Fit Differences in Human Brand Types

I have no problem with Bond drinking beer, but Heineken? Come on, really? No one with any sort of sophistication drinks Heineken.

- April 2012 fan comment on CNN article (Busis, 2012) that James Bond, as played by actor Daniel Craig, appears in a Heineken ad as part of larger cross- promotional campaign for the movie “Skyfall.”

Researchers have examined how issues of fit or match between the characteristics of the endorser and the product being endorsed affect the persuasiveness of celebrity

endorsements (Kahle & Homer, 1985; Kamins, 1990; Kamins & Gupta, 1994).

Traditionally these studies are housed within the context of spokesperson source effects, such as attractiveness or credibility, and based on the argument that the relative impact of a source effect depends on how much information it provides consumers in relation to the paired product, assessed by the perceived fit between the source and product being promoted (a phenomenon called "the matchup hypothesis"; Kamins & Gupta, 1994). For example, an athlete is more persuasive when endorsing a sports-related product such as an energy bar than when promoting an unrelated product such as a chocolate bar (Till & Busler, 2000). In the former scenario, an athlete’s approval of the energy bar is seen as providing consumers with additional relevant information, in that the athlete is seen as an expert in sports-related topics. In the latter scenario, the athlete’s approval of the chocolate bar provides very little additional information, since he should be no more or less suited to assessing a chocolate bar’s merits than a typical consumer. As a result, the athlete’s endorsement matches up or fits better with an energy bar, and is therefore more effective (Till & Busler, 2000). Source-based models have clearly established that consumers need to be able to make a clear link between traits held by the spokesperson and features germane to the linked product in order for endorsement pairing to be optimally effective (McCracken, 1989).

2.6.1.1

Fit between Reference Groups and Product Types

My research aims to extend that done previously in the product-endorser fit literature. Whereas source matchup has been extensively studied, researchers do not know whether perceived fit of the endorser type (primarily a membership group member or primarily an aspirational group member) and the product type (consistent with actual self or ideal self) also impacts the relative persuasiveness of an endorser appeal. Given that membership groups are comprised of individuals who are seen as similar others to a present self, individuals seen as primarily linked to a membership group should also use products that are similar to those used by a present self (Chan, et al., 2012). For example, if everyone in my peer group wears Adidas, I likely wear Adidas too and see the brand as a match to my actual-self. Likewise, aspirational others are those that individuals aspire to be like one day, suggesting that the goods that they are consuming should also be more congruent with an ideal self. For example, if the business leaders I admire all drive expensive foreign brands of cars, these brands will seem like a match with my ideal-self.

This perception of a match or fit between reference group ratings and brand self-congruence should translate into human brand endorsements as well. As an illustration, let us revisit the Jennifer Aniston Whole Foods example provided as a consumer quote earlier in this

paper10. It appears that the consumer quoted identifies Jennifer Aniston as a friend, given that she calls Aniston “funny and down-to-earth.” This would suggest that she while she both likes and admires Aniston, she also likely rates her more highly on the membership dimension than the aspirational one. It also appears that perhaps the consumer shops at Whole Foods – else it would be hard to imagine her bumping into Aniston by the melon section – suggesting the behaviour is consistent with the consumer’s actual-self. In this situation, then, an ad featuring Jennifer Aniston endorsing Whole Foods should be deemed

10

“She is really funny... :) And so genuine. i love it when she is on Ellen. It seems Jennifer Aniston has no problem laughing at herself and poking holes in outrageous stories about her. I just think she is the kind of person who would help you pick out a cantaloupe at Whole Foods and just be a normal person while doing it. :)”

a good fit to that consumer. Someone she views as primarily consistent with her

membership group is engaging in activities consistent with her actual-self, which should otherwise be the case most of the time with her actual friends. Another consumer, however, might also rate Aniston more highly on the membership dimension than the aspirational one, and yet deem shopping at Whole Foods as something aspirational and consistent with her ideal-self; something that she does not do at present but hopes to do one day. To the second consumer, Jennifer Aniston endorsing Whole Foods should be less effective, since the pairing will seem incongruous. The figure below outlines the general predicted relationship.

Table 1: Fit Hypotheses

Product congruent with:

Human brand primarily seen as part of: Membership Group Aspirational Group

Actual Self

Celebrity product

endorsement a good fit  Enhanced persuasiveness

Celebrity product endorsement a poor fit  Diminished persuasiveness

Ideal Self

Celebrity product

endorsement a poor fit  Diminished persuasiveness

Celebrity product endorsement a good fit  Enhanced

persuasiveness

In addition to the fit between human brand and endorsed product required for a successful endorsement to occur, then, I am also arguing that a fit is needed between how the

consumer assesses the human brand along both the aspirational and membership dimensions and how the consumer assesses the endorsed product along the actual- and ideal-self

dimensions. More formally:

H4: The self-congruence of the product being endorsed should moderate the effectiveness of aspirational and membership ratings on endorser effectiveness. Specifically, human brands rated as primarily aspirational (primarily membership) should be most effective when promoting products congruent with a consumer’s ideal (actual) self.