Abstract
This article presents a meta-analysis on brand personality (BP) by investigating the antecedents and consequences of the BP dimensions of sincerity, excitement, competence, sophistication, and ruggedness, as suggested by Aaker (Journal of Marketing Research 34:347–356, 1997). The authors synthesize the results from 76 independent samples in 56 studies. The meta-analysis finds several new empirical generalizations about BP. First, the key drivers of BP are communication with hedonic benefit claims, branding activities, a brand’s country-of-origin, and consumer personalities. Second, the study finds that the effects of BP are stronger for mature brands than for brands in the early life cycle stages. Third, sincerity and competence have the strongest influence on brand success variables (e.g., brand attitude, image, commitment, purchase intention), while excitement and ruggedness have the weakest influence on brand attitude and brand commitment.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aaker, J. L. (1997). Dimensions of brand personality. Journal of Marketing Research, 34, 347–356.
Aaker, J. L., Fournier, S., & Brasel, S. A. (2004). Why good brands do bad. Journal of Consumer Research, 31, 1–16.
Aggrawal, P., & McGill, A. L. (2007). Is that car smiling at me? Schema congruity as a basis for evaluating anthropomorphized products. Journal of Consumer Research, 34, 468–479.
Ajzen, I., & Fishbein, M. (1977). Attitude–behavior relations: a theoretical analysis and review of empirical research. Psychological Bulletin, 84, 888–918.
Beard, F. K. (2003). College student attitudes toward advertising's ethical, economic, and social consequences. Journal of Business Ethics, 48(3), 217–228.
Bearden, W. O., Hardesty, D. M., & Rose, R. L. (2001). Consumer self-confidence: refinements in conceptualization and measurement. Journal of Consumer Research, 28, 121–134.
Bhattacharya, C. B., & Sen, S. (2003). Consumer–company identification: a framework for understanding consumers’ relationships with companies. Journal of Marketing, 67, 76–88.
Chang, P.-L., & Chieng, M.-H. (2006). Building consumer–brand relationship: a cross-cultural experiential view. Psychology and Marketing, 23(11), 927–959.
Chaudhuri, A., & Holbrook, M. B. (2001). The chain of effects from brand trust and brand affect to brand performance: the role of brand loyalty. Journal of Marketing, 65, 81–93.
Chernev, A., Hamilton, R., & Gal, D. (2011). Competing for consumer identity: limits to self-expression and the perils of lifestyle branding. Journal of Marketing, 75(3), 66–82.
Dennett, D. C. (1996). Kinds of minds: towards an understanding of consciousness. New York: Basic.
Diamantopoulos, A., Smith, G., & Grime, I. (2005). The impact of brand extensions on brand personality: experimental evidence. European Journal of Marketing, 39(1/2), 129–149.
Field, A., & Hole, G. (2003). How to design and report experiments. Los Angeles, CA: SAGE.
Fournier, S. (1998). Consumers and their brands: developing relationship theory. Journal of Consumer Research, 24, 343–373.
Johar, G. V., Sengupta, J., & Aaker, J. L. (2005). Two roads to updating brand personality impressions: trait versus evaluative inferencing. Journal of Marketing Research, 42, 458–469.
Keller, K. L. (2008). Strategic brand management (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Keller, K. L., & Lehmann, D. R. (2006). Brands and branding: research findings and future priorities. Marketing Science, 25(6), 740–759.
Levy, S. J. (1959). Symbols for sale. Harvard Business Review, 37(4), 117–124.
Lim, E. A. C., & Ang, S. H. (2008). Hedonic vs. utilitarian consumption: a cross-cultural perspective based on cultural conditioning. Journal of Business Research, 61, 225–232.
Lipsey, M. W., & Wilson, D. T. (2001). Practical meta-analysis. Applied social research methods series. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.
Orth, U. R., & Malkewitz, K. (2008). Holistic package design and consumer brand expressions. Journal of Marketing, 72, 64–81.
Peterson, R. A., & Jolibert, A. J. P. (1995). A meta-analysis of country-of-origin-effects. Journal of International Business Studies, 26, 883–900.
Rust, R. T., Lehman, D. R., & Farley, J. U. (1990). Estimating publication bias in meta-analysis. Journal of Marketing Research, 27, 220–226.
Sethuraman, R., Tellis, G. J., & Briesch, R. A. (2011). How well does advertising work? Generalizations from meta-analysis of brand advertising elasticities. Journal of Marketing Research, 48, 457–471.
Sirgy, J. M. (1982). Self-concept in consumer behavior: a critical review. Journal of Consumer Research, 9(3), 287–300.
Sung, Y., & Kim, J. (2010). Effects of brand personality on brand trust and brand affect. Psychology and Marketing, 27(7), 639–661.
Tremoulet, P. D., & Feldman, J. (2000). Perception of animacy from the motion of a single object. Perception, 29(943–951).
Troy, L. C., Hirunyawipada, T., & Paswan, A. K. (2008). Cross-functional integration and new product success: an empirical investigation of the findings. Journal of Marketing, 72, 132–146.
Yoo, C., Bang, H.-K., & Kim, Y. (2009). The effects of a consistent ad series on consumer evaluations. A test of the repetition–variation hypothesis in a South Korean context. International Journal of Advertising, 28(1), 105–123.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Eisend, M., Stokburger-Sauer, N.E. Brand personality: A meta-analytic review of antecedents and consequences. Mark Lett 24, 205–216 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11002-013-9232-7
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11002-013-9232-7