Beyond brand personality. A multidimensional perspective of self-congruence

Consumers strongly prefer brands that resonate with their own self-concepts, life tasks, themes, and concerns; in response, brands increasingly seek to connect with multiple aspects of their target markets' self-concepts. Considering these ongoing developments, current conceptualisations of self-congruity in marketing may be inadequate, in that they tend to feature a unidimensional construct, based primarily on personality. Therefore, the current article proposes and confirms the appropriateness of a multidimensional conceptualisation of the self-concept, adopted from psychology literature, that is comprised of personality, beliefs, interests, social roles, aspirations, and abilities. For managers, this article shows how expanding self-congruity dimensions beyond personality provides opportunities for evoking stronger perceptions of congruence among consumers.

Automated summary

Consumers prefer brands that align with their self-concepts, life tasks, themes, and concerns, prompting brands to connect with multiple aspects of their target markets' self-concepts. Current conceptualizations of self-congruity in marketing may be inadequate, as they often focus on personality as a unidimensional construct. This article proposes a multidimensional conceptualization of self-concept, including personality, beliefs, interests, social roles, aspirations, and abilities, offering opportunities for managers to enhance consumer perceptions of congruence by expanding beyond personality dimensions.