding consumers’ reactions to brand personality. Moreover, they conducted experiments to substantiate the reasoning behind their predictions. Four studies were undertaken to test their hypotheses.
In this paper, I will explain the independent and dependent variables, as well as the findings from the conducted experiments. The incremental theorists perceive their personal qualities as changeable and believe that they can enhance them through their own efforts. They actively look for chances to improve themselves and foster growth. On the other hand, the entity theorists think that their personal qualities are unchangeable and cannot be improved through direct efforts. They search for opportunities to demonstrate their positive qualities to themselves or others.
Study 1 investigates the influence of implicit self-theories on the brand personality of Victoria’s Secret (VS). The study measures self-perceptions using three traits (good-looking, feminine, and glamorous) that are closely associated with the brand. The dependent variable is the self-perceptions after carrying the shopping bag. The independent variables are the implicit self-theory, experimental condition, and the interaction between implicit self-theory and experimental condition.
The findings indicate that only individuals who hold the belief that personal attributes are fixed perceived themselves as more attractive, feminine, and glamorous when carrying a Victoria’s Secret shopping bag. On the other hand, those who believe that personal attributes can be developed were not influenced by the shopping bag they carried. Study 2 aimed to further investigate if entity theorists’ response to brand experiences aligns with their desire to showcase their positive qualities. Comparatively, the personality traits associated with brands in study 2 were found to be less flexible than those associated with Victoria’s Secret.
Similar to study 1, the dependent measure in this study is the self-perceptions after using the pen. The independent variables are implicit self-theory, experimental condition, and the interaction between implicit self-theory and experimental condition. Like in study 1, entity theorists who used the MIT pen perceived themselves as more intelligent, harder working, and more of a leader compared to entity theorists who used the regular pen. However, among incremental theorists, the type of pen used did not impact their self-perceptions on these traits.
Study 3 investigates the variation in brand experience within a more private setting. Prior to using a shopping bag, individuals’ implicit theories about themselves were manipulated through an article presenting either entity theory or incremental theory views. The dependent variables measured were self-perceptions, brand signaling, and psychological discomfort after using the shopping bag. The independent variables were the evaluation of the shopping bag and self-perceptions before using the bag. The findings from this study were consistent with those of the first and second studies.
Participants who were exposed to an article endorsing entity theory believed that they possessed the personality characteristics of Victoria’s Secret. Conversely, participants who were exposed to an article endorsing incremental theory were not affected by the bag they used. To examine whether entity theorists respond to the branding of products in a personal environment, study 4 introduces a challenge to participants’ perception of their intelligence, hardworking nature, and leadership abilities.
The fourth study examines the influence of self-threat condition, implicit self-theory, and the interaction between self-threat condition and implicit self-theory on self-perceptions. When encountering a self-threat, individuals who embrace the entity theory use an MIT pen to present themselves as more intelligent, hardworking, and a leader compared to those who use a regular pen. Overall, the outcomes of these experiments remain consistent according to this article.
Brand personalities have an impact on consumers, particularly entity theorists, who develop more positive perceptions of themselves based on the personality traits associated with the brands they use. The article deepened my understanding of how brand personality affects consumers with different beliefs and revealed the underlying reason behind this behavior. The use of the ANCOVA method allowed for the identification of the main effect and interaction between dependent and independent variables. However, I did notice a potential bias in the results due to the sample selected for the experiments conducted.
For example, in study 2, individuals from two marketing classes were chosen as participants. When asked about the extent to which the traits (intelligence, hardworking and leader) reflect their personalities, participants may not provide truthful answers. Both entity and incremental theorists, being from the same class, perceive themselves to have similar levels of intelligence. Therefore, the impact of self-perception might not solely be attributed to the use of the MIT pen. Additionally, the article does not mention whether the brand can be purchased despite an elevated self-perception value (specifically for entity theorists).
According to Park and John, the results of this study only apply to brands that have attractive brand personalities. Therefore, it may not be relevant to brands with unattractive brand personalities. For instance, “Eng Wah” is seen as being outdated and unpopular. Negative characteristics like these will not have a negative impact on consumers. Both entity and incremental theorists will not feel negatively affected if they have the chance to watch a movie at Eng Wah. The findings of this article can be generalized to various product categories as long as the brand has a personality associated with it.
A brand manager can concentrate on crafting the brand’s character, acknowledging its influence on certain consumers. For example, Nike is linked with outstanding sports performance. Consumers might feel more athletic by wearing Nike Shoes. The brand manager can employ this as a distinguishing aspect, setting Nike apart from other rival products. Modifying the marketing strategy may involve sponsoring brand-associated events or promoting sports-related attributes. Ultimately, consumers may value the brand’s personality and contribute to enhancing brand loyalty.
