Spirituality and religiosity at the junction of consumerism: Exploring consumer preference for spiritual brands

Sardana, Deepak; Gupta, Narain; Sharma, Piyush

doi:10.1111/ijcs.12467

Cited by 31 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 50 publications

(93 reference statements)

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“…India, for example, is a culture where the concept of God is anthropomorphised. Recently, in India, the emergence of spiritual/religious brands (e.g., Patanjali) has attracted scholarly attention (Sardana, Gupta and Sharma 2018). Given their spiritual aspects and because anthropomorphism of spiritual entities often involves perception of high agency (Gray et al, 2007), anthropomorphising such brands may involve greater attribution of agency manifested through dimensions such as free will, desire and self-control.…”

Section: Limitations and Future Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seeing brands as humans: Development and validation of a brand anthropomorphism scale

Golossenko

Pillai

Aroean

2020

International Journal of Research in Marketing

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Brand anthropomorphism is recognised as an important construct in marketing, yet it lacks clarity in operationalisation and valid measurement. The objective of this research, therefore, is to develop and validate the brand anthropomorphism scale (BASC). Brand anthropomorphism is defined as the perception of brand as an entity that has analogical human-like features, mental and emotional states that people believe to be distinctively human. It is conceptualised as a multidimensional superordinate construct. Across six studies (N=1,666), this research develops a valid and reliable measure of brand anthropomorphism that has psychometric properties for convergent, discriminant and predictive validity. The results indicate that brand anthropomorphism is a valid predictor of outcomes such as brand trust and brand commitment. Finally, in support of incremental validity, it is identified that the BASC explains variance in brand trust and brand commitment above and beyond the measure of brand anthropomorphism commonly employed in the literature. Theoretical implications for research and implications for practice are also discussed.

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Section: Limitations and Future Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seeing brands as humans: Development and validation of a brand anthropomorphism scale

Golossenko

Pillai

Aroean

2020

International Journal of Research in Marketing

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“…Marketing scholars have established the importance of religion in understanding consumer behaviour relative to branding, culture and media (Arli et al, 2018(Arli et al, , 2019(Arli et al, , 2020Dávila et al, 2018;Hwang, 2018;Kalliny et al, 2018;Mathras et al, 2016;Minton, Jeffrey Xie, et al, 2018;Montoro-Pons & Cuadrado-García, 2018;Sardana et al, 2018;Souiden et al, 2018). Research indicates that a consumer's religiosity level influences decision making and consumption behaviour and may even be considered as a viable basis for market segmentation (Liu & Minton, 2018;Muralidharan & La Ferle, 2018;Taylor et al, 2010).…”

Section: Reli G I Os It Y Mark E Ting and B Elief Cong Ruen Ce Theorymentioning

confidence: 99%

Holiday advertising versus gift cards: Influence of religiosity on retailer evaluations

Taylor

Minton

2020

Int J Consumer Studies

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This research examines how consumers' religiosity influences response to marketing communication mediums that are viewed either actively (e.g., holiday gift cards that are actively sought out) versus passively (e.g., holiday ads that a consumer is passively exposed to). Using an experimental method, this research first shows that consumer religiosity positively influences retailer evaluations. Next, this research examines how an actively viewed marketing communication (using the context of holiday gift cards) versus a passively viewed marketing communication (using the context of holiday ads) influences consumers' evaluations of retailers and the explanatory mechanisms underlying those evaluations. Results show that consumers with higher extrinsic religiosity have higher pride in response to gift cards as opposed to ads, which leads to higher retailer evaluations. In contrast, consumers with higher intrinsic religiosity have lower guilt in response to gift cards as opposed to ads, which also leads to higher retailer evaluations. These findings are discussed in relation to the literature on pride and guilt and build off belief congruence theory. Additionally, implications for marketers and retailers are identified.

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“…Surprisingly, Patanjali is a favorite brand that has the majority of its customers from the Hindu community, not Muslim. This is probably because companies such as Patanjali and Sri (promoted by spiritual guru Sri Ravishankar) are supported by spiritual organizations who are characteristic of traditional religious groups (Sardana et al, 2018).…”

Section: Jima 103mentioning

confidence: 99%

India – an untapped market for halal products

Hassan

Sengupta

2019

JIMA

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Purpose India has an over-180-million Muslim population, which makes it an ideal marketplace for halal products. However, not much research has been done to understand the opportunities and challenges pertaining to halal business in India. The purpose of this study is to explore and examine how halal products are perceived by the Indian consumer and how these products are creating values for a larger consumer base. Design/methodology/approach The paper opted for an exploratory study using an inductive approach. To understand the peculiarities of the issue, the authors also used the case-research approach to develop a broader understanding of the topic. Findings Findings of this study show that the market and consumers are increasingly becoming more aware of halal products in India. Further, the demand for such products is no longer limited to Muslims. Halal products have also become an attractive option for consumers, as they are also addressing safety and environmental concerns. This is an essential factor for a flourishing certification business in India. Research limitations/implications A limitation of this study is a quantitative study which could have been conducted to confirm the findings of this research. Further, the sample was limited to participants in the age group of 21-30 years. Older people might share a different perspective on halal products because they are believed to be more experienced and socially conscious. Further, our cases were limited to a certifying agency and cosmetics agencies. Practical implications One important implication of this study is that it reaffirms the success of Islamic branding in the India context. Though this research was carried out on a limited scale, it opens up opportunities to examine the halal phenomenon in more detail. Acceptability of halal products among non-Muslims is a sign of growing tolerance among different communities to accept and adopt culture and practices of a different religion in their daily living. Social implications The authors have observed that halal products and Islamic branding as a whole can positively help in reshaping the image of Islam across the globe. Observations such as identifying halal products being eco-friendly reflects the increased sensitivity among the consumers in the developing nations, which were earlier a behavior common among the Westerners. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no other study has been done to explore the halal product market and consumers’ perception in the Indian context. This is particularly an important contribution because India is a home for over 180 million Muslims and a marketplace worth trillions of dollars. Further, past research in the area of religious marketing was limited to conceptual papers. This paper is an attempt to re-initiate discussion through empirical studies on Islamic branding in the emerging economies context.

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Spirituality and religiosity at the junction of consumerism: Exploring consumer preference for spiritual brands

Cited by 31 publications

References 50 publications

Seeing brands as humans: Development and validation of a brand anthropomorphism scale

Seeing brands as humans: Development and validation of a brand anthropomorphism scale

Holiday advertising versus gift cards: Influence of religiosity on retailer evaluations

India – an untapped market for halal products

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