Aligning conflict brand stories with product types
ISSN: 0736-3761
Article publication date: 17 September 2020
Issue publication date: 13 October 2020
Abstract
Purpose
Using classic literary theory pertaining to conflicts, this study aims to investigate the links of various types of conflicts and brand attitudes, in the context of brand stories for search and experience product types.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors used a survey of university students to test this study’s hypotheses.
Findings
The results reveal significant main effects of four conflict reversal stories on brand attitudes. The influences of man-against-self, man-against-man and man-against-society conflicts on brand attitude are greater for experience than for search products. In contrast, the influence of man-against-nature conflict is higher for search than for experience products.
Research limitations/implications
To generalize the results, this study should be replicated using more heterogeneous populations, setting the study in other cultures, testing actual brands and using a wider range of products.
Practical implications
The findings provide insights for marketers seeking to use appropriate conflicts in their brand stories to enhance customers’ brand attitudes.
Originality/value
Extant research does not address the relationship between different types of conflicts and customer attitudes, and the current study bridges this research gap.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors thank the editor, Patricia Norberg and two anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments on the previous manuscript.
Citation
Yin, C.-C., Chiu, H.-C. and Hsieh, Y.-C. (2020), "Aligning conflict brand stories with product types", Journal of Consumer Marketing, Vol. 37 No. 7, pp. 909-919. https://doi.org/10.1108/JCM-09-2019-3428
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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