No abstract

Self‐gifting consumer behaviour (SGCB) is on the rise as consumers seek reward and therapeutic benefits from their shopping experiences. SGCB is defined as personally symbolic, self‐communication through special indulgences, which tend to be premeditated and highly context bound. Prior research into the measurement of this growing behavioural phenomenon has been fragmented because of differences in conceptualisation. This research builds upon the prior literature and through a series of qualitative and quantitative studies, develops a valid, multidimensional measure of SGCB that will be useful for future quantitative inquiry into self‐gifting consumption. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Most consumer brand relationship research concentrates on understanding the relationship between the consumer and the brand, and very little research investigates the consequences of those relationships. Given the plethora of brands on the market, each competing for the attention of the consumer and the opportunity to build a relationship with the consumer, understanding the effects of consumer-brand relationships (CBR) provides vital information to the brand manager about the types of brand relationships to attract and engage. This study looks at this under-researched area and investigates the effects of CBR on consideration and brand equity in the context of fast food and banking in Hong Kong. The results suggest that utilitarian brand relationships are best as they are likely to increase the chances of the brand being included in the consideration set, increase perceptions of brand uniqueness and a consumer\u27s propensity to pay more. These novel results are surprising given the amount of attention dedicated to affective brand relationships, brand love, and the building of emotional brands and/or brand connections in recent literature. These surprising results may help brand managers develop strategies to limit the number of brands in consideration set or to be first choice when purchasing