Relationship approach Flashcards
What is the relationship approach?
The brand is understood as a phenomenon, where consumers experience relationships with certain brands and these relationships are closely linked to heir life situations and values.
- Closely linked to the personality approach but based on other scientific ideals and inspired by other disciplines
Assumptions
1) Grounded in phenomenology: A qualitative, constructionist research tradition emphasizing the accessing of an inner reality, and as a consequence, the validity of lived experienced
2) Brand consumption is understood only through a deep and holistic understanding of personal context in which the brand is consumed
3) Information is considered external stimuli to the consumer, while meaning stems from the inner reality
Brand-consumer exchange
Dyadic, implying an equal exchange between brand and consumer. Both parties contribute to brand value creation, which takes place in an ongoing meaning-based exchange.
Brand-consumer exchange framework
Brand <–(Circle)–> Consumer
Phenomenological perspective
Investigating how an individual interacts with external objects to learn about the structure that make up the individual’s construction of reality.
Theoretical building blocks
1) Supporting theme: Animism
2) Supporting theme: (Human) relationship theory
3) Core theme: Brand relationship theory
Supporting theory: Animism
Human beings have a tendency to endow objects and even abstract ideas with human personality characteristics. Brands can be animated, humanized and personalized.
Supporting theory: Human relationship theory
It is difficult to imagine life without any relations with other people. Relationships are in many ways how we embed ourselves in the world and are a fundamental part of the way we live our lives. For a relationship to exist, active interchanges between relationship partners are required. Relationships can be described as purposive because they add and structure meaning in people’s lives.
Core theory: Brand relationship theory
The role played by brands in the life of the individual consumer is deeply linked to the overall identity and the way the identity is reflected in their human relationships.
Relationship forms
- Arranged marriages
- Casual friends/buddies
- Marriages of convenience
- Committed partnerships
- Best friendships
- Compartmentalized friendships
- Kinships
- Rebounds/avoidance-driven relationships
- Childhood friendships
- Courtships
- Dependences
- Flings
- Enmities
- Secret affairs
- Enslavements
Arranged marriages
Non-voluntary union imposed by preferences of third party. Long-term, exclusive commitments, low levels of affective attachment.
Casual friends/buddies
Friendship low in affect and intimacy, infrequent or sporadic engangement
Marriages of convenience
Long-term, committed relationship precipitated by environmental influence vs. deliberate choice, governed by satisfying rules.
Committed partnerships
Long-term, voluntary imposed, socially supported union high in love, intimacy, trust and commitment to stay together despite adverse circumstances.
Best friendships
Voluntary union based on a principle of reciprocity, the endurance of which is ensured through continued provision of positive rewards. Characterized by revelation of true self. Intimate.
Compartmentalized friendships
Highly specialized, situationaly confined, enduring friendships characterized by lower intimacy than other friendship forms but higher socio-emotional rewards and interdependence. Low entry and exit barriers.
Kinships
Non-voluntary union with lineage ties.
Rebounds
Union precipitated by desire to move away from prior or available partner, not bound by attraction.
Childhood friendships
Infrequently engaged, affectively laden relationship reminiscent of earlier times. Comfort and security of past self
Courtships
Interim relationships on the road to committed partnership contract
Dependences
Obsessive, highly emotional, selfish attractions cemented by feeling that the other is irreplaceable
Flings
Short-term, time-bounded engagements of high emotional reward but devoid of commitment.
Enmities
Intensely involving relationships characterized by negative affect and desire to avoid or inflict pain on the other.
Secret affairs
Highly emotive, privately held relationship considered risky if exposed to others.
Enslavements
Non-voluntary union governed entirely by desires of the relationship partner. Negative feelings caused by circumstances.
Brand relationship qualities
1) Love/passion
2) Self-connection
3) Commitment
4) Interdependence
5) Intimacy
6) Brand partner quality
Methods & data
1) Depth interviews and life stories
2) Memory elicitation method: Probes earliest memories and defining memories to gain access to really deep and instrumental insight into even deeper layers of consumers’ inner realities.
3) Data analysis: Repeated analysis of depth interviews
Managerial implications
1) Meaning-based segmentation: Investigating the meaning consumers ascribe to brands then segmenting the market based on this information
2) Continuously adapt the strategy to fluctuations of the meaning negotation
3) Enter the life worlds of consumers to gain deeper insight
4) Focus on events as they’re self-defining moments. Create strong CRM systems.
5) Co-creation: Offer customers to co-invest, co-design, or co-create their products
