Relationship approach

Question 1

What is the relationship approach?

Answer 1

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

Question 2

Assumptions

Answer 2

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

Question 3

Brand-consumer exchange

Answer 3

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.

Question 4

Brand-consumer exchange framework

Answer 4

Brand <–(Circle)–> Consumer

Question 5

Phenomenological perspective

Answer 5

Investigating how an individual interacts with external objects to learn about the structure that make up the individual’s construction of reality.

Question 6

Theoretical building blocks

Answer 6

1) Supporting theme: Animism
2) Supporting theme: (Human) relationship theory
3) Core theme: Brand relationship theory

Question 7

Supporting theory: Animism

Answer 7

Human beings have a tendency to endow objects and even abstract ideas with human personality characteristics. Brands can be animated, humanized and personalized.

Question 8

Supporting theory: Human relationship theory

Answer 8

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.

Question 9

Core theory: Brand relationship theory

Answer 9

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.

Question 10

Relationship forms

Answer 10

• 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

Question 11

Arranged marriages

Answer 11

Non-voluntary union imposed by preferences of third party. Long-term, exclusive commitments, low levels of affective attachment.

Question 12

Casual friends/buddies

Answer 12

Friendship low in affect and intimacy, infrequent or sporadic engangement

Question 13

Marriages of convenience

Answer 13

Long-term, committed relationship precipitated by environmental influence vs. deliberate choice, governed by satisfying rules.

Question 14

Committed partnerships

Answer 14

Long-term, voluntary imposed, socially supported union high in love, intimacy, trust and commitment to stay together despite adverse circumstances.

Question 15

Best friendships

Answer 15

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.

Question 16

Compartmentalized friendships

Answer 16

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.

Question 17

Kinships

Answer 17

Non-voluntary union with lineage ties.

Question 18

Rebounds

Answer 18

Union precipitated by desire to move away from prior or available partner, not bound by attraction.

Question 19

Childhood friendships

Answer 19

Infrequently engaged, affectively laden relationship reminiscent of earlier times. Comfort and security of past self

Question 20

Courtships

Answer 20

Interim relationships on the road to committed partnership contract

Question 21

Dependences

Answer 21

Obsessive, highly emotional, selfish attractions cemented by feeling that the other is irreplaceable

Question 22

Flings

Answer 22

Short-term, time-bounded engagements of high emotional reward but devoid of commitment.

Question 23

Enmities

Answer 23

Intensely involving relationships characterized by negative affect and desire to avoid or inflict pain on the other.

Question 24

Secret affairs

Answer 24

Highly emotive, privately held relationship considered risky if exposed to others.

Question 25

Enslavements

Answer 25

Non-voluntary union governed entirely by desires of the relationship partner. Negative feelings caused by circumstances.

Question 26

Brand relationship qualities

Answer 26

1) Love/passion
2) Self-connection
3) Commitment
4) Interdependence
5) Intimacy
6) Brand partner quality

Question 27

Methods & data

Answer 27

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

Question 28

Managerial implications

Answer 28

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