Brand Management: Research, theory and practice

and expression of self by providing symbolic signal value. The strength of the
brand is determined by the extent to which there is congruity between the brand
personality and the personality or self of the consumer.

Theoretical building blocks of the personality approach

In this section the key constructs of the personality approach and their interrelation
will be explained. The key constructs of brand personality provide the theoretical
building blocks and draw on three supporting themes: personality, expression of self
and congruence between brand personality and consumer self. The personality
construct has its origin in theory from cognitive and social psychology about human
personality. Consumers’ construction and expression of self are widely studied in the
field of consumer behaviour, but it also borrows from the field of psychology about
the construction of identity. The last supporting theme, brand-self congruence, is
derived from the field of social psychology and focuses on the social identification
process consumers engage in with the brands they consume. The three supporting
themes in the personality approach are all enhanced to fit into the context of brand
management and provide theoretical input to the core theme – brand personality.

Supporting theme: personality

The concept of personality has its origin in the field of human psychology. The
personality is one of the most significant manifestations of a human being’s self-
concept and has since the 1930s been an area of research in human psychology.
The personality construct in human psychology focuses on the development of

Assumptions

Theory

Methods and data

Managerial implications

Figure 7.2Assumptions of the personality approach

The personality approach 121