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Consumers and their celebrity brands: how personal narratives set the stage for attachment

Bennie Eng (Department of Marketing, MIS and Entrepreneurship, Marshall University, Huntington, West Virginia, USA)
Cheryl Burke Jarvis (Department of Marketing, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida, USA)

Journal of Product & Brand Management

ISSN: 1061-0421

Article publication date: 11 June 2020

Issue publication date: 5 September 2020

2583

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to demonstrate how consumer attachment to celebrity brands is driven by perceived narratives about the celebrity’s persona, which triggers communal (i.e. altruistic) relationship norms. The research investigates the differential role of narratives about celebrities’ personal vs professional lives in creating attachment and identifies and tests moderating effects of narrative characteristics including perceived source of fame, valence and authenticity.

Design/methodology/approach

Three online experiments tested the proposed direct, meditating and moderating relationships. Data was analyzed using mediation analysis and multiple ANOVAs.

Findings

The results suggest relationship norms that are more altruistic in nature fully mediate the relationship between narrative type and brand attachment. Additionally, personal narratives produce stronger attachment than professional narratives; the celebrity’s source of fame moderates narrative type and attachment; and on-brand narratives elicit higher attachment than off-brand narratives, even when these narratives are negative.

Practical implications

The authors offer recommendations for how marketers can shape celebrity brand narratives to build stronger consumer attachment. Notably, personal (vs professional) narratives are critical in building attachment, especially for celebrity brands that are perceived to have achieved their fame. Both positive and negative personal narratives can strengthen attachment for achieved celebrity brands, but only if they are on-brand with consumer expectations.

Originality/value

This research is an introductory examination of the fundamental theoretical process by which celebrity brand relationships develop from brand persona narratives and how characteristics of those narratives influence consumer-brand attachment.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The authors thank the guest co-editors and the anonymous JPBM reviewers for their insights and helpful comments on the article. They would also like to thank Jonathan Fredrick, Shanon Culiner, and Carissa Culiner for their contributions in the production of the experimental stimuli.

Citation

Eng, B. and Jarvis, C.B. (2020), "Consumers and their celebrity brands: how personal narratives set the stage for attachment", Journal of Product & Brand Management, Vol. 29 No. 6, pp. 831-847. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPBM-02-2019-2275

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited

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