The impact of brand personality on consumer responses to persuasion attempts

Brand personality is a strategic tool for brand differentiation and creation of consumer-brand relationships. This article examines whether brand personality also influences consumer responses to persuasion attempts. An experimental study investigates the effects of flattery on consumers' attitudinal and emotional responses to two brand personalities: a sincere and an exciting brand. Results demonstrate that brand personality matters when consumers interpret and react to persuasion attempts: flattery from a sincere brand decreased brand attitude and increased disappointment, yet these effects did not occur for the exciting brand. These findings can be explained by disconfirmation of expectations: consumers do not expect sincere brands to attempt to manipulate them. Flattery from exciting brands, on the other hand, is in line with relationship expectations and does therefore not entail negative consequences for the brand. This research suggests that managers should consider brand personality when designing brand communications and managing customer interactions. © 2013 Macmillan Publishers Ltd.