The influence of interpersonal relationships on brand‐related behaviors for gifted brands

Abstract

The present work studies a novel perspective on gift‐giving research by examining the effect of the giver–recipient relationship on the recipient–brand relationship. A study examining gift exchanges in real‐life relationships and two laboratory experiments demonstrate that the effect of the recipient's relationship satisfaction with the gift giver on self‐brand connections and, consequently, on brand‐related behaviors is conditional on the durability of the gift. The findings are robust to manipulating the durability of the same product category and using durable and nondurable categories of the same (actual or fictitious) brand. This research offers important implications for managers who position their brands as desirable gifts.