Consumers' self-congruence with a "Liked" brand: Cognitive network influence and brand outcomes. (13th February 2017) - Wallace, Elaine
Abstract : Purpose: Brand "Likes" on Facebook facilitate self-expression, forming part of consumers' virtual selves. Yet, consumers' brand "Likes" may bear little resemblance to their material realities. This paper aims to test similarities of brand image with self-image for Facebook "Likes" to determine whether self-congruence with a "Liked" brand leads to positive offline brand outcomes. It also investigates whether consumers' perceptions about their Facebook social relations influence self-congruent brand "Likes". Design/methodology/approach: A large-scale survey was conducted of regular Facebook users who "Liked" brands. Data from 438 respondents was analysed and hypotheses tested using structural equation modeling. Findings: Empirical results show that the perceived self-congruence with a "Liked" brand increases with social tie strength. Perceived social tie strength is informed by perceived attitude homophily. When the perceived self-congruence with a "Liked" brand is higher, brand love and word of mouth (WOM) are enhanced. Consumers also have greater brand loyalty and offer more WOM when brands are loved. Research limitations/implications: Findings demonstrate the influence of consumers' cognitive network on "Likes" and brand outcomes. Further replication would enhance generalisability. Future research should use a wider sample and investigate other variables. Practical implications: Findings support managers seeking to grow and analyse Facebook "Likes" by providing insights into brand loyalty, brand love and WOM for "Liked" brands. Originality/value: The paper addresses the dearth of research exploring how consumers' perceptions of their Facebook network influence their online brand behaviour and how perceived self-congruence with a "Liked" brand relates to brand outcomes.