The role of brand anthropomorphism in building brand attachment: The experiment research on beverage brands

Abstract

The concept of anthropomorphism has been described as a psychological process in which people perceive inanimate agents as humanlike. In the branding context, this approach has been considered as an effective positioning strategy to enhance consumer-brand interactions and create robust brand attachment, which refers to the strength of the bond connecting the brand with the self. Nevertheless, up to date, there are only a few empirical publications studying how and when anthropomorphism affects brand attachment. Filling the mentioned gap, on the basis of a three-factor theory of anthropomorphism (Epley, Waytz, & Cacioppo, 2007), and attachment theory (Bowlby, 1969), the paper provided an underlying mechanism that clarified the intimate relationship between brand anthropomorphism and consumers’ emotional attachment to such brands. The experiment applied in the context of healthy drink brands was carried out to test the hypothesis of the research model. The nonprobability design was adopted, and the sample size was determined in terms of similar previous studies which showed reliable and valid findings. Data was collected from 201 participants, and the Partial Least Squares technique was applied for statistical analysis. The study found that users tend to show greater brand attachment when they are exposed to an anthropomorphic juice brand (vs. a non-anthropomorphic one). The exploratory findings further highlighted the essential role of self-efficacy, self-esteem, sense of belonging, and psychological comfort, that mediated the effects of brand anthropomorphism on brand attachment. The results from this research contribute to understanding the anthropomorphism literature and provide valuable insights for marketing practices in the beverage industry.