Examining the effect of group prototypes and divergent strength of identification on the effectiveness of identity appeals

Abstract

Purpose Past research argues that identity-linking messages must use established descriptors of the social group (i.e. prototypical identity appeals) to be effective. The authors show that less established descriptors (i.e. identity-linking messages low in prototypicality) can be optimal for an important customer segment, namely, for those that affectively identify with the social group. This is because of the distinct self-motives underlying the cognitive and affective social identity dimensions. Design/methodology/approach A pilot and two experimental studies were conducted, using gender and nationality as the target identities. Findings Consumers feel more hopeful and have higher purchase intention for products advertised using identity depictions that fit with their predominant (uncertainty-reduction or self-enhancement) self-motive. Consumers predominantly high in affective/cognitive social identity prefer identity-linking messages that are low/high in prototypicality. An abstract mindset reverses these effects by encouraging a similarity focus. Research limitations/implications Future work should identify potential boundary conditions of the findings. Further, all studies use ascribed social groups. Future work should explore whether consumers relate differently to different social group, such as achieved groups, non-human groups or aspirational groups. Practical implications Adverts using established descriptors of a brand’s target social group may no longer fit the brand’s positioning. Understanding when and when not to use less established group descriptors to market brands is important for practitioners. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first research to explore the conditions under which priming consumers’ identity using less/more established (i.e. low/high in prototypicality) descriptors has a beneficial, or detrimental, effect on consumers’ purchase intention. In understanding these effects, the authors draw on consumers’ self-motives underlying cognitive and affective identification, a distinction not yet made in the identity-linking communications literature. The authors also explore the mediating role of hope – a central motivating emotion – in identity marketing.

Naming product colors with an individual’s identity and product evaluation: self-referencing as a mediator

“…Consistent with prior research (McGowan et al , 2022; Reed et al , 2012), consumers respond more favorably to messages that invoke their identity, and a communication is likely to have a salient influence when it involves consumer identity. Particularly as the effects of identity-referencing messages (Bhattacharjee et al , 2014), product color names that simply implicate the target identity tend to elicit favorable responses.…”

“…messages that define the terms of identity expression) (Bhattacharjee et al , 2014). Products promoted with identity depictions that align with consumers’ main self-motive prompt their elevated intent to buy (McGowan et al , 2022). The persuasiveness of a communication can be enhanced by linking the message to the individual’s sense-of-self (Cacioppo et al , 1982).…”

Impact of social media influencers' credibility on millennial consumers' green purchasing behavior: a concept paper on personal and social identities

“…Based on the SIT, social identity creates a sense of self within a person as they play a certain role within society (McGowan et al, 2022). For instance, a person's political affiliations or sports affiliations would have an impact on their behavior (Zhang et al, 2022).…”

“…As consumers presumably connect well with products that suit their identities, they also prefer advertisements which are less prototypical and more suitable to their identities (McGowan et al ., 2022; Till and Busler, 2013; Nguyen and Nguyen, 2020). Hence, the messages shared through advertisements would be more effective if they can connect with the relevant customer segments and their social identities.…”

Effect of place attachment on consumers' place preference and repatronage intention toward coffee shops

“…PI is regarded as a component of social identity (Huang et al, 2022). According to social identity theory (SIT), two core self-motives underpin social identification, namely cognitive social identity and affective social identity, and these dimensions are meaningfully distinct (McGowan et al, 2022). Cognitive social identity refers to the personal awareness of membership within a social group, whereas affective social identity reflects the emotional feeling of belonging within a group (Karjaluoto and Lepp€ aniemi, 2013).…”