Applying brand attachment to a consumption context: Attachment to mobile phones

The ubiquitous mobile phone has changed the way people communicate. Past research on mobile phones has focussed on tasks and functions, rather than people and behaviours. Using Fournier's brand attachment typology in-depth interviews with 17 informants illustrated attachment to their devices which can be measured in terms of quality, depth and strength. Informants describe their mobile phone using expressions of love, connect with it via selfexpression, exhibit commitment and interdependence to their phones by resisting other phones and remaining loyal, interact frequently and trust their phone to deliver a satisfactory level of partner quality. The results of this study add to our understanding of brand attachment theory in the context of products and experiential consumption. Possible future research is presented