Self-Esteem’s Moderation of Self-Congruity Effects on Brand Loyalty

Abstract

This research set out to find how consumer self-esteem moderates the relative importance of actual self-congruity vs. ideal self-congruity on women’s brand loyalty to fitness brands. College-aged women were the primary focus for this research because this demography represents an emerging consumer group and because the literature suggests women score significantly lower than men on self-esteem scales in physical appearance, athletic self, personal self, and self-satisfaction self-esteem. A survey of 151 women of 18 - 24 ages was conducted supporting prior research findings that actual and ideal self-congruity are both positively correlated with brand loyalty.