Brand Engagement into Self-Concept: Investigating Emerging Research Frontiers, Outcomes for Consumers, and Implications for Brand Strategies

Branding research has evolved to focus on the deep connections between consumers and brands, moving beyond mere transactions. This shift emphasizes how consumers forge meaningful relationships with brands, integrating them into their self-concept. Brand Engagement into Self-Concept (BESC) captures this, where consumers tend to view brands as important parts of their personalities and tend to use brands to express their identities. Marketing experts recognize the important role of self-concept, tailoring brand communication to align with consumers' identities. This doctoral thesis deepens the understanding of brand engagement into self-concept across three research papers. By adopting a mixed methodology, the thesis explores BESC from three distinct angles: current and prospective research pathways (study 1), psychological ramifications concerning individual happiness (study 2), and branding tactics involving brand extensions (study 3). Together, these papers enrich academic understanding of BESC as a facet of consumer-brand relationships and emphasize its pivotal role in brand strategies and communication.