Consumer-brand identification and happiness in experiential consumption

Abstract

Although the marketing literature has extensively studied consumer-brand identification, scholars have not fully explored its well-being benefits. Drawing from the social identity approach and the bottom-up theory of subjective well-being, we examine how consumer-brand identification can be a source of happiness in experiential consumption settings. We conduct two studies to test the proposed research model. In Study 1, results from 322 fans of a professional football team show that consumer happiness positively mediates the association between consumer-brand identification and overall happiness. We subsequently conduct a partial-least-square multigroup analysis with three groups (nonpurchase, one-time-purchase, and repeat-purchase) based on purchase frequency during the season. The results reveal that the path coefficient between consumer-brand identification and consumer happiness is stronger in the one-time-purchase group than in the nonpurchase group. In Study 2, we reexamine the proposed model while accounting for the effects of core product quality. Results from 500 fans of a professional baseball team support Study 1's findings. Overall, our findings add to the knowledge surrounding the well-being benefits of consumer-brand identification and demonstrate the role of experiential consumption in facilitating happiness.