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This article discusses the findings of an explorative study which identified the antecedents of brand attachment and its consequences among a small cross section of selected Malaysian consumers. The findings provide some deeper insights on brand attachment, as unlike previous studies this study elicited responses not only from goods brands, but also service brands. Additionally, this research not only gained insight on the antecedents of brand attachment among a small selected cross section of Malaysian consumers but also importantly addressed its consequences. In-depth interviews were conducted and four major antecedents of brand attachment emerged, namely achieving self and social goals, strong product and service characteristics, positive reminiscence and consumer expectations. Six consequences of attachment to brands were identified and these included commitment, sacrifice for the brand, brand advocacy, competing brands are ranked second, automatic brand recollection and disappointment and discontentment.

This paper discusses the findings of an explorative study among selected Malaysian dog owners who regard their dogs as extended-self and their purchase behavior of dog related products and services. A qualitative research was conducted to gain some deeper insights on purchase behavior of dog related products and services, an under research area. The study aimed to determine whether these dog owners consider their dogs as an extension of their selves and describe their purchase behavior. In-depth interviews were conducted and four major themes on purchase behavior of dog related products and services emerged, namely loving my pet dog means loving myself, sense of possession, attachment and sacrifice and my pet is like me. The findings show that generally these dog owners consider their dogs as an extension of themselves with some participants demonstrating a stronger self-extension on their pets. Dog owners who view their dogs as their extended self, made purchase decisions as though they were purchasing and consuming these products and services for themselves. This understanding offers practical insight to marketers when marketing dog related products and services.

Student retention is of key importance to many private higher education institutions in Malaysia. This paper discusses the factors influencing a selected group of former pre-university students’ decision to continue their undergraduate studies in the same university where they had completed their pre-university studies. In-depth interviews were conducted, and three major themes of student retention were identified namely, the educational quality at the institution, educational quality at pre-university level and the overall conducive study and support environment. The findings provide insights on retention related challenges and issues faced by this group of students. This study also suggests ways on how the university could successfully improve its student retention.